Let's talk about recess

Let's talk about recess

At the beginning of this school year, I found myself engaging in a lot of observations of students at various grades during recess. I learned a lot too. 

Is recess a social time? 🤔 

For some students, yes. Some kids want to play with peers. At 4th and 5th-grade, I found that some students engage in a lot of standing around and socializing. However, for some students recess is not a social time. I observed students with and without disabilities that preferred to be alone. They weren't unhappy by not engaging with their peers. It was a time to get a break from all the social interactions as well as from all the mental input. Sometimes these kids played on playground equipment, sat and read a book, or walked around. When thinking about socializing, we have to remember that everyone isn't an extrovert. Introverts regaain their energy engaging in tasks alone. Students shouldn't be forced or encouraged to engage with others if what they really need is a break from socializing. As an OT, I realized that IEP teams need to consider this as well for students with Autism as we typically use recess as a time to provide inclusion and expect that they work on their social skills. That expectation of using social skills during this time should be closely evaluated and individualized. 

Recess is a sensory rich environment. 

Many children engage in a variety of activities that provide a lot of sensory input. This is why recess is so important and needed for our Elementary students. 

Vestibular- kids engage in running, jumping, climbing, sliding, spinning, and swinging. This input is needed to sit and attend to instruction. 

Proprioception - Playing basketball, going across the monkey bars, pushing/spinning peers, and carrying playground equipment to recess provides the much needed deep pressure input to help kids calm their bodys. 

Tactile - I was surprised to see how many students in second grade enjoyed playing in the dirt and sand over the more active tasks. Some students choose to sit under the slide to cool off during those early school days with hotter weather. Tactile input is great for learning.

Visual - The light from the sun seemed to affect some students so they played in more shaded areas. Some students enjoyed watching their peers play. Some students might wear a ball cap or sunglasses to recess due to light sensitivity. The areas that provide some shade on school playground are a necessity for many reasons. 

Auditory - Many children engage in yelling and screaming during recess. It can be a loud environment despite being outside. This can overwhelm some students. It can also cause some kids to get over-stimulated. Noise cancelation headphones might be helpful for these students. 

Should there be structured options at recess? 

Based on my observations, it appears that their are groups of kids that will play sports such as soccer or basketball, games such as four squares or hop scotch, play on playground equipment, make up their own games, and play with dirt/sand. However, there are groups of kids that don't seem to know what to do or how to join in with their peers. Many schools have buddy benches. These are supposed to help students demonstrate to their peers that they would like to play. However, they are rarely used appropriately. It appears students aren't instructed or unaware of how to use it. Kids aren't paying attention and don't come to include the kid sitting on the bench. When their is community in the classroom, kids were observed to come over and check in with a classmates that was alone or upset however. Therefore, it appears that students need some instruction even regarding recess options and expectations. This is especially important for students with Autism as these are typically invisible social rules and expectations. Neurotypical children need this as well especially post COVID-19 as some of them missed out on the opportunity to learn social skill through play with their peers. They don't seem to know how to organize themselves to play a game with peers. They don't know how to compromise and negotiate. They engage in strong emotional reactions to loosing and not getting their way. Teaching these skills and options for games during recess may be needed in our current society. 

Recess is more than a break in the day. It's so important and vital for development. It should absolutely NEVER be taken away as punishment. We need to support all students during recess.