• School leadership team, 

• Wellness Council members, 

• Lunch and/or Recess Monitors

• PE teachers,

• School nurses,

• Social worker,

• ...And any staff members that are advocates of recess!

What is your vision for recess at your school? Based on this vision, what goals can you set for ensuring access to recess at your school? 

Outdoor recess is the best option for students when possible. Giving students time outside allows for

• Time in nature, 

• Decreased stress and anxiety 

• Increased physical activity levels

• Enhanced curiosity, creativity and concentration

Make sure all outdoor recess spaces are free of hazards, have clear boundaries, and are safe for students to move around in. 

Identify what indoor spaces are available at your school to use for recess in the event of inclement weather.

Click here for the Child Care Weather Watch Chart to support how you define inclement weather

 Playworks recommends, “Get creative! Gym, auditorium, hallway, library, and classrooms. Find all possible spaces for recess and the days and times they are available. Is the gym available three days out of the week for indoor recess? Great! Find the next best space for the other two days of the week. Work with the administration staff to see which spaces are available for your indoor recess.”

Not sure what recess games to play in these spaces? Check out this grid for some suggestions. More indoor recess tips from Playworks can be found here

Both indoor and outdoor recess spaces must be accessible for students of all abilities. Ensure access to restrooms and drinking water for all recess spaces.  

Things to Consider:

• The benefits of recess before lunch

• Staggering the number of students that are outside at once

• Avoiding scheduling recess close to Physical Education class time

• Rotating the time of recess based on day of the week, if needed 

If your school is new to implementing recess, creating time for 20 minutes of recess in the school day can include:

-Shortening or replacing homeroom with recess

-Shortening the lunch period while ensuring students have at least  20-25 minutes for lunch

-Rotating which academic classes are shortened throughout the school week to create time for recess

-Shortening passing periods, if applicable. 

If you cannot realistically create a 20 minute block for recess for the current school year, create an action plan to start with 5, 10 or 15 minute breaks and work your way to 20 minutes.  

Zoning is an effective method to increase engagement and maximize space! 

• Identify what kinds of activities can safely be played in which areas. Divide recess spaces into physical activity zones based on these games

• Create markings, signage, and [etc] for each of the physical activity zones 

• Create maps of both outdoor and indoor recess spaces. Post them in areas where students can access them.

See an example of a physical activity zone planning template and a rotating recess schedule created by PE Teacher Josh Hardester and the Mario Umana School HERE. 

Also, check out Playworks’ Guide to Map Your Playground . 

Identify what equipment will be used in what areas (indoor, outdoor, etc) and for what games

An example of recommended recess equipment [HERE]

Safety

• Make sure all equipment and play areas meet the recommended safety standards. Consult the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission’s Public Playground Safety Handbook for inspection checklist and outdoor play area safety considerations. 

• Make sure students know how to safely use all equipment. This can be communicated via visuals, regular modeling by recess supervisors or lunch and recess, or demonstrations during PE class or a beginning of the year assembly 

• Regularly assess the condition of equipment, and discard/replace as necessary 

Storage

• Designate a space for storing equipment

• Assign who will return and move the equipment for storage to the recess areas

• Consider placing responsibility on students for equipment clean up, or having equipment leaders

• Maintain a checklist of all equipment 

Games

• Determine a list of games that can be played based on equipment available and recess space. Make sure to have a list of both outdoor and indoor recess games. Rotating games monthly, or having a game of the week/month may also help increase engagement. See Playworks' Recess Game Library for ideas as well as their resource on how to include a variety of games at every recess!

• Determine which games are facilitated by a recess supervisor and which games are played freely by students. 

• Coordinate with your school’s PE teacher so that students can learn activities and games in PE class at the beginning of the school year that they can then use in recess time

• It is recommended that school’s budget around $300/year to recess equipment

It is important that transitions are efficient and routine for students to avoid lost time in class or recess. Make sure recess supervisors, classroom teachers, and others on your recess team are aware of what role they will be playing in transitioning in and out of recess. 

Check out these tips from Playworks on how to create smooth recess transitions.

It is important to determine what the responsibilities of recess supervisors are, and how those responsibilities will be shared among staff during recess time. 

Training for Recess Supervisors can include: 

• Game/activity facilitation

• Supporting Conflict-resolution 

• Modeling positive behaviors

• Identifying bullying 

• Ensuring Inclusion

• Supporting transitions

• What actions to take in the event of emergencies and all safety protocol

Reach out to the Boston Public School's Physical Activity Coordinator at sgumidyala@bostonpublicschools.org for any upcoming training opportunities. 

When communicating guidelines and expectations to students, the simpler the better. Come up with 3 to 5 simple yet overarching guidelines (not rules) for recess. Posters, visuals, videos, that are in recess areas and throughout the school building can communicate and promote these expectations. Encourage students to do their best with conflict resolution. Simple techniques including Rock-Paper-Scissors when deciding on taking turns or use of equipment or space can be effective.  Gain student input in creating these norms or guidelines. To build buy-in across your school community, you may also want to consider sending a letter to families about your recess guidelines and the importance of recess. 

See the Superintendent Circular on Bullying Prevention and Intervention and BPS Bullying Prevention and Intervention Activities

• Set and communicate clear norms to students 

• Model and encourage positive interactions and relationship building 

• Encourage students to resolve conflicts on their own

• Ensure all students are able to participate fully in activities during recess regardless of ability, gender, etc.

Students of ALL AGES benefit from recess. 

Remember that BPS Wellness policy requires at least 20 minutes of recess for all students grades PreK-8!

Providing organized breaks for middle and high school students during the school day can be extremely beneficial to student health, focus, and academic outcomes. Consider calling these breaks something other than “recess” to make it more accessible for older students. It is also extremely valuable to get students involved in planning and co-creating the vision for recess.