SCHOOL ACTIVITY ENVIRONMENT
ENACT STRATEGY: Time for Recess
Provide daily recess breaks for unstructured play
Recess gives children and youth the opportunity to engage in vigorous physical activity, work off stress, build socialization skills, and focus on learning when they return to the classroom. Unfortunately, many schools and districts have eliminated recess—often in an attempt to raise achievement by spending more of the school day on academics, but also as a result of severe funding cuts that eliminate “recess monitor” positions. This has been particularly true in low-income communities and communities of color, where children are already less likely to have opportunities for active, safe outdoor play. Parents and advocacy groups are working to protect children’s right to play, and to educate administrators about the many benefits of recess. Recently, several states have led the way by passing policies mandating daily recess.
- Developmentally-appropriate timing and length of recess breaks, based on grade level
- Schedule midday recess before, rather than after, lunch
- Careful and sufficient supervision while children play
- Opportunities for both unstructured play and structured games
- Outdoor and indoor facilities, to ensure that recess isn't cancelled on rainy days
- School, district, city, or county policies mandating daily recess
- School, district, city, or county policies prohibiting "keeping children in" for misbehavior
The Case for Elementary School Recess
This brief document, put together by the American Association for the Child’s Right to Play, lays out the many reasons why elementary schools should schedule time for recess.
7 Reasons Why Kids Need Recess – Even Kids Who Misbehave
This article provides the evidence for why children and youth need recess, and argues compellingly that they should never be “kept inside” because of misbehavior.
The mission of Playworks (formerly Sports4Kids) is to improve the health and well-being of children by increasing opportunities for physical activity and safe, meaningful play. Playworks provides a variety of age-appropriate activities developed to bring out the best in kids, and provides schools with enthusiastic and well-trained adult coaches who love their job and know how to connect with kids.
Recess Before Lunch: Philips Elementary School
As part of its broader efforts to promote student health, Philips Elementary, in Denver CO, switched the timing of students' daily recess period to allow for activity before lunch. This change has allowed students to go out to play. When they return, it's time to eat. The result of this change has been higher test scores overall for the students, and fewer behavioral problems.
Peaceful Playgrounds: Right to Recess Campaign
Peaceful Playgrounds coordinates a national Right to Recess campaign. The campaign’s website offers a free campaign toolbox, as well as resources for parents and educators on why and how to reinstate recess as a central feature of every child’s school experience.
The Recess Before Lunch Guidebook
This toolbox, compiled by the Montana Office of Public Instruction, supports schools in the implementation of a recess before lunch policy. It includes guidance on how to do so, as well as sample presentations, handouts, and press releases to use in promoting and publicizing the shift.
Elementary School Recess: Selected Readings, games, and activities for teachers and parents
Intended to assist elementary school teachers and parents in offering children in Preschool through Grade Six appropriate recess games and activities, this tool also provides the reader with a wide variety of readings that support the need for recess activities.
Minimum Recess and Lunch Periods: Arizona
This state law requires schools to provide 30 minutes of recess, in addition to a 20 minute lunch break, for all students in grades one through six, beginning with the 2009-2010 school year.
This policy, passed by the Michigan State Board of Education, requires that public schools provide daily recess opportunities for all elementary and middle school students.
Springfield School District Wellness Policy: Springfield, MO (in LPD)
As part of a comprehensive effort to improve students’ health, this wellness policy requires recess for in all Springfield public elementary schools.
Summary of New Recess Legislation: 2005-2007
This document summarizes all new recess legislation adopted by states between 2005 and 2007.
American Association for the Child’s Right to Play
The American Association for the Child’s Right to Play is the national affiliate of IPA, an international non-governmental organization, founded in Denmark in 1961. The purpose of IPA/USA is to protect, preserve, and promote play as a fundamental right for all humans.
National Association for Sport and Physical Activity
The National Association for Sport and Physical Activity (NASPE) is committed to enhancing knowledge, improving professional practice, and increasing support for high quality physical education, sport, and physical activity programs, through research, development of standards, and dissemination of information. Read NASPE’s position paper on recess.
This report, from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, explores recess as a key solution for incorporating more physical activity into children’s daily lives. It also highlights the inequities in recess time and funding for schools serving low-income children and children of color.
Recess in Elementary School: What Does the Research Say?
This article summarizes the research on the importance of recess for children’s health, learning and social development.
Americans Want Schools to Take Recess Seriously
Americans overwhelmingly believe that schools have a major role to play in advancing the health of our nation’s kids, and they are specifically concerned about the lack of recess and physical activity in schools, according to this poll by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and Sports4Kids, More detailed poll results are available here.
**We can only provide link to article abstract and not the full text.
