1. You have made me stronger

Between the scrapes, slivers and elementary heartbreaks, during recess you have always been reliable. You have been the home to any type of pain a little kid can face. Even though you have inflicted pain on us you have also been the reason we wipe our tears so we can go play some more. Thank you for assisting and teaching me how to be stronger both mentally and physically.

2. You helped me introduce me to valuable friendships

Sharing recess with other classes and my own helped introduce me to people who to this day remain my friends. Kick ball games became a place where everyone was friends no matter what team they were on. This time became anticipated because we were able to find our new found friends from other classes and grades. With your assistance, today I am able to reminisce with my elementary school friends of times spent together at this location.

3. You taught me how to be creative

During this section of the day our imagination was allowed to take over you acted as a setting for an endless amount of fun. You were able to transform into the castle, the pirate ship or even the platform that ensured my escape from the lava ground. I will forever be grateful for the creativity you encouraged and brought into my life.

4. You taught me how to be fearless

We would swing higher than humanly possible. Sitting on top of the monkey bars like a queen or king was no problem. All of these things that would make our parents shriek was just a shout of excitement to us. Fear wasn't present here. Nothing could touch us or ruin our day when the sun was shining and we were on our playground.

5. You taught me how to push myself

Hearing “Race ya there” could push every little kid to sprint faster than they ever thought possible. Going on the top monkey bar made you feel as though you were a tight rope walker standing precariously above the world. All these things done to impress ourselves and our peers taught us how to push our limits further than we could have previously pictured. Also, it gave us a confidence that we would need in the years to come.

6. You were the place where my friends would tell my crush I liked them

This is something every little girl or boy would never imagine doing for themselves. So our pint sized wing men and women would set out to spill the beans. The romantic drama would unravel in various locations throughout the playground causing a few too many embarrassed red cheeks. But, thank you for being the setting for my first romance and helping to discover that the true impact of embarrassment is.

7. You taught us how to be cautious and smart

If we got injured doing something, we would refrain from doing it again, labeling it as “dumb”. We would stay away from the beehive that would take a victim with a sting every couple of weeks. We would run slower when a teacher would tell us too. We would know the best tactics in any game played during recess. We had gained the knowledge of what was okay to do and what would harm us. Our intelligence developed as more time was spent on this metal/wooden/plastic structure.

8. You taught us how to have fun

You were the place we’d daydream about during any and every class. We’d countdown the minutes until the teacher dismissed us for recess. We would be waiting for the moments we could run outside and begin to create memories. Between the tire swing, kick ball, slides, the monkey bars and swings you never disappointed us when it came to fun.

9. You taught us how to enjoy every moment

Within a short recess break or trip to the park on the weekend you have taught us how to make the most out of every minute. You have been the place where we could set up elaborate stories. We were able to create and play games with our friends. We had the ability to enjoy a stress free break from the hard life of a elementary student.

Thank you for all you have done for me.You were the foundation of our childhood and help to mold who we are today. Thank you for being more than an inanimate object but something that had the ability to teach us ,give us a space to have fun, and be the setting for some of our fondest memories.