When students get into middle and high school, they lose their privilege to have recess; it becomes a reward. This shouldn’t be the case. Not having breaks from class can cause students to stress more. Plus, everyone needs a break from time to time. I mean, if someone were to offer you a job and say that the only break you got was for lunch and you couldn’t have any form of entertainment in said break, would you really want that job? Probably not.

Kids need breaks just as much, if not more, than adults do. Schoolwork can be really exhausting, and most lunch times are too short for students to get adequate breaks anyway. When students have recess, they have time to actually take a good break from schoolwork and play around. Lots of middle and high schoolers also have trouble sleeping. Recess can give them an opportunity to nap for a little bit without getting into trouble.

When students have recess, they can engage in activities that they actually enjoy, which puts them in a better mood for the rest of their classes. This can lead to better engagement and participation in class. Without that break, students can feel burnt out and exhausted.

Recess also gives students an opportunity to complete homework or work they didn’t complete in class. Some students have busy lives and simply don’t have time to do their work without interrupting their sleep schedule. If teachers are going to assign work, they need to give students time to actually do it, which could be in their recess time.

Schools might think that lunch is already enough of a break for students, but the thing is, they can’t really do much during lunch. They aren’t allowed to bring their things to lunch, they have to eat their food, and most lunch times are only around 20 minutes. During recess, students have time to do things like play sports, talk to friends, and just take breaks in general. Back when I was in elementary school, I learned how to crochet and how to do a cartwheel in just my recess time. This could be helpful for middle and high schoolers to study and learn new skills.

Breaks are important for everyone, and students of all ages deserve to have the privilege of recess. Working for seven hours straight is a nightmare, and most students only really go to school to talk to their friends. Recess could solve these problems by giving students time to relax, which, in a stressful school environment, is really necessary.