• Posted May 14, 2026

School Recess Key To Learning, Says The American Academy of Pediatrics

Recess is not a luxury for school children, but a necessary part of how they learn, grow and stay healthy, according to a policy statement released May 11 from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP).

Not all students have daily recess at school, but such unstructured time is exactly what they need to effectively process and retain what they’ve learned in the classroom, the AAP says.

Evidence has shown that multiple breaks with a minimum of 20 minutes every day is optimal to realize the full cognitive, physical and social benefits of recess, the statement says.

“As adults, we know the benefits of taking a coffee break, socializing with colleagues or taking a short walk at work when we feel tired, stressed or unproductive during the workday,” said Catherine Ramstetter, co-author of the statement. Ramstetter is a school health and research consultant with Successful Healthy Children in Ohio.

“So, why would we question the same need among children and adolescents?” Ramstetter said in a news release. “We know that recess supports children’s ability to learn and retain new information, while also helping them navigate social relationships and build confidence.”

Such breaks after concentrated bouts of teaching offer students an offline state of “wakeful rest,” during which working memories of their daily lessons can be consolidated. These lessons then are transferred to the children’s long-term memory when they sleep that night, the statement says.

Physically active play during recess also can aid memory and retention, the statement says.

The statement holds that recess should be part of the school day for students of every age.

“Recess should look different as children get older, but it remains just as essential for a middle- or high-school student as they move from the playground to more social experiences,” co-author Dr. Robert Murray said in a news release. He’s a retired professor of pediatrics at Ohio State University.

“Research tells us that breaks from classroom instruction help students of all ages to reset, focus better and manage stress when they return to learning,” he said.

The AAP recommends that recess be protected as personal time and never be withheld either as punishment or for academic reasons.

Recess can include a wide range of activities, from physical play to social interaction, and can take place indoors or outdoors, the statement says.

“Pediatricians stand with parents and schools in protecting daily recess as essential to all children’s health and learning throughout their schooling,” Murray added. “It should be safe, inclusive and designed so every student feels welcome and able to participate.”

The new statement appears in the journal Pediatrics.

More information

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has more on the benefits of recess.

SOURCES: American Academy of Pediatrics, news release, May 11, 2026; Pediatrics, May 11, 2026