05/15/2026
Many of you know about Dr. Lauren’s longstanding interest in prioritizing for all students. (She coordinated recess volunteers in her local public school for many years).
The American Academy of Pediatrics recently updated and strengthened their stance on the need for recess, as recent research shows how critically important it is for children’s and teens’:
—academic learning
—attention
—physical health
—social relationships (including leadership, compromise)
—mental health
—self-esteem
—creativity
So, take a minute to ask the following about your own students and children:
—How many minutes of recess do they get per day? Per week?
—How structured vs unstructured is it?
—Does your school use recess as a reward or withhold it as punishment, or even for extra academic help?
—How well is it supervised?
—How are the staff/volunteers trained?
This is a multilayered issue, but our country is severely lacking in the amount of, and quality of, recess provided and must improve.
This revision serves as an update of the 2013 policy statement, ”The Crucial Role of Recess.” It reemphasizes the crucial role of recess in child and adolescent development, citing research in the neurophysiology of learning, adolescent health, social-emotional development, executive skills, and...
