Is Recess Necessary in Schools

Abstract There is a common misconception in our society that recess does not serve any real purpose. The Board of Directors of the American Association for the Child’s Right to Play believes that recess is vital to a child’s overall healthy development. Recess periods, which are regularly scheduled periods within the elementary school day for unstructured physical activity and play, give students a chance to discover their interests and passions, to develop ingenuity …

…November 10, 2002 from Wilson Web database. The American Association for the Child’s Right to Play (IPA/USA). (n.d.) Elementary Recess Handbook, Retrieved November 16, 2002, from http://www.ipausa.org/recesshandbook.htm Wechsler H., Devereaux A.B., Davis M., & Collins J. (2000). Using the School Environment to Promote Physical Activity and Healthy Eating. Preventative Medicine, 31:S121-S137. Young, J.C. (1997). National Standards for Physical Education. ERIC Digest, ed406361. http://www.ed.gov/databases/ERIC_Digests/ed406361.html