The Impact of Recess on Students: A Scoping Review of Developmental Outcomes and Methodological Considerations

ABSTRACT

Once a hallmark of the elementary experience, recess time is now being exchanged for increased classroom time as standardized test results drive decision-making. This scoping review examined the impact of recess on school-age students, providing decision-makers valuable evidence to help determine the role recess should play in the academic day. The included studies (n = 73) examined the impact recess had on school-age students in the areas of physical activity, social-emotional learning, academic performance, injuries, and food consumption. In our review, 7% to 76% of recess time was spent in device-measured, moderate-to-vigorous physical activity; however, all children do not participate equally. Additionally, recess provides opportunities to develop social-emotional skills through problem-solving and may improve academic achievement and classroom behavior. Food consumption increased when recess occurred before lunch. Recess does, however, include a risk of injury. The majority of studies were cross-sectional designs and conducted in the United States. Thus, rigorous studies examining the causal effects of recess on multiple development outcomes for diverse students are needed to make specific recommendations on the optimal duration and scheduling of recess to optimize student learning and health.

KEYWORDS:

• Achievement
• elementary schools
• physical activity
• play
• primary education
• social-emotional learning

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Supplementary material

Supplemental data for this article can be accessed online https://doi.org/10.1080/02568543.2024.2313021