© May 2006
National Association for Sport and Physical Education, an association of the
American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance
Recess for Elementary School Students
Council on Physical Education for Children
A Position Paper from the National Association for Sport and Physical Education
It is the position of the National Association for Sport and Physical Education
(NASPE) that all elementary school children should be provided with at least one
daily period of recess of at least 20 minutes in length.
Recess is an essential component of a comprehensive school physical activity
program and of the total education experience for elementary school students.
Various organizations including the United States Department of Health and
Human Services and the United States Department of Education (USDHHS &
USDE, 2000), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC, 1997), National
Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC, 1998), and American
Association for the Child’s Right to Play (IPA/USA, n.d.) support school recess as
an integral component of a child’s physical, social, and academic development.
Recess provides children with discretionary time to engage in physical activity
that helps them develop healthy bodies and enjoyment of movement. It also
allows children the opportunity to practice life skills such as cooperation, taking
turns, following rules, sharing, communication, negotiation, problem solving, and
conflict resolution. Furthermore, participation in physical activity may improve
attention, focus, behavior, and learning in the classroom (California Department
of Education, 2005; Hannaford, 1995; Jarrett, 1998; Jensen, 2000; Shephard,
1997; Symons, Cinelli, James, & Groff, 1997).
Currently 16 percent of our nation’s children are overweight—a result of poor
nutritional habits and a lack of physical activity (Hedley, et al., 2004). An
increasing number of children are developing cardiovascular risk factors (e.g.,
high blood pressure) and type 2 diabetes (Kaufman, 2002). Daily physical activity
is an important part of the solution to these health issues. National
recommendations state that school-aged children and youth should participate in
at least 60 minutes per day of moderate to vigorous physical activity (NASPE,
2004; Strong, et al., 2005; USDHHS & USDA, 2005). Participation in a regularly
scheduled recess period can make an important contribution toward meeting this
recommendation. In addition, extended periods of inactivity (two hours or more)
are discouraged for elementary-age children (NASPE, 2004).
NASPE recommends that:
1. All children in elementary schools should engage in at least one daily
period of recess for at least 20 minutes per period.
2. Recess does not replace physical education classes. Physical education
provides sequential instruction to enhance the development of motor
skills, movement concepts, and physical fitness. Recess provides
unstructured play opportunities that allow children to engage in physical
activity.
3. Recess is not viewed as a reward but as a necessary educational support
component for all children. Therefore, students should not be denied
recess so they can complete class work or as a means of punishment.
4. Adequate and safe spaces and facilities are provided for all students to be
physically active at the same time. Outdoor spaces are used whenever the
weather allows.
5. Adequate, safe, and developmentally appropriate equipment is provided
for students to engage in enjoyable physical activity.
6. Physical education and classroom teachers teach children positive
personal and social skills (e.g., cooperation, conflict resolution) for use
during recess.
7. Safety rules are taught and enforced.
8. Recess is properly supervised by qualified adults.
9. Bullying or aggressive behavior is not tolerated.
10. Adults intervene when a child’s physical or emotional safety is an issue.
11. Recess is not scheduled immediately before or after physical education
class.
12. Recess does not interfere with physical education classes that are taking
place in a common environment.
Quality physical education and daily recess are components of the elementary
school educational experience that enable students to develop physical
competence, health-related fitness, personal and social responsibility, and
enjoyment of physical activity so that they will be physically active for a lifetime.
References
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (1997). Guidelines for school and
community programs to promote lifelong physical activity among young
people. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report 46,(no. RR-6), 12.
California Department of Education. (March 2005). A study of the relationship
between physical fitness and academic achievement in California using
2004 test results. Retrieved December 7, 2005 from
http://www.cde.ca.gov/ta/tg/pf/.
Hannaford, C. (1995). Smart moves. Alexander, NC: Great Ocean.
Hedley, A. A., Ogden, C. L., Johnson, C. L., Carroll, M. D., Curtin, L. R., & Flegal,
K. M. (2004). Prevalence of overweight and obesity among US children,
© May 2006
National Association for Sport and Physical Education, an association of the
American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance
adolescents, and adults, 1999-2002. Journal of the American Medical
Association, 291, 2847-2850.
Jarrett, O. S. (1998). Effect of recess on classroom behavior: Group effects and
individual differences. Journal of Education Research, 92(2), 121-126.
Jensen, E. (2000). Teaching with the body in mind. San Diego, CA: Brain Store.
Kaufman, F. R. (2002). Type 2 diabetes mellitus in children and youth: A new
epidemic. Journal of Pediatric Endocrinology and Metabolism, 15(Suppl
2), 737-744.
IPA/USA, & American Association for the Child’s Right to Play. (n.d.) The case
for elementary school recess. Retrieved December 7, 2005 from
http:/www.ipausa.org/recesshandbook.htm.
National Association for the Education of Young Children. (1998). The value of
school recess and outdoor play. Retrieved December 7, 2005 from
http://www.naeyc.ort/ece/1998/08.asp.
National Association for Sport and Physical Education. (2004). Physical activity
for children: A statement of guidelines for children ages 5-12 (2nd ed.).
Reston, VA: Author.
Shephard, R. (1997). Curricular physical activity and academic performance.
Pediatric Exercise Science 9, 113-126.
Strong, W. B., Malina, R. M., Bumkie, C. J. R., Daniels, S. R., Dishman, R. K.,
Gutin, B., Hergenroeder, A. C., Must, A., Nixon, P. A., Pivarnik, J. M.,
Rowland, T., Trost, S., & Trudeau, F. (2005). Evidence based physical
activity for school-age youth. Journal of Pediatrics, 146, 732-737.
Symons, C., Cinelli, B., James, T., & Groff, P. (1997). Bridging student health
risks and academic achievement through comprehensive school health
programs. Journal of School Health, 67(6), 220-227.
United States Department of Health and Human Services & United States
Department of Agriculture. (2005). The dietary guidelines for Americans,
2005 (6th ed.). Washington, DC: Author.
United States Department of Health and Human Services & United States
Department of Education (2000). Promoting better health for young people
through physical activity and sports. Washington, DC: Author.
© May 2006
National Association for Sport and Physical Education, an association of the
American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance
National Association for Sport and Physical Education (NASPE)
1900 Association Drive
Reston, VA 20191
(p) 703-476-3410
(f) 703-476-8316
http://www.naspeinfo.org/
Suggested Citation:
National Association for Sport and Physical Education. (2006). Recess for elementary
school students [Position paper]. Reston, VA: Author.