Implementation Tool

Elementary school administrators are reducing or eliminating recess to make room for other academic demands

The National Association for Sport and Physical Education, along with many other health and education organizations including the Centers for Disease Control, recommends that all elementary school students shall have at least 20 minutes a day of supervised and unstructured recess, preferably outdoors, during which physical activity is encouraged.

Recess is an important part of an elementary school student's education. Young children need unstructured free time to burn off energy, interact in a non-classroom setting with other children, and learn and reinforce positive social skills. Schools should assure that recess is maintained for all children, is not used in any way as punishment ? either by taking it away or having children run laps or do some other specific activity as a means of discipline. In addition, recess time should not be a time for teachers to meet with students on classroom issues. Teachers and other school administrators need to understand the importance of recess in the positive development of young children.