Why Is Recess Beneficial For Social Skills?

Recess is a crucial component of the school day, providing a break from schoolwork and allowing students to play, socialize, and engage in physical activity. It promotes social and emotional learning and development by offering children a time to engage in peer interactions, practice communication and social skills, and form meaningful relationships among students.

Recess quality, not just the amount of time spent away from the classroom, plays a major role in whether children experience the full physical, mental, and social experience. It encourages a culture of community and belonging, fostering valuable skills related to communication and socialization such as leadership, cooperation, compromise, sharing, conflict resolution, problem-solving, coping skills, negotiation, and perseverance.

Recess also helps children learn social skills that will guide them through their lives. As recess is often unstructured and peer-to-peer, it offers more chances for kids to play inclusive games, listen to each other, and solve conflicts quickly. It helps manage stress, promotes social skills, and allows for physical exercise. It also helps with creativity and builds skills like resilience, self-control, and adaptive classroom.

High-quality recess has been found to correlate with higher scores in student resilience, self-control, and adaptive classroom. Playtime is more than just fun and games; it helps children build confidence, develop critical social-emotional skills, and become leaders. Social skills are further developed during recess time, as children can practice their social skills with less direct supervision than they experience in the classroom.