Photo: A playground at Boston City Hall.
BOSTON (WBZ NewsRadio) — A new study reaffirms the benefits of recess and unstructured playtime for kids.
The American Academy of Pediatrics issued the recess guidelines, its first in 13 years.
The updated guidelines reinforce the importance of providing kids a break from the classroom that gives them more time to develop social relationships.
According to the study, this free time is a crucial part of learning that helps kids become more attentive and productive in class.
A smile came to each person when asked what they remembered about recess. "Four Square was really great," one guy recalled. "And sometimes we would just take one of my friends' shoes and just throw it to each other. We didn't have balls, so we would just take a shoe and toss the shoe around."
Another person said recess helped him burn off the energy that was building up during class. "I had ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder) as a kid, still do. You got to move around, you got to get that energy out, so kids should be out playing," he said.
Meanwhile, here's someone who spoke for a lot of people. "Yeah, recess is awesome!" she said. "I wish we could have it as adults."
The Academy recommends kids spend at least 20 minutes a day in recess with multiple breaks, something many schools don't offer.
WBZ NewsRadio’s James Rojas (@JamesRojasMMJ) reports.