Those 45 Minutes of Recess: Are They Any Good?

As soon as the bell rings, a wave of thrill runs through the drained students who have probably waiting for that bell all day. Recess holds a significant position in school life, but is it as important as we think it is? And, most importantly, how much of a break is necessary; does the 30-45 minute general break is enough for the day?

Research suggests that recess gives tykes a cerebral rest that allows them to retain the information that they have garnered all day in class. In addition, the brief period of rest also allows them to digest the information; children understand what they learned in class better if they have time to process all the information. During recess children not only get to free themselves of academic stress, but also get the chance to enrich their creativity through school playground equipment and other play structures.

So are those 45 minutes good enough? Researchers suggest that the 45 minutes are more than enough, but children could use a couple of more minutes. Most research suggests that children who have longer break periods retain and process more than the kids who do not utilize the break period. It is extremely crucial for children to make the most out of their break. There is a certain kind of joy attached to the outdoor playground equipment that cannot be garnered through any other activity, not even the P.E. class.

On average, a child needs to have at least 60-85 minute of active play per day. Your child will not necessarily get that from the school break, so make sure that at home he gets ample time to participate in active play. The most common forms of active play include imaginative play and various forms of unstructured play.

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