10/05/2026
15 Minutes of Recess
What happened to common sense?
Does anyone really think 15 minutes of recess is enough for an elementary child?
They’re kids. They need to run. They need to play. They need to laugh with their friends. They need time outside where an adult isn’t directing every minute of what they do.
A UC Berkeley study of more than 4,300 Title I schools found that schools that invested in recess experienced significantly lower rates of chronic absenteeism.
The investment was not complicated.
Better playgrounds.
But especially MORE opportunities to play.
Students were more likely to come to school because they wanted to be there.
And attendance was only part of the story.
Research has consistently linked recess to improved attention, focus, self-regulation, behavior, social development, and academic performance.
What strikes me is how much time, money, and energy we spend trying to improve attendance, engagement, behavior, and achievement while often overlooking one of the things students look forward to most every day.
As adults, we spend billions of dollars on gym memberships, fitness classes, personal trainers, sports leagues, and wellness programs because we understand the value of movement.
We know it improves physical health.
We know it supports mental health.
We know it helps with focus, stress, energy, and overall well-being.
Yet many schools continue reducing one of the very things children need most.
Time to move.
Time to play.
Time to interact.
Time to simply be kids.
We invest in movement for adults while reducing it for children who need it even more.
We need to stop treating recess as something we squeeze into the school day if time allows and start treating it as an essential part of learning, development, and well-being.
Children used to have more opportunities to play, move, explore, and simply be kids during the school day.
Many of the world’s highest-performing education systems still protect that time today.
Because when students are excited to come to school, more engaged when they arrive, and better prepared to learn, that is not lost instructional time.
That is a worthwhile investment.
-Dr. Brad Johnson
