{"id":5547,"date":"2022-02-03T11:27:17","date_gmt":"2022-02-03T16:27:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.playworks.org\/new-england\/?p=5547"},"modified":"2025-02-27T18:14:20","modified_gmt":"2025-02-27T23:14:20","slug":"rocking-indoor-recess-in-the-gym-or-classroom-or-cafeteria","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.playworks.org\/new-england\/2022\/02\/03\/rocking-indoor-recess-in-the-gym-or-classroom-or-cafeteria\/","title":{"rendered":"Rocking indoor recess in the gym\u2026 or classroom\u2026 or cafeteria\u2026"},"content":{"rendered":"

Recess happens every day: rain or shine, snow or sleet, hot or cold weather. But what happens when weather conditions keep you inside? Can you still have an engaging, fun, and physically active recess?<\/b><\/h2>\n

Yes, of course! Depending on where you live, most winter months may be spent inside for recess due to snow on the ground or below freezing temperatures, but recess is still an incredibly important time of day for students to take a break from academics, get their heart rates up, and practice core skills learned through play.<\/span><\/p>\n

Get started with these tips:<\/strong><\/h2>\n
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  1. Learn your school\u2019s policies.<\/b><\/span> Every school district or school administration has different policies regarding indoor vs. outdoor recess conditions, spaces available for play, and the general \u201crun of show.\u201d Be sure to check with your school staff so that you\u2019re starting out on the same page.<\/span><\/li>\n
  2. Have a back up plan. <\/b><\/span>No matter how foolproof you think your plan is, challenges can arise. Sometimes the auditorium you planned to use for recess is being used for an assembly, or the classroom next to you is taking a test so you need to have a quiet indoor recess. Make sure you have a back-up plan and that it\u2019s communicated to the other members of the recess team!<\/span><\/li>\n
  3. Keep it consistent.<\/b><\/span> Just because you\u2019re inside for recess doesn\u2019t mean that the same recess procedures can\u2019t stay intact. If you normally announce game stations before recess starts, do that! If students line up at cones at the end of recess, set up cones inside so they know where to line up, close out recess, and transition to the next activity in their day.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n
  4. Stay safe.<\/b><\/span> Indoor recess commonly means limited space, so making sure that all students and staff are staying safe should be a top priority. If you\u2019re playing a fast-paced game in a classroom full of chairs and other obstacles, consider using speed-walking or hopping motions rather than running in a game to keep everyone safe.<\/span><\/li>\n
  5. Have fun! <\/b><\/span>Recess is such an important time of the day, full of creativity, free play, and games, and all of those things can still take place inside. Encourage students to try something new, and jump into a game yourself to experience the power of play!<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Space limitations are always a concern when we talk about indoor recess. Here are a few key places where indoor recess takes place and some awesome games to play in those spaces.<\/strong><\/h2>\n

    Auditorium<\/strong>:<\/strong> While this is an unusual space, we can get creative with using aisles, space in the front and back of the room, and of course, the stage!\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n