The Benefits of School Recess: A Systematic Review

ABSTRACT BACKGROUND Recess provides many physical, mental, and social benefits for students; however, the most recent systematic review examining the benefits of recess was conducted over a decade ago. The purpose of this paper was to determine the current benefits of school recess by conducting an...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:The Journal of school health 2022-10, Vol.92 (10), p.959-967
Main Authors: Hodges, Virginia C., Centeio, Erin E., Morgan, Charles F.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Academic Achievement
Child development
child health
Child psychology
Childrens health
Cognitive Processes
Cognitive-behavioral factors
Elementary Secondary Education
Exercise
Literature Reviews
physical activity
Physical Activity Level
recess
Recess Breaks
Recreation
school policy
School Recreational Programs
social‐emotional learning
Student Behavior
Systematic review
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Summary:ABSTRACT BACKGROUND Recess provides many physical, mental, and social benefits for students; however, the most recent systematic review examining the benefits of recess was conducted over a decade ago. The purpose of this paper was to determine the current benefits of school recess by conducting an updated systematic review of the literature. METHODS Multiple databases were systematically examined to find articles fitting the following inclusionary criteria: (a) school recess, (b) all schooling before college, and (c) recess benefits of any kind. Research was limited to literature published between June 2009 and July 2020. RESULTS Nine studies were included in this review. The majority of studies examined elementary‐aged students. Seven studies were conducted in the United States, and 2 studies were conducted internationally. Recess provided school‐aged children academic and cognitive benefits, behavioral and emotional benefits, physical benefits, and social benefits. IMPLICATIONS FOR SCHOOL HEALTH POLICY, PRACTICE, AND EQUITY Providing recess for all school levels positively impacts the whole child; there was no literature implicating negative impacts of recess. CONCLUSIONS Schools can improve overall student health and belonging by redesigning and/or implementing daily recess.
ISSN:0022-4391
1746-1561
DOI:10.1111/josh.13230