Recess, Play, & Learning Studies

Research shows that play and recess support learning

1. According to a recent American Academy of Pediatrics report, which cites a number of research studies, “Play is important to healthy brain development.” In play, children use their creativity to develop “imagination, dexterity, and physical, cognitive, and emotional strength.”

K. Ginsberg and the Committee on Communications and Committee on Psychosocial Aspects of Child and Family Health, “The Importance of Play in Promoting Healthy Child Developmentand Maintaining Strong Parent-Child Bonds,” Pediatrics (2007).

2. A 2001 summary of recess-related research cited multiple ways in which “recess, or the lack thereof, affects children’s brain development, health and physical development, social and emotional adjustment, language development, and classroom behavior.”

S. Waite-Stupiansky and M. Findlay, “The Fourth R: Recess and Its Link to Learning,” The Educational Forum (2001).

3. A 1998 summary of neuroscience research reported that, “Play…has earned new respect as biologists, neuroscientists, psychologists, and others see that play is indeed serious business equally important as other basic drives of sleep, rest, and food.”

J.L. Frost, “Neuroscience, Play, and Child Development,” Paper. IPA/USA [The American Association for the Child’s Right to Play] Triennial Conference (1998).

4. Play influences neurological development and determines how intricate neural circuits are wired. Among other research, positron-emission tomography scans of Romanian orphans with play deprivation indicate that play is as essential to human development as other basic needs. 

S. Begley, “How to Build a Baby’s Brain,” Newsweek – Special Edition: Your Child (1997).

5. Multi-year research in French and Canadian schools and nearly 200 other studies investigating the effects of exercise on cognitive functioning indicate that recess serves as an academic boost.

   J. L. Etnier, W. Salazar, D. M. Landers, S. J. Petruzzello, M. Han, and P. Nowell, “The Influence of Physical Fitness and Exercise upon Cognitive Functioning: A Meta-analysis.” Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology (1997).

6. In a qualitative study at three south central Texas schools that reduced recess to allow more classroom time, third-grade students performed less well academically and exhibited increased health problems.

   K. L. Hutchison, “A Case Study of Classroom Change in Three Texas Schools: Third-grade Recess Policy and Practice in a Context of High Stakes Testing,” University of Texas at San Antonio (2005).

7. Continuous, non-stop academic intensity triggers the stress hormone cortisol, which heightens aggression. Studies at the University of Texas at Austin indicate that cortisol may put children at risk for abnormal brain development. 

   Stress Can Change Your Mind. Office of Public Affairs, University of Texas at Austin (2002).

8. Studies conducted in the late 1970s and 1980s indicate a strong correlation between pretend play (especially pretend play that is socially interactive) and cognitive development.

   D. Bergen and J. Coscia, “Brain Research and Childhood Education: Implications for Educators,” Association for Childhood Education International (2001).

9. In 1990, replication of two earlier studies demonstrated that preschool children progress beyond exploration and engage in more constructive play when given a play period of at least 30 minutes with time for free choice. Free-choice play provides more opportunity for identifying and solving problems.

   D. Tegano and M.P. Burdette, “Length of Activity Periods and Play Behaviors of Preschool Children,” Journal of Research in Childhood Education (1991).

10. A two-year longitudinal study of kindergarteners at recess in Georgia in the early 1990s showed a positive correlation between social and object play and academic achievement.

    A. D. Pellegrini, “Kindergarten Children’s Social Cognitive Status as a Predictor of First Grade Success,” Early Childhood Research Quarterly (1992.)

11. Three studies of playground behavior among children in grades kindergarten, two, and four in Georgia during the mid-1990s demonstrated that recess aids classroom attention.

    A. D. Pellegrini, P. S. Huberty, and I. Jones, “The Effects of Recess Timing on Children’s Classroom and Playground Behavior,” American Educational Research Journal (1995).

12. A late 1990s study of two fourth-grade classes in a southern suburban school found that when students had recess they were less fidgety and stayed on task longer in class.

    O.S. Jarrett, D.M. Maxwell, C. Dickerson, P. Hoge, G. Davies, and A. Yetley, “Impact of Recess on Classroom Behavior: Group Effects and Individual Differences,” Journal of Educational Research (2001).

13. According to a study of five-year olds, pretend play at recess significantly improves readiness for mathematics.

    T. D. Yawley, “Sociodramatic Play Effects on Mathematical Learning and Adult Ratings of Playfulness in Five-year Olds,” Journal of Research and Development in Education (1981).

14. Research conducted at Baylor College of Medicine in Texas indicates that children who do not develop imagination through spontaneous play have brains 20 to 30 percent smaller than children of the same age who do play.

    J. M. Nash, “Fertile Minds,” Time – Special Report (1997).

15. Socialization with others is essential for healthy development – cognitively and emotionally. “The single best childhood predictor of adult adaptation is not IQ, not school grades, and not classroom behavior – but, rather the adequacy with which a child gets along with other children.”

    W. W. Hartup, “Having Friends, Making Friends, and Keeping Friends: Relationships as Educational Contexts.” ERIC Clearinghouse on Elementary and Early Childhood Education (1992).

16. Children who participate in pretend play and act out stories recall them more accurately, retell them more elaborately, and show higher levels of narrative structure. In a 1999 study comparing 4- and 5-year olds, children demonstrated greater retention and more immediate recall when prompted by pictures and doll figures.

    D. Bergen, “The Role of Pretend Play in Children’s Cognitive Development,” Early Childhood Research & Practice (2002).

17. According to numerous studies of play, recess, and children with disabilities, recess gives students with disabilities opportunities to interact with others, to develop, and to gain acceptance in ways that classrooms do not.

    C. McClure and L.R. Kinnison, “Recess in Elementary Schools: Implications for Children Who Have Disabilities,” Education Resources Information Center (2000).

18. According to many teachers, when children play they learn valuable lessons for managing school and family issues.

J. Newman, P. J. Brody, and H. M. Beauchamp, “Teachers’ Attitudes and Policies Regarding Play in Elementary Schools,” Psychology in the Schools (1996).

Strong National Museum of Play
Rochester, New York