Skip to main content
FamilyEducation
FamilyEducation
Family Education

FE-Menu

  • Pregnancy
    • <blank>
      • Pregnancy Tracker
      • Trying to Conceive
      • Signs & Symptoms
      • Pregnancy Health
    • <blank>
      • Baby Names
      • High Risk Pregnancies
      • Preparing for Baby
    • <blank>
      • Concerns & Complications
      • Labor & Delivery
      • Postpartum
  • Baby Names
    • <blank>
      • Browse All Baby Names (A-Z)
      • Top Names for Boys
      • Top Names for Girls
      • Baby Name Generator
    • <blank>
      • Baby Name Lists & Ideas
      • First Names By Origin
      • Browse All Last Names (A-Z)
      • Last Names by Origin
  • Babies
    • <blank>
      • Caring For Your Baby
      • Baby's Health
      • Feeding Your Baby
    • <blank>
      • Your Baby and Sleep
      • Baby's Growth & Development
      • Baby Hygiene
    • <blank>
      • Baby Safety
      • Baby Products
    • <blank>
  • Toddlers
    • <blank>
      • Toddler Growth and Development
    • <blank>
      • Toddler Behavior and Discipline
    • <blank>
      • Your Toddler and Sleep
  • Kids
    • <blank>
      • Health
      • Childhood Development
      • Fitness & Nutrition
      • Childhood Safety
    • <blank>
      • Communicating with Your Kids
      • Childhood Behavior and Discipline
      • Fostering Responsibility
      • Instilling Values & Manners
    • <blank>
      • Childcare
      • Neurodiversity in Kids
      • Adopting Children
  • Teens
    • <blank>
      • Teen Health
      • Teen Puberty & Sex
    • <blank>
      • Behavior & Discipline
      • Teen Social Development
    • <blank>
      • Values & Responsibilities
  • Activities
    • <blank>
      • Printables
      • Indoor Activities
      • Learning Activities
      • Arts and Crafts
      • Performing Arts
      • Food Activities
      • Outdoor Activities
    • <blank>
      • Books
      • TV
      • Movies
      • Online
      • Quizzes
      • Games
      • Celebrities
    • <blank>
      • Parties
      • Travel
      • Toys
      • Holidays
      • Gifts
  • Learning
    • <blank>
      • By Grade
      • By Subject
      • College
      • Preschool
    • <blank>
      • Back to School
      • Study Skills
      • Learning Styles
    • <blank>
      • Homeschooling
      • Parental Involvement
      • Your Child's School
  • Family Life
    • <blank>
      • Mom Life
      • Dad Life
      • Family Relationships
      • Having a Healthy Marriage
      • Divorce
    • <blank>
      • Health & Fitness
      • COVID Resources
      • Managing Your Home
      • Moving Your Family
      • Pets
    • <blank>
      • Family Finances
      • Work
      • Families and Food
  • NewslettersNewsletters
    Newsletters

Breadcrumb

  1. Home
  2. School and Learning
  3. Your Child's School
  4. Rescuing Recess

Rescuing Recess

What would your first-grader's day be like without a trip to the jungle gym? Learn why our family therapist hopes we never find out.
Carleton Kendrick headshot
Carleton Kendrick
Updated: December 1, 2022
  • facebook share icon
  • pin
  • twitter share icon
  • email share icon
  • Print page icon

Rescuing Recess

Who are these grinches who want to eliminate school recess? Would you want to control every minute of a child's school day? Does that sound healthy to you?

Playground smarts
Recess was a big part of my education. I learned how to play games, make friends, and settle disputes without the supervision of adults. My body became stronger with each ball I kicked and every race I ran. I stayed in touch with nature as my senses took in the changing seasons of New England.

Children are born to play and to socialize. Recess encourages these natural, healthy pursuits. Physical education classes are infrequent and in some schools non-existent. Our kids have grown less fit and more sedentary.

Most classrooms are run in an anti-social manner. We ask our children to sit next to each other but not talk to each other for six hours. Teachers talk: Kids listen and speak when asked. We punish them if they don't. Everyone can talk at recess. Heck, you can even sing, dance, and tell a joke.

Recess brings readiness
The anti-recess people maintain that sending our kids to the playgrounds deprives them of precious academic opportunities. Teachers speak of their difficulties in settling kids down and "keeping them on task" after recess.

I taught fourth grade. Kids were different after recess. They were more exhilarated, more confident, and more imaginative. I welcomed their flush-faced return by engaging them in animated class discussions. Why would I want to quiet them down when they were so alive?

Gimme a break! Adults in the workplace take coffee breaks, smoking breaks, and lunch breaks in addition to the many water-cooler discussions shared with colleagues. Evidently we need to interrupt our workday with food, relaxation, and socialization. It helps us perform better.

So why would we begrudge our kids one or two daily recess breaks totaling a maximum of thirty minutes? Might those breaks in their workday help them perform better too?

Recess renews and educates children. It gives them opportunities to develop their social and interpersonal skills while liberating their spirits. Don't let the grinches padlock the playground in the name of education.

Read Carleton Kendrick's bio.

Was this article helpful?

Thank you for your feedback.
Carleton Kendrick headshot
About the author
Carleton Kendrick

Carleton Kendrick is the coauthor of Take Your Nose Ring Out, Honey, We're Going to Grandma's.

View more articles from this author

What's hot

  • MoneyinHands School and LearningTop 10 Graduation Gifts
  • 8 Printable Thank-You Cards for Teacher Appreciation Week School and Learning8 Printable Thank-You Cards…
  • "Thanks, Teacher!" Card Kids Can Color School and Learning"Thanks, Teacher!"…
  • Group of students studying in library School and LearningTop 10 Skills for High-School…
NewslettersNewsletters
Your partner in parenting from baby name inspiration to college planning.
Family Education
FamilyEducation does not provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Your use of the site indicates your agreement to be bound by our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Information on our advertising guidelines can be found here.

FE Footer

  • Newsletter Center
  • About Us
  • Privacy Policy
  • Editorial Policy
  • Editorial Team
  • Expert Panel
  • Medical Review Policy
  • Fact-Checking Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Site Map
  • Contact Us
  • Advertise
  • Terms of Use
  • Do Not Sell My Info (for CA Residents)
sandbox learning logo
Family Education is part of the Sandbox Learning family of educational reference sites for parents, teachers, and students. 

factmonster logoinfoplease logoTeacherVision logo

sandbbox logo
©2022 Sandbox Networks Inc. All rights reserved. Sandbox Learning is part of Sandbox & Co., a digital learning company.