The ultimate goal of schools is to produce well-rounded, educated, self-directed learners who will succeed in the world. Social skills are often a large part of how success is measured. Recess provides unstructured time for kids to build social skills. It allows children to learn to solve conflicts, negotiate with peers, share and build friendships. The rest of the school day is often structured with teacher-directed activities that do not always allow peer interaction. Recess is a valuable time for children to interact with each other independently.
Recess allows students to return to the classroom ready to focus, which increases productivity and on-task behavior for the students and instructional time for the teacher. Children also learn and practice important skills while on the playground that transfer to success in the classroom. Independent play during recess encourages kids' creativity, allows them to practice problem solving and increases their vocabulary.
Unstructured play reduces stress. Recess gives kids the opportunity to run, yell, jump and be free of structure and expectations. During class, children are expected to listen, sit quietly, focus and follow directions, which can be a lot to demand of some children and can cause behavioral problems if they are not given the chance to take a break and regroup. Play during recess helps kids build self-confidence through interactions with peers.
Many kids today return from school to sit in front of the television playing video games. Recess gives children a regular opportunity to be physically active, which will make kids more likely to increase activity levels after school and on weekends. Healthy kids require movement to keep their bodies healthy as well as their minds. Physical activity gets blood flowing throughout the body, including the brain. Brain research shows that physical activity actually stimulates blood flow to the brain, allowing it to perform better.