Danger! Kids Playing Tag

Game over for students in Attleboro, Mass., who yelled "You're it!" one final time at Willett Elementary School last week. The school has forbidden tag--as well as touch football and all other "chase" games--during recess, a move that made national headlines. As in schools from South Carolina to Wyoming that have implemented similar bans recently, Attleboro administrators cite fears that children could get hurt and their parents might sue. According to some parents, another factor was concern that such games could hurt self-esteem if, say, one kid were always "it."

The Attleboro ban drew instant criticism--and not just from playground libertarians...

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