The natural inclination of children is to explore their world through movement. When I visit my grandchildren, I wake up to an explosion of physical activity, rolling down the couch cushions, jumping off the toy box, or chasing games around the kitchen island. My oldest grandchild is now in all-day kindergarten. I can’t imagine him not having the opportunity to engage in both free and structured play throughout his school day. Research supports the notion that physical activity is associated with learning readiness and cognitive function (Hillman, Erickson, & Hatfield, 2017). Within the school environment, recess is the vehicle for providing children with opportunities for physical activity and is an essential component of a child’s school day.
Teachers, administrators and parents must realize that recess is more than just a break from the classroom. Recess contributes to your child’s normal growth and development and provides them with a well-rounded educational experience. Recess also helps your child by improving their:
- Cocial skills and behaviors (e.g., cooperation, following rules, problem solving, negotiation, sharing and communication);
- Classroom engagement (e.g., on-task and fewer discipline issues); and
- Academic outcomes (e.g., attention, memory).
Recess is defined as a regularly scheduled period within the school day for physical activity and play that is monitored by trained staff or volunteers. It is also is a period of time when students are encouraged to be physically active and engaged with their peers in activities of their choice, at all grade levels, kindergarten through 12th grade.
Your child’s school should be offering a minimum of 20 minutes of recess daily. If this is not happening, learn about the current recess policies and practices at your child’s school and school district. You can also compare your child’s school practices with Strategies for Recess in Schools, a new resource developed CDC and SHAPE America. You can then see if there is an opportunity to get in involved in your child’s recess program and share with the school staff leading recess possible ways to enhance recess at your child’s school.
CDC and SHAPE America developed a set of resources for recess to help schools develop a written recess plan and implement strategies for recess to increase students’ physical activity and improve their academic achievement. These new resources for recess were developed for school staff or school groups (including parents) to provide guidance on recess.
You can help your child’s school enhance recess by using the
- Strategies for Recess in Schools to identify the 19 evidence-based strategies for planning and providing recess in your child’s schools.
- Recess Planning in Schools: A Guide to Putting Strategies for Recess into Practice to help your child’s schools develop a written recess plan.
- Customizable Recess Planning Template to help your child’s schools develop their own school recess plan and make it their own.
- Physical Activity During School: Providing Recess to All Students PowerPoint presentation to explain the benefits and importance of recess and CDC and SHAPE America’s new resources for recess at a PTA meeting or other school meeting.
- SHAPE America Recess Web site for recess to download additional resources that can you’re your child’s schools address the evidence-based strategies for recess.
A great place to share the importance of recess and these new resources for recess is at a PTA meeting. We need parents to take a stand for creating healthy and active school environments for all students. Be an advocate within your PTA! Tell other parents about how the physical activity afforded by recess prepares children for learning and is a critical part of all children’s school day.
Fran Cleland is the president of SHAPE America – Society of Health and Physical Educators, and a professor in the Department of Kinesiology at West Chester University in West Chester, PA. Prior to teaching at the college level, Cleland taught K-12 health and physical education in Indiana, Virginia and Oregon. She is the lead author of the textbook, Developmental Physical Education for All Children-Theory into Practice.
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