Should Middle Schools Have Recess?

            “Just because students have entered middle school doesn’t mean they no longer need recess,” say Catherine Ramstetter and Charlene Woodham Brickman (Successful Healthy Children) in Principal Leadership. They point to these research-based reasons:

            - The American Academy of Pediatrics says that breaks from cognitive work help consolidate newly acquired information for later retention and retrieval.

            - Recess helps adolescents deal with puberty’s biological, social, and academic stressors, and is especially helpful for students who’ve experienced adverse childhood events.

            - Kids need time to engage in student-directed activities that promote social competence and protect against victimization, substance abuse, and poor mental health.

            - Face-to-face time with peers is especially important given pervasive cellphone use and the decline in time spent socializing with peers outside of school.

            - Time for informal interaction can contribute to an inclusive, positive school culture and a sense of connection to the school, which extends to academic learning.

            But with middle schools’ tight bell schedules and the common recess-is-for-elementary-school mindset, recess often doesn’t happen in middle schools. Ramstetter and Brickman have these suggestions for school leaders:

            - Present the evidence and seek staff buy-in, making the case that unstructured breaks support  students’ growing need for autonomy, balanced with the need for safety.

            - Provide multiple locations that are conducive to social interaction.

            - Include students in planning, asking for their interests and ideas.

            - Explore having recess before lunch, which reduces food waste.

            - If recess is right after lunch, let students transition when they’re finished eating, versus dismissing them by table.

            - Set age-appropriate expectations on what students can and cannot do during recess.

            - Get students involved in managing equipment – for example, are soccer balls inflated and where are they stored? 

 “The Case for Middle School Recess” by Catherine Ramstetter and Charlene Woodham Brickman in Principal Leadership, September 2025 (Vol. 26, #1, pp. 19-21)

Please Note: This summary is reprinted with permission from issue #1103 of The Marshall Memo, an excellent resource for educators.