Recess time: Help or hindrance to the social-emotional development of young children?

ABSTRACT

Recess is an important and unique component of the school day, and yet there is a relative paucity of research on its impact on young children. Moreover, recesses are often perceived negatively by educators because they can detract from academic instructional time and, depending on the kind of play and interactions between students, may also be times of social conflict and, in some cases, exclusion and bullying. This article examines several facets of recess and its importance: it outlines what students do at recess and the social processes that take place, as well as challenges specific to recess time, and its impact on social-emotional learning. It then reviews what constitutes a high-quality recess and synthesizes scholarship on the effectiveness of recess interventions around the world. The article evaluates whether recess is ultimately a help or a hindrance to young children’s social-emotional development, and concludes with both policy and practice recommendations for educators.

Disclosure statement

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

Additional Resources

• 1.   The Great Recess Framework by Playworks. https://www.playworks.org/resources/great-recess-framework/

  Playworks is a U.S. organization focused on improving the quality of recess in schools. They provide a variety of services including consulting, on-site staffing, professional development, and resources. Educators and researchers can download the Great Recess Framework observation tool to evaluate the quality of recess at their school, as well as access a library of games, grants, and other resources.

• 2.   The Recess Project changemaker’s guide. http://www.recessprojectcanada.com/changemakers-guide.html

  The Recess Project is a large action research project developed in collaboration with scholars and schools in Southern Ontario, Canada, that aims to make recess more fun, inclusive, and active, and to help students develop friendships. The guide provides support resources, role descriptions, training materials, templates, scripts, and games to help schools redesign their recess.

• 3.   Power, G. T., & Brussoni, M. (2019). Risk benefit assessment for outdoor play: A Canadian toolkit. Child and Nature Alliance of Canada. https://indd.adobe.com/view/44ed054b-917b-4e02-a1e3-e6c4cbfe0360

  This toolkit defines outdoor and risky play, provides tools for dynamic risk-benefit assessment, checklists, parental consent and incident reporting forms, and tips for practitioners.