​Home and Search
No Excuses! - A Documentary about Quality Physical Education
QUALITY PHYSICAL EDUCATION ADVOCACY
EFFECTIVE TEACHING STRATEGIES
TEACHER RESOURCES

The Importance of Recess, Play, and Active Classrooms

  • The Importance of Recess
  • The Importance of Play
  • The Importance of Active Classrooms
  • Related Pages
<
>
Recess is one opportunity where schools can provide physical activity to their students. Research has shown that students who are physically active tend to have better school attendance, classroom behaviors, cognitive performance, and grades. Recess, in particular, has shown the following benefits (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and SHAPE America):
  • Increasing their level of physical activity.
  • Improving their memory, attention, and concentration.
  • Helping them stay on-task in the classroom.
  • Reducing disruptive behavior in the classroom.
  • Improving their social and emotional development (e.g., learning how to share and negotiate).
 
The Relationship Between Physical Activity & Academic Performance - Multimedia
5 Minute Version
Full Length Version
Click on Photos to Enlarge and on the Links for Original Source​
THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN PHYSICAL ACTIVITY & ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE - SPARK by Dr. John Ratey
​SPARK: "A groundbreaking exploration of the connection between exercise and the brain’s performance that shows how even moderate exercise will supercharge mental circuits to beat stress, sharpen thinking, enhance memory, and much more."
THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN PHYSICAL ACTIVITY & ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE - ​RESEARCH ARTICLES
ADDITIONAL BENEFITS OF PHYSICAL ACTIVITY - RESEARCH ARTICLES
Comprehensive School Physical Activity Program (CSPAP)
CSPAP Organization
Click to Enlarge
Comprehensive School Physical Activity Program (CSPAP) resources from the CDC and SHAPE America

"Schools play a vital role in ensuring children and adolescents get the nationally recommended 60 minutes of physical activity each day...A CSPAP is a multi-component approach by which school districts and schools use all opportunities for students to be physically active, meet the nationally-recommended 60 minutes of physical activity each day, and develop the knowledge, skills, and confidence to be physically active for a lifetime. A CSPAP reflects strong coordination and synergy across all of the components: physical education as the foundation; physical activity before, during, and after school; staff involvement; and family and community engagement."
The Importance of Physical Education
articles on the IMPORTANCE OF RECESS
GUIDELINES FOR RECESS
  • Children should accumulate at least 60 minutes of age-appropriate physical activity on all, or most days of the week. This daily accumulation should include moderate and vigorous physical activity with the majority of the time being spent in activity that is intermittent in nature.           
  • Children should participate in several bouts of physical activity lasting 15 minutes or more each day. 
  • Schools should provide all students in grades K-12 with at least one daily period of recess of at least 20 minutes in length.​
  • Children should participate each day in a variety of age-appropriate physical activities designed to achieve optimal health, wellness, fitness, and performance benefits.     
  • Extended periods of inactivity (two hours or more) ​are discouraged for children, especially during the daytime hours.  
  • Recess should not be taken away for punitive reasons.
Strategies for Recess in Schools
Strategies for Recess in Schools
Click to Enlarge
RESOURCES FOR RECESS
RESOURCES FOR PLAYGROUNDS
​Promoting Quality Physical Education through Advocacy and Free Access to Information and Resources