Grounders has been outlawed! Students are no longer allowed to play this popular game. Many scholars have strong emotions about this. 

At the Safety Assembly, Mrs. Shackle announced that grounders was no longer allowed to be played. Shocked whispers spread like wildfire. Some people voiced their protests, but Mrs. Shackel would not be swayed; it was official: grounders was banned.

Grounders is a game students play on the playground. You have to close your eyes if you’re “it” when you go on the playground and try to tag people. The kids on the playground have to stay on the structure or the tagger can call “Grounders” and they will be it.

Mrs. Shackle stated that she banned grounders simply because “it’s unsafe.” She believes that most students won’t play grounders anymore. Mrs. Shackle mentioned that, “If they could come up with a safer version, I would be open to it.”

Some scholars, such as Eighth grader Audrey C, have seen people falling off the playground when they have their eyes closed and have gotten injured, while others feel that it was safe for everyone because there are parts of the playground that you can open your eyes on. Audrey says, “I feel it’s a very fun game, however, since you have to close your eyes on the playground, I can see what they were thinking when they banned it.”

Still, many people think it is a fun game, but understand why it was banned. Some of them have strong opinions about this game.

After asking Fourth grader Ella P. if she thought grounders was fun, she replied, “I get that there are safety issues, but I really like it.” Ella told us that instead of grounders, she plays tag.

Fifth grader Markus N. had a very different opinion about it. He said, “I am kind of glad they banned it. I was scared of falling off the playground.”

However, some people think it should not have been banned, and were outraged when they were no longer allowed to play it.

Declan M., from 5th grade, declared angrily, “It’s a tradition!” He added that it is very annoying that they banned it. Declan claims that, “… no one has ever fallen when closing their eyes.”

Now that grounders has been banned, kids who used to play grounders have to find something new to play. They said they play tag, hide and seek, football, and chaos tag. Those are just some of the many games that they play.