Why Recess Is Essential For Kids

It’s a known fact that just about every kid out there loves recess. It’s one of the few times during the school day they get to run around, play, and just enjoy being a kid. However, schools everywhere are cutting recess from their day, or are shortening the amount of time kids get for recess. This could be incredibly detrimental to the development of these children. Here are just a few of the many benefits that daily recess provides for young children.

• Exercise: Aside from P.E. and extracurriculars, recess is some of the only time kids these days get for fitting in exercise. Only 43% of six to eleven-year-old children in America get the suggested hour of exercise every day. Recess can give children a chance to run and play, and this physical form of play can help ensure they’re staying healthy with plenty of exercise.
• Class Performance: Sitting through an entire day of schoolwork without time to play during recess can actually hurt your child’s ability to focus throughout the day. Teachers in schools with recess have observed that recess improves student focus, memory, and attention spans. Having an opportunity to play during the day allows students a chance to refocus their energy once they return to the classroom, improving the experience for both students and teachers.
• Stress Reduction: Kids are naturally fidgety due to their higher energy levels, and forcing them to sit in one place for most of the day can be highly stressful. Additionally, kids can have very high stress levels from the demands of schoolwork. Giving children recess means they have time during the day to play, have fun, and reduce this stress.
• Social Development: Kids don’t often have a chance to interact naturally in a classroom setting; most discussions and social interactions in classrooms are heavily structured. Recess can give chances for kids to interact with one another just as children, without that heavy structure, allowing them to build social skills that will help them later in life.

Any child care consultant will tell you that recess is essential to kids’ development during their education, and taking away this crucial break during students’ days can do more harm than good. See what your school’s policy on recess is to make sure your kids are getting the full benefits of this important play.