The Crucial Role of Recess in School: Policy Statement

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 the role of peer engagement and play for well-being. Recess represents a temporary suspension of academic cognitive effort helping to maintain efficiency, concentration, and morale. Breaks offer an opportunity for students to manage stress and promote prosocial development, a universal benefit for all ages. Recess positively impacts the teaching-learning environment and children's mental health. Pediatricians are natural allies with parents, students, school nurses, and school staff for the promotion and protection of regular breaks from the demands of concentrated classroom instruction.