The American Academy of Pediatrics released updated guidance on Monday, urging schools to protect recess for students of all ages and calling it more than a break from class. The group said recess is important to children’s health and learning, and it presented the guidance as the first update on the topic in 13 years.
The Academy’s updated policy statement, published in the journal Pediatrics, follows years of recess shrinking in schools, a shift the group linked in part to pressure for higher test scores. In remarks quoted by the Associated Press, Dr. Robert Murray, a lead author of the statement, said the Academy “has always supported play – free play for kids – but it’s been increasingly threatened over time,” and that recess “has a very powerful benefit if it’s used to the fullest.”
Murray and co-authors said the updated guidance is similar to the Academy’s earlier recommendations but reflects newer evidence on why breaks matter for learning and development. They said research shows children need pauses between concentrated learning so the brain can hold and store information, and they said recess also gives children opportunities to navigate relationships and build confidence as they grow older.
The statement also emphasized physical activity as a factor in reducing obesity risk. The Academy said obesity now affects about 1 in 5 U.S. children and teens, and it linked recess to opportunities for movement that can help with prevention.
Alongside those benefits, the Academy urged schools to stop withholding recess for academic or punitive reasons. Murray said that when children are disruptive or rude, recess can become “one of the things that teachers use to punish kids,” and he added that students struggling with behavioral issues or grades are often the ones who need recess most. The guidance argued that those students are not the only ones losing access, since recess has been waning for all students.
The Academy said up to 40% of school districts nationally have reduced or eliminated recess since the mid-2000s, citing data from Springboard to Active Schools in collaboration with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It said recess duration varies widely across schools today, ranging from less than 10 minutes to more than an hour a day, with older students generally receiving less time than younger children.
In what the statement described as an ideal approach, the Academy recommended that children get a minimum of 20 minutes a day and multiple breaks. The guidance also pointed to other countries—such as Denmark, Japan and the United Kingdom—where students get breaks after every 45 minutes to 50 minutes of classroom instruction.
Dr. Lauren Fiechtner, a childhood obesity expert at Mass General Brigham for Children in Boston who was not involved in creating the guidance, said she welcomed the updated recommendations. She told AP that she has seen the value of recess as both a doctor and a mother of two, including describing how her 8-year-old son learned to play basketball at recess and now loves the game.
Fiechtner agreed with the guidance that middle and high school students also need recess, saying, “As kids get older, they’re more on their screens. So it’s really helpful, I think, for outdoor activity and recess to be happening.” She added, “Recess is great. We all kind of need recess.”