As you know, most school districts end recess after elementary school, although what you probably don’t know is that may not be the wisest decision. The purpose of ending recess is so that students can have more time to learn, resulting in smarter students. But having no recess can actually make it harder for kids to learn. Being active at recess can help some kids pay attention in class. Many kids without recess build up extra energy and have a hard time sitting still and concentrating during class. Recent studies show that students who are very physically active have higher scores on the Sanford Achievement test than students who are less active. So schools that are going without recess to increase class time and up their students grades could actually be holding the children back.

Also the number of obese children is increasing rapidly. It’s recommended that children get at least 60 minutes of being physically active every day of the week. Physical education classes alone do not provide students with the amount of exercise they need. Recess is a way for children to get the amount of physical energy recommended to stay healthy.

During recess, kids can have fun with each other without teachers instructing them on how to act and behave. Students are forced to learn on their own how to act in order to get along. They learn important real life social skills such as sharing, patience, and communication. They learn these skills by experimenting and they find out the differences each skill can make on their own instead of a teacher telling them. This would result in less violence and inappropriate language making schools a better environment to learn in.