Recess at Home

• Participating in physical activity every day helps to keep your child healthy.

• Recess is an important part of the school day as it allows for physical activity, social learning, and decompression from constant schoolwork.

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Have you ever had to sit for several hours at a desk or in a meeting and you caught yourself tapping with a pencil or tapping your foot? Even if you didn’t realize it, you began these fidgeting activities because your body was bored. That doesn’t mean that you were not paying attention or that the subject was boring, just that your body had been sedentary for so long that it itself became bored. Children are like this too; even more so. Both their minds and their bodies get bored from sitting for long periods at a desk or table. That is where recess (or outside play as we call it) comes in, even in a homeschooling environment.

Why Recess is Important

The American Academy of Pediatrics “believes that recess is a crucial and necessary component of a child’s development…”¹ and says “recess offers cognitive, social, emotional, and physical benefits…”¹. Recess, or outdoor play time, allows for children to not only get fresh air but to also stretch out their muscles, destress, and participate in physical activity. The CDC recommends that children get 60 minutes or more of physical activity daily in a combination of aerobic, muscle-building, and bone-building² exercises. This is to help maintain healthy bodies and minds. If you are looking for examples of all 3 of these exercise groups for different age groups check out this article from the CDC. For more in-depth information on how recess benefits children visit this AAP article.

 Use What You Have

When I think of recess, I think about the monkey bars, red metal ‘fire truck’ climbing frame, and the slides that I used to play on at my elementary school. While this equipment was loads of fun, though admittedly very hot, you do not need such equipment for your kids to have a fun and enjoyable ‘recess’ at home. My favorite thing to say is to use whatever you have available. If you have a play gym, trampoline, swing set, or other fun outdoor activity center at home then great. If not, don’t worry about it. Use whatever you have around the house. Frisbees, sidewalk chalk, a ball, any type of sports equipment, bikes or scooters; all viable options for recess play. My two youngest kids spent almost an hour yesterday trying to flip bottles. The point is for them to have fun and give both their bodies and their minds a break from studying.

Going out as a family is another great way to get everyone involved. Try going on a 30-minute nature walk or biking around the neighborhood. It gets everyone outside and getting exercise. Also consider going to your local park. Taking your kids to the park is a great way for them to get some physical activity and can give you a few minutes of peace as well; depending on the age of your children of course.

Kid Approved Ideas:

Tying Recess Into P.E.

Occasionally I like to tie P.E. and recess together, especially on days when we have a lot to do or we just want to get done with school a little faster. P.E., or physical education, not only teaches kids about how being active affects their body, but it also teaches them about as many physical activities as possible. In online schools, in addition to a teacher-taught P.E. class, any coordinated activity counts as P.E.. Any sport your child plays or things like bike rides, hula hooping, jogs, kayaking, etc., count as P.E.. On days when I do a mash-up of recess and P.E. we usually will go on a bike ride, walk to the park to play for a little while, or practice one of the many sports they play. We enjoy doing these activities together and it gets them active as well as giving their brains a well needed break.

Another option to look into is your local YMCA. Many YMCA’s offer a Homeschool P.E. program. Some offer an “open gym” time while others offer a more structured sports-like program. Each seems to have their own list of activities. A few YMCA’s even offer a Homeschool Electives and Support Program that includes activities such as field trips, social events, and STEAM related classes.

Kid Approved Ideas:

Recess in the Rain

While we like to do recess, or “break time” outside, sometimes that is just not possible. Instead of turning to electronics (which is what my 3 would love to do) we come up with something fun to do inside. A favorite is to build a fort with chairs and sheets to play a family game inside. Another thing my kids like to do is come up with a “show” of their own, whether that means making up a song and dance routine (which generally takes a few days of break time) or making a version of America’s Funniest Home Videos with beanie boos. 

While stuck inside any kind of play will do. Let them have their normal recess time, but let them play with their toys instead. Alternatively, if you want to keep it active dancing, tumbling, or a small game of floor-is-lava are all great options. Many games that are generally played outside can be brought in, such as hide-and-seek, tag, bowling, ring toss, and red-light-green-light, as long as you have adequate room inside to play.

Kid Approved Ideas:

Activity Based Electronic Games

Many electronic devices now include a physical activity aspect. Activity based Nintendo games are one of my kids’ favorites. Even Alexa gives options for physical activities. Then, of course, you have YouTube kid-friendly exercise/yoga videos. These options are not only great for when the weather is not on your side for outside play, but also to get kids motivated to move around more. Many kids groan at the prospect of having to do exercise. However, they all like to play video games, interact with Alexa, and watch YouTube. Use this to your advantage. Let them play virtual tennis, baseball, bowling, and table tennis video games. Have them do a freeze dance party with Alexa. Find a family-friendly exercise or yoga video for you all to enjoy. While most of us are contantly fighting the screen time battle, this seems a decent compromise. At least to get them up and active.

*NOTE: I am not affiliated with any of these companies, websites, or YouTube accounts, these are just some of my kids’ favorites.

Kid Approved Ideas:

Integrating Sports

My kids have always loved to play sports. Therefore, they have always liked to incorporate sports into their outside play time. This not only gives them extra practice with their sport of choice but also gives them a physical outlet during the day. It is also a good idea to introduce your child to multiple sports to see if there is one that peaks their interest. Usually we alternate between playing a sport and doing other activities like jumping on the trampoline or visiting the park.

Including sports in your dedicated recess time also pulls in elements of P.E. Some physical education standards includes sports. Also, teaching good sportmanship not only helps your child but is a general P.E. standard.

Kid Approved Ideas:

What are some of your favorite “recess” or break time activities to get your kids moving? Share some of your family’s favorites with the community in the comments below.

Resources:

1. American Academy of Pediatrics, The Crucial Role of Recess in School, Original: January 2013 ; reaffirmed April 2023
2. CDC, Physical Activity Guidelines for School-Aged Children and Adolescents, July 2022