[Narrator] Every day, students across Minnesota look forward to a unique time in the school day: recess.
Recess is an important time of the school day that gives children a
chance to move out of the classroom, be active and play.
Research indicates, that regular physical activity and play supports students' physical,
social and mental health and can help students be better learners.
Participation in recess
is one strategy identified in the Active Schools Minnesota initiative, which
assists students in reaching the national recommendation of
60 minutes of physical activity every day.
Schools across Minnesota are working with the
Statewide Health Improvement Partnership or SHIP to identify ways to help
students move more in and outside the school day.
Recess supervisors, thanks for what you do
to help students get more out of recess. Your role is important.
Your work helps kids develop skills that will last throughout their lifetime.
By working together, you, school administration, classroom teachers and
building maintenance can help make recess fun and safe for everyone.
Get to know the roles everyone plays at your school.
Through a series of videos we will provide you with
some practical ways to build a foundation for success in your own school.
In this video we'll give you some background information to help you.
So what is recess? Recess is a regularly scheduled time
within the school day for physical activity and play that is monitored by trained staff or volunteers.
During recess, students are encouraged to be physically active and engaged
with their peers in activities of their choice.
Active recess is a term used to describe how to set up the recess environment to encourage the
optimal amount of movement for students with adults providing support to ensure
the space is safe and to encourage physical activity.
Recess is not about forced or structured movement.
Kids will move when they have choice and opportunity
[Sharron] Research supports that when kids are moving their body, it
brings blood and oxygen to their brain and they're better learners.
Kids get a chance to be social, navigate disagreements and conflicts
and develop some of those interpersonal skills.
[Shannon] Team building, cooperation, all those skills
that we want children to have that transfers back to the classroom.
[Narrator] Recess provides many benefits to students: it improves students' learning and
overall achievement, increases classroom engagement, reduces disruptive behavior in the classroom,
lowers stress in students, leads to greater on task behavior in classroom,
improves students' memory and attention, supports social-emotional development by improving social skills,
allows students to learn which physical activities they enjoy, fostering lifetime activity,
supports the normal growth and physical development of students,
helps students meet the nationally recommended 60 minutes of daily physical activity.
Does your school have a wellness policy that spells out the length of time students spend at recess?
The national recommendations state that students should get 20 minutes of recess per day.
Taking recess away as punishment often
is not helpful to students who can benefit from a break to move.
Recess time should be provided in addition to regular physical education class,
provide safe spaces facilities equipment and supplies, provide recess before lunch
and provide ongoing professional development for staff.
Remember, each school is unique and one prescribed plan will not be appropriate for all schools.
This series of videos was created to help guide schools to
determine which strategies are most feasible, based on the needs and
resources at that school.
As part of your homework, get to know more about the Wellness Policy at your school.
What does it say about recess?
Thanks again for all you do to help students get more out of recess.