Remember the rush of excitement when you and your friends burst out the door on your way to school recess? It's a heart-lifting moment many of us think back on with pleasure. But now that you're a parent, you might wonder if your child is missing out on those good feelings—and the health benefits of free time at school.
Schools face intense pressure to prepare children for success in a complex, rapidly changing world. To maximize classroom time, some have cut back on recess or canceled it altogether. Others allow teachers to withhold recess for kids who misbehave or fail to complete classroom work. These policies and practices can harm a child's health and development.
Benefits of recess for students
Here's why the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) is firmly in favor of guaranteed school-day breaks for all kids from kindergarten through 12th grade.
What COVID taught us about how kids learn best at school
Even before the pandemic disrupted school-day routines, nearly 100 years of research affirmed the need for regular breaks. Taking time out to run, jump, shout and play games helps kids relax and concentrate once they're back in their seats. It refreshes the brain, invigorates the body and builds social skills in ways that classroom learning can't.
During COVID, it was up to parents, caregivers and students to create the structure that school schedules once provided. While many took breaks throughout the day, the time often went to social media and gaming. But these activities don't recharge the body and mind in the same ways as free play or talking with friends in real life.
How school recess supports children's learning, health & development
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) wholeheartedly supports school recess for kids and adolescents from kindergarten through 12th grade. While we know that tweens and teens will spend this free time differently from younger children, we base our policies on 3 solid findings about recess, learning and health.
1. Playground romps build social skills.
When it comes to helping kids grow in healthy ways, a school's social environment matters as much as classroom lessons.
Give-and-take interactions at recess help kids learn how to express themselves, work together and resolve conflicts. Free play also fosters emotional self-control, cooperation and the ability to stick with goals—skills that support learning all day long.
Bonus: recess helps kids manage daily stress, a factor that means even more for young people who experience
trauma or
maltreatment.
2. Active play means stronger, healthier bodies.
Parents and physicians alike are worried about
kids not getting enough exercise, and for good reason. Sitting still for long periods can fuel weight gain, muscle loss and less resistance to germs that cause illness.
Daily recess gives kids a chance to run, climb, swing, jump and take part in games of their choice. Combined with gym class, these healthy breaks can help children and adolescents release tension, think more clearly and retain more of what they learn in class.
3. Brain breaks foster classroom learning.
Research shows that daytime breaks—sometimes called wakeful rest—can help our brains store information better. Physical movement also plays a role in helping us hold onto information that's new to us, such as the lessons kids and teens absorb in school.
This last point matters a lot, because the brain stores new information in fragile "traces" that need strengthening. Wakeful rest has been shown to help us pull memories together and store them more readily.
The physical activity kids enjoy during school recess also helps with information processing, attention and long-term memory—all big bonuses in boosting classroom learning.
Why kids and teens need freedom during recess
Given all the benefits of movement, games and social interaction, isn't it better for school staff to direct what kids do during recess? Surprisingly, the answer is no. Activity that kids choose freely supports creative thinking, open-ended socialization and other healthy outcomes. This is why AAP policies call for schools to allow kids full freedom at recess (with supervision to ensure safety and prevent problems like
bullying).
How long should recess last?
The amount of time schools reserve for recess depends on state laws, school district policies and the decisions that principals and teachers make. Social bias may keep some kids away from recess, too: studies show that kids from low-income families or racial and ethnic minorities are likelier to skip recess as punishment. (Sadly, the lack of free time may make misbehavior even more likely—and hamper school performance too.)
Nationwide standards suggest at least one scheduled period of free activity for all grades, kindergarten through 12. The minimum recommended time is 20 minutes, but kids can benefit from even more open time during the day.
No matter how kids and teens choose to spend this time, they will benefit all day long (and year-round). Recess supports
prosocial development, the lifelong process of choosing actions that support others. School
playgrounds, gyms, multi-purpose rooms and libraries are settings where kids learn how to help, share, comfort and cooperate with peers and adults.
Kids work hard in school—and they deserve a break
Children today have less time to play than their parents and grandparents did. On average, kids in U.S. classrooms spend
50-plus hours a week studying and doing homework. (That's more than employers usually ask of full-time adult workers.)
This "play gap" may be responsible for rising mental health risks seen in kids and teens. Protecting their freedom to run, laugh, talk, play games and make friends during the school day can help turn this trend around. Since nearly 85% of all kids in the U.S. attend public schools, recess may be one of our best opportunities to boost childhood health.
The AAP supports recess for every child and teen
Our mission is to help kids thrive and grow into healthy, productive adults. We view school recess as an essential part of childhood learning and development. Our recess policy stresses that:
Recess is not a luxury. It's a necessary part of learning, growing and staying healthy at all ages.
Recess releases daily stress that can harm a child's mental and physical health. This makes it a helpful counterbalance to
excessive screen time and other stressors.
Recess should look different as kids get older, shifting from physical play to social connection. Finding friends and forming a "tribe" are natural activities for tweens and teens, helping them reach the next stage of maturation and self-realization. This is why recess (or free period) should remain part of the school day through middle school and high school.
Pediatricians and family doctors stand with parents and schools in protecting daily recess for all students. This time is essential for school success, so redirecting it to expand classroom time will actually hinder learning. In the same way, recess should not be withheld to discipline a child or teen. There are more effective ways to support kids who act out or struggle with learning tasks.
Take action to protect recess for all kids
If you agree that recess is essential for your child's health, here are steps you can take to encourage their school to make the most of recess time.
Find out what's happening. How much free time do kids get? Is recess canceled when the weather's bad, or captured for extra study before testing time? Does gym time—which isn't the same as free play—count as recess?
Work with the decision-makers. Consider joining the school or district committee in charge of health and wellness. Call for schools to make recess a top priority for healthy learning and growth.
Raise money for play spaces. Funds can be used to make school playgrounds safe, welcoming and fun. Money can also be spent to buy sports equipment and supplies, paint play zones for jump rope, 4-square, hopscotch and more.
This
free worksheet offers even more ideas for parents and families.
More information