Active Outdoor Recess – Action for Healthy Kids

Overview

Recess plays a key role in a child’s academic success, including their physical, social, and emotional well-being. Recess provides students with time to be active to develop healthy bodies and accumulate the recommended 60 minutes of physical activity per day. Recess is also a time for children to release energy and reduce stress, which improves attention and reduces disruptive behavior in the classroom. 

Recess is social in nature and gives children open-ended free time where they can use their imaginations and engage in meaningful ways with friends through unstructured play. Children develop skills in communication, conflict resolution and teamwork through games and activities while putting the wiggles to good use to help reset and refocus.