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Recess is a chance for students to take a break from the rigors of school and get a bit of physical activity into an otherwise sedentary day. In addition to just being a chance to think about something else and get in some exercise, recess is also a chance for children to develop relationships and learn social skills. While many understand the benefits of recess for elementary students, some schools have questioned the benefits of recess for middle school students. However, is there ever a time when a person stops benefiting from a break from work, some physical activity and a chance to develop relationships? This article will discuss the benefits of recess for middle school students as well as show that the benefits of recess are actually applicable to students of any age, not simply young children.
These fundamental benefits that recess provides students of any age do come with a few challenges to consider however, and can not replace a more formal physical education program. Recess is by nature a break from the rigid structures of school and a time for students to relax and play.
Not all students play the same way though, and while some students may play kickball, tag, or some other active physical activity, others will prefer to chat in groups, play with toys or games, and other calmer activities. Because of this, students will still require a more structured physical education class where they can learn about health, their bodies, and exercise together ensuring all students participate in at least some physical activity each day.
Some might suggest that a physical education class can serve as a recess break for students from the mental pressures of the classroom and that a separate recess is simply wasted unstructured time. However, in this case, the students who relax by doing calmer activities will never get a chance to really relax in the way that works for their minds.
Research shows that recess and physical education classes actually work together in a mutually beneficial way and suggest that time be scheduled for both periods during the school day. According to a study out of the University of Cincinnati, “Recess is a complement to, not a replacement for, physical education. Both promote activity and a healthy lifestyle; however, recess—particularly unstructured recess and free play—provides a unique contribution to a child’s creative, social, and emotional development.” (Ramstetter et al.)
Benefits of Recess
- A mental health break
One of the most fundamental benefits of recess is that it is a chance for students who are experiencing stress throughout the day to calm their minds and reduce the negative effects of stress on attention and learning. In addition to the well documented research on the negative effects of stress on learning, research shows that students actually come back from recess better able to focus and pay attention for extended periods of time.
Because of this, even though it may seem like a waste of time, this research suggests that it may be more efficient to give a short break and then go back to learning rather than trying to push through but make less progress.
There is even research suggesting that an increased implementation of recess could help students with learning difficulties such as ADHD to better focus and develop healthier minds. (Panksepp) This would not only help them to learn better, but the research suggests that it could even lead to students needing less medication. Recess is beneficial for all students, but it can also be a time for students with attentional or energy problems to settle down and be better able to come back into the classroom and learn more intentionally.
- Increased physical activity
Another research based benefit of recess is that while not all students will pick strenuous exercise for their recess time, average physical activity does significantly increase for students who have a recess period. One study looked at the efficacy of a wide variety of recess strategies and found that almost all (95%) of the recess formats led to increased physical activity in students.
The researchers concluded that “A number of simple, low-cost strategies can be implemented” and are effective in increasing the amount of physical activity students get on a daily basis. (Ickes et al.) Even active video game playing allowed students to move their bodies and relax a while before jumping back into learning.
This research is encouraging in that it shows that schools can have a lot of flexibility and freedom in how they design and organize recess time. While it is always nice for students to go outside and get some fresh air, students can still get many of the benefits of recess inside on rainy days or when outdoor space isn’t available.
Teachers can even have recess in class sometimes if students want to play some fun classroom games together. This can not only be a chance for students to get a bit of physical activity, but also improve bonds in the classroom.
- A chance for socialization
Whether students are playing games together or just chatting in a corner, recess is a time that students develop their social skills and make friends. This is one of the reasons students love recess. Getting a chance to finally spend their time with people they care most about, catch up on recent stories and simply spend time together isn’t just fun, but also important for the mental health of students.
According to a study on the effects of social isolation on middle school students, a lack of socialization has significant negative mental and even physical consequences. In addition to this, the researchers found that “school belonging or connectedness is important for motivational, behavioral, and school performance outcomes.” (London and Ingram) So giving students a chance to be connected to others socially will not only help them feel better, but also improve their behavior as well as their grades.
- Improved conflict resolution
Any teacher who has supervised a recess period will tell you that a feeling of connectedness is not the only outcome of socialization during recess. Conflict inevitably arises from the games or discussions students have and while this can be stressful, it is important for students to experience these disagreements in order to learn how to resolve conflicts in a healthy way later on in life. Students who are constantly sheltered from any need to deal with conflict will be unable to handle it in a mature way when they no longer have the protected environment school provides.
Teachers can help to guide arguments into a healthier resolution, but sometimes it is best for students to learn how to deal with unsatisfactory outcomes, simply agree to disagree and move on. While teachers should be vigilant for bullying and not allow anyone to be targeted in a discriminatory way, they should also be wary of being involved in every student disagreement. Students need to learn to independently resolve their problems and recess is a perfect chance for them to have disagreements in a safe place and learn to handle conflicts.
Sometimes it can be beneficial to let a disagreement play itself out during recess and then discuss with the participants later on how to better manage the situation in the future. After tempers have cooled, having a private conversation will help the student better consider their actions and words. Trying to do this in the heat of the moment will simply make students feel defensive and want to prove themselves in front of all of their peers, but a private conversation after the student has had some time to digest the event will be far more effective in getting students to honestly reconsider their behaviors.
- Increased academic performance
Recess might seem like it has some abstract benefits for students’ feelings and social behaviors, but research shows that it even is beneficial in improving student grades. As students get older, teachers question the benefits of recess for middle school students. As students get higher and higher in their education, the academics become more rigorous and require more time to cover effectively. Because of this, when searching for ways to get more class time for students, some schools have eliminated recess for middle school students in favor of a few more minutes of structured instructional time.
