Newswise — Edison, N.J. – May 13, 2026 – Kids need down time during the school day.
That’s the reinforced stance of the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), which issued an updated statement on school recess, stressing that it is not just a fun break in the day, but important for the physical, mental, and academic well-being of children in kindergarten through high school.
This is the first new guidance on recess from the influential pediatricians’ group in 13 years, a period that has seen a concerning decline in recess time in schools across the nation, alongside a rise in children’s mental and physical health issues.
The revised policy statement, published in the journal Pediatrics, comes after years of diminishing recess opportunities, often sacrificed in the pursuit of higher standardized test scores, according to Dr. Robert Murray, a lead author of the report. He noted that while the AAP has consistently advocated for unstructured play, recess has been increasingly threatened over time. The new guidance is bolstered by the latest research, which underscores the powerful benefits of recess when it is fully utilized and protected.
Central to the AAP’s stance is what it cites as a century of research that shows the health advantages of taking breaks from concentrated learning. More recent research now shows that these pauses are vital for the brain to effectively process and store information. Furthermore, the statement highlights that recess provides a unique opportunity for children to develop crucial social and emotional skills by navigating relationships, building confidence, and practicing conflict resolution in a less structured environment. These benefits, the AAP stresses, are just as important for adolescents as they are for younger students.
A significant focus of the updated guidance is the role of physical activity in combating the childhood obesity epidemic, which currently affects approximately one in five children and teens in the United States. The AAP emphasizes that recess offers a consistent opportunity for students to be physically active, which is a key factor in preventing obesity and promoting overall physical health. This unstructured time for movement is a vital part of a child’s day.
“As both a parent of five and a child and adolescent psychiatrist, I see every day that recess is not a break from learning — it is essential to it,” says Stacy Doumas, M.D., chair of the Department of Psychiatry at Hackensack Meridian Jersey Shore University Medical Center. “The American Academy of Pediatrics and CDC both emphasize that recess supports children’s mental health, emotional regulation, physical wellbeing, social development, attention, memory, and classroom performance.”
“At a time when nearly 1 in 5 children struggle with obesity and youth mental health concerns continue to rise, protecting time for movement, free play, and peer connection during the school day is more important than ever. Recess is not extra time — it is a critical developmental need,” Dr. Doumas adds.
“We pediatricians are clear–recess is not simply a fun break, but a crucial and necessary part of the day for a child’s well-being and academic success,” says Dr. Javier E Aisenberg, a pediatric endocrinologist at Hackensack University Medical Center. ”Recess should be considered a child’s personal time that must be protected and never withheld for academic or punitive reasons.”
In its statement, the AAP strongly recommends that recess should never be withheld for punitive or academic reasons. The pediatricians’ group points out the counterproductive nature of this common practice, as the students who are often deprived of recess as a form of punishment—those struggling with behavioral issues or academic performance—are frequently the ones who would benefit from it the most. The guidance makes it clear that recess is a child’s personal time and a necessary component of their development.
In response to the decline of recess, some states have taken legislative action.
New Jersey, for example, mandates at least 20 minutes of daily recess for elementary school students. This law was the culmination of a nearly decade-long effort to ensure children have adequate time for play, driven by concerns over rising childhood obesity rates and the increasing focus on standardized test preparation at the expense of recess. The New Jersey law also restricts the circumstances under which a student can be denied recess, ensuring it remains a consistent part of the school day.
However, even when recess is held, concerns have emerged regarding the nature of indoor recess.
A growing number of parents and educators have noted that during indoor recess, students are often allowed to use personal devices like laptops. This can lead to children spending their break time playing video games or watching videos, rather than engaging in valuable face-to-face social interaction with their peers. This trend has sparked a debate about whether screen time during recess undermines the social and emotional benefits of this crucial break.
“I am increasingly concerned about the amount of time children spend staring at screens throughout the school day,” says Moses Olorunnisola, M.D., a pediatrician at Hackensack Meridian Jersey Shore University Medical Center. “Recent reports conclude that many schools engage in indoor recess where some kids are allowed to be on their laptops or tablets.”
“Extended computer and screen time use can contribute to eye strain, headaches, reduced social interaction, reduced physical activity, difficulty maintaining attention, and increased mental fatigue,” adds Dr. Olorunnisola. “When children are given access to laptops instead of recess time, they miss out on the critical movement, social interaction, and mental reset their developing brains and bodies need.”
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