Recess is important for children of all ages, a major pediatrician organization said on May 11.
“Pediatricians should emphasize the following: A quality recess will reestablish mental equilibrium and focus, a need of every student, kindergarten through 12th grade, every day,” the American Academy of Pediatrics said in an updated policy statement. “As such, recess should be a protected block in the daily schedule and be considered a student’s personal time.”
Kids should not face a loss of recess for lagging academically or for poor behavior, the group said, and access to recess should be enshrined in state law.
The American Academy of Pediatrics cited research showing that recess improves children’s health, including both physical and mental health.
“Recess should look different as children get older, but it remains just as essential for a middle- or high-school student as they move from the playground to more social experiences,” Dr. Robert Murray, a lead author of the document, said in a statement. “Research tells us that breaks from classroom instruction help students of all ages to reset, focus better, and manage stress when they return to learning.”
The organization has about 67,000 members, including primary care pediatricians and pediatric surgeons.
The academy had said in its last position paper on the matter, released in 2013, that recess “is a necessary break in the day for optimizing a child’s social, emotional, physical, and cognitive development” and “should not be withheld for academic or punitive reasons.”
In the new statement, the academy noted that the U.N. Convention on the Rights of the Child states in part that “every child has the right to rest, relax, play and to take part in cultural and creative activities,” and the academy said that the COVID-19 pandemic showed that children who missed school lacked crucial engagement with peers.
“Routines embedded in the school day had bolstered the equilibrium of children and adolescents but were lost during lockdown, including daily recess, with its unique combination of social and physical play,” it said.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention also says that recess is important for all grade levels, with benefits that include helping children’s memory and attention.
Both the 2013 and new statements emphasize the positive impact of recess on cognition, academic performance, social and emotional development, and physical health.
The new statement provides more specific recommendations, including suggestions that recess and other breaks should be no shorter than 20 minutes long and that recess should include “a variety of experiences,” including active free play and quiet time.
“Pediatricians stand with parents and schools in protecting daily recess as essential to all children’s health and learning throughout their schooling,” Murray said. “It should be safe, inclusive, and designed so every student feels welcome and able to participate.”