However, a 2011 study found that the increased physical activity and fitness from recess at school actually led students to perform better on standardized tests. The study was conducted on 2,992 Mississippi students in grades 3-8 and according to the researchers, “The results indicated a statistically significant positive correlation between fitness and standardized test scores in Language Arts and Math.” (Blom et al.)
These results give credence to the old saying that “a healthy body is a healthy mind” and suggest that reducing students’ physical activity in order to fit in more instructional time may actually have a negative effect on students’ test performances in addition to their attitudes. Recess is a time for students to reset, refocus, and re energize for learning.
Cons of Recess
- Bullying can become rampant on the playground during recess
While recess has many benefits for academic performance and student attitudes during school, the unstructured nature of recess can often be a breeding ground for bullying and the formation of social cliques. Because of this, each recess period needs to have a supervisor who is trained on when to intervene and when to allow students to solve their own problems. While it is important for students to learn resilience and how to handle disagreements independently, when one student is being targeted repeatedly or by multiple others, the teacher or supervisor will need to step in.
- There are unequal benefits depending on how students use their recess time.
As mentioned above, not all students use recess for strenuous physical activity and so the benefits that students receive may not all be equal. While recess time is still vital for the mental health break and social time it provides students, not all students will get enough exercise from recess alone. Students will still need a formal physical education class to all meet physical activity requirements for a healthy mind.
- Injuries can occur more easily with unstructured recess.
Another drawback to the unstructured nature of recess is that as students test their boundaries, they are more likely to get injured. Whether from a ball during a game or from falling off of equipment, supervisors need to have first aid kits on hand and be watchful for dangerous activity such as climbing too high or too many students crowding equipment. While cuts and scrapes are totally normal and students need to learn to brush them off and be resilient, more severe injuries can occur.
While recess should remain unstructured as a time for students to do mostly as they please, they also need firm rules about what areas they may play in, the limits of playground equipment, and how to share supplies such as balls and hoops. While students need freedom to learn how to stay safe and learn in a healthy way, they need to do so within the bounds of safe limits. Students can learn how to navigate these limits but will still test the boundaries. Teachers need to be firm on safety while still letting students have as much freedom as possible.
How Long Should Recess Last?
While some middle schools may balk at having to give over their instructional time for recess, research shows that it doesn’t take a lot of time to reap the benefits of recess for middle school students. In fact, studies have shown that too long of a recess period actually has a negative effect on attention back in class. “Regarding the differing durations of recess periods, we found that attention to classroom tasks was greatest following the 20- and 10-minute outdoor play periods, whereas the 30-minute period resulted in higher rates of inattention. These findings are consistent with British anecdotal evidence that children become bored with recess after too long a period, and thus longer periods may become counterproductive.” (Singer et al.)
This research is encouraging because it shows that schools don’t need to allocate a large amount of time to unstructured free play to reap the benefits of recess for middle school students. At an ideal average of about 15 minutes, this means that an 8 period school day would only require each class to lose about two minutes to set up a formal recess period. While it is ideal to have one recess period in the morning and one in the afternoon, even one recess period is better than nothing.
Is Recess Still Appropriate for Middle School Students?
While this is a difficult question to answer due to the absence of research on recess for older students, one can use research on the surrounding age groups to infer that recess is actually beneficial for students of any age, including throughout high school. This article has discussed the research on recess for younger students up through middle school, but there is also plenty of research on the positive impact of breaks for adult workers as well.
Research on how breaks affect productivity in the workplace found that “short breaks were beneficial for employees’ daily work engagement.” (Kühnel et al.) The human brain is under similar strains whether it is being asked to complete tasks in a school environment or an office or other work environment. Because of this, recess breaks should not be seen as something only for young children, but as a vital part of any organization at any age. Human brains, regardless of the age of the bodies they inhabit, all need a time to cool off and refocus to work most efficiently.
It is no coincidence that workplaces often give two 15-minutes breaks each day and research on recess shows that two 15-minute breaks are also ideal for school children. The benefits of recess for middle school students are no different than the benefits of recess for elementary students, high school students or adults. Everyone needs a break from mental and physical challenges and a chance to just be themselves, move their bodies, and connect with others.
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References
Blom, Lindsey C, et al. “Associations between Health-Related Physical Fitness, Academic Achievement and Selected Academic Behaviors of Elementary and Middle School Students in the State of Mississippi.” ICHPER-SD Journal of Research, vol. 6, no. 1, 2011, pp. 13–19.
Ickes, Melinda J., et al. “Systematic Review of Recess Interventions to Increase Physical Activity.” Journal of Physical Activity and Health, vol. 10, no. 6, 2013, pp. 910–926., https://doi.org/10.1123/jpah.10.6.910.
Kühnel, Jana, et al. “Take a Break! Benefits of Sleep and Short Breaks for Daily Work Engagement.” European Journal of Work and Organizational Psychology, vol. 26, no. 4, 2016, pp. 481–491., https://doi.org/10.1080/1359432x.2016.1269750.
London, Rebecca, and Dabney Ingram. “Social Isolation in Middle School.” School Community Journal, vol. 28, no. 1, 2018, pp. 107–127.
Panksepp, Jaak. “Play, ADHD, and the Construction of the Social Brain: Should the First Class Each Day Be Recess?” American Journal of Play, vol. 1, no. 1, 2008, pp. 55–79.
Ramstetter, Catherine L., et al. “The Crucial Role of Recess in Schools.” Journal of School Health, vol. 80, no. 11, 2010, pp. 517–526., https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1746-1561.2010.00537.x.
Singer, Dorothy G., et al. Play = Learning: How Play Motivates and Enhances Children’s Cognitive and Social-Emotional Growth. Oxford University Press, 2006.
