Children need time out at school, experts warn Year 2 students Tayah and Cooper enjoy some playground activities at Junior School at Beaconhills College. A VETERAN school principal has warned children's playtime is under attack from endless extra-curricular activities at lunchtime. Peter Hockey says youngsters up to the age of 14 need time to be kids and risk missing out on vital social skills. And he is pushing a radical measure to protect play - outlawing structured activities like music rehearsals and sports practice at lunch. Mr Hockey, head of junior school at Pakenham's Beaconhills College, said the longrunning initiative was more relevant than ever as technology and outside school activities ate into children's free time. ``For a lot of children the only time they learn to interact with people and learn how to get on with people is that 40-minute lunchtime at school," he said. ``If you take that away and you make it another ballet lesson or art lesson structured by adults you are taking away that ability for them to learn resilience and the joys of finding a good friend and sharing that without an adult interfering. ``There has to a time when adult direction just takes a back seat. Protecting children from the ``social jungle" of the playground created bigger problems later in life, he said. ``I know schools do take that lunchtime away because it creates problems but my goodness lets have the problems with an eight-year-old now and give them the skills to deal with it rather than it become a problem when the child is 25 or 26. ``It is the single hardest lesson of the day. ``But to me it's the most important - it's more important than the English, maths, whatever it is. Victorian Principals Association deputy president Glenn Butler said parents pushing for extra curricular activities such as drama, chess and extension programs was a key driver behind the timetable squeeze. A balance was needed, he said. ``Instead of it being seen as part of teaching and learning it's taken from the kids' leisure and interaction time. ``I think we have probably got to start truly valuing that free time. ``It's a very important part of growing up.