Ms. Amy: Daily Recess -- So many benefits!

Recess isn’t a break from learning -- It is learning!  Across the country, educators are recognizing the vital role that play and physical activity have in supporting student success. Recess is a developmental necessity that enhances learning, social-emotional growth, and overall well-being.  At Wichita Friends School, all our teachers are on the same page about providing students with consistent and meaningful recess opportunities.  The entire school benefits and we advocate for implementing three thirty-minute recess periods per day for our students. Our school is structured to give equal weight to academic learning, creative and physical development, and social and emotional growth, with substantial breaks for active play.

After physical activity, the brain is better prepared to absorb and retain information. These multiple recesses help to reset and refocus attention spans and improve performance in core subjects. Recess allows for peer interaction, conflict resolution, cooperation, and empathy. Children learn how to cooperate, negotiate, share and solve conflicts - skills that can’t be learned from textbooks. Our students get more chances to build friendships and practice how to get along with others. We have learned that kids who get regular opportunities to release energy tend to have fewer behavior problems in class and less burnout throughout the day.

By creating a school culture that supports the whole child with regular movement breaks, we create an environment that feels engaging, not exhausting. Students are healthier, happier and more confident. Children’s brains need breaks to work their best. After long periods of sitting still, attention and memory decline. Multiple recesses give kids a chance to rest their brains, so when they return to class, they can focus better, remember more, and learn faster. Studies have shown that students who get frequent breaks perform better academically than those with fewer breaks.

Kids spend more time sitting than ever before. Three thirty-minute recesses ensure students get enough exercise, fresh air, and sunshine, which helps build stronger bones and muscles, prevents childhood obesity, and improves sleep and energy levels. Recess boosts emotional well-being. It gives students a healthy way to release stress and frustration. Playing, laughing, and socializing with friends helps reduce anxiety and boosts mood. Multiple recesses spread the emotional resets throughout the day, helping kids stay calm and happy.

Teachers also benefit from regular breaks to recharge. More consistent routines across grade levels reduce stress and promote teamwork among staff. When teachers unite around a shared vision of student well-being, powerful change happens. By implementing three thirty-minute recesses into our school curriculum, we have found that these breaks have become an important investment in our children’s minds, bodies and futures.

Incorporating these breaks throughout the school year creates a more positive school environment where students are happier, more active, and better behaved. Classrooms become calmer and more productive. Teachers spend less time managing behavior and more time teaching. Everyone wins!!

In short, we have made our school a model for balanced joyful learning -- where every student gets the time and space to move, play and thrive.  We play in every type of weather at our school. We dress in layers for changing temperatures. We play with hats, sunscreen, jackets, coats, boots and umbrellas.  We have a strong “get fresh air no matter what” policy. We believe fresh air helps with focus, immune health, and mood if everyone is dressed for it.

So, rain or shine, snow or wind, our school proves that learning and playing outside never has to stop. Every type of weather brings a new adventure. There is a whole world outside our classroom doors ready for us to explore -- no matter what the weather brings us!