Reports

January 2, 2014

Impact of Recess Interventions on Children’s Physical Activity- A Meta Analysis ›

Recess interventions can improve youth physical activity levels, even when controlling for other variables. According to this meta analysis, playtime/recess can contribute between 5% and 40% of children recommended physical…

May 2, 2013

Impact and Implementation Findings from an Experimental Evaluation of Playworks: Effects on School Climate, Academic Learning, Student Social Skills and Behavior ›

Summary A randomized control trial by Mathematica Policy Research and Stanford University found that compared to control schools, Students are more physically active at Playworks schools: There was a 43%…

May 1, 2013

Findings from an Experimental Evaluation of Playworks: Effects on Play, Physical Activity and Recess ›

Accelerometer data showed that Playworks had a positive impact on students’ physical activity during recess. Students in treatment schools engaged in physical activity during recess that was, on average, more…

January 1, 2013

The Crucial Role of Recess in School ›

Recess is at the heart of a vigorous debate over the role of schools in promoting the optimal development of the whole child. A growing trend toward reallocating time in…

November 1, 2012

Psychological Predictors of Children’s Recess Physical Activity Motivation and Behavior ›

This study explored the relationship between children’s basic psychological needs, satisfaction at recess, level of recess physical activity motivation (RPAM), and recess physical activity (RPA). Findings provide important insight into…

April 1, 2012

The Impact of State Laws and District Policies on Physical Education and Recess Practices in a Nationally-Representative Sample of US Public Elementary Schools ›

Odds of schools meeting recommendations for PE and recess increased if they were in states or school districts having a law or a policy requiring/encouraging it. State policies are more…

kids running through high five line
kids running through high five line

August 1, 2011

Physical Activity and Positive Youth Development: Impact of a School-Based Program ›

After one year of exposure to Playworks, students showed statistically significant increases in the following four protective factors as compared to students with no exposure to Playworks: (1) Physical Activity,…

July 1, 2010

The Association Between School-Based Physical Activity, Including Physical Education, and Academic Performance ›

Studies that looked at recess suggested mostly that recess has a positive relationship with children's attention, concentration or classroom behavior. A majority of studies also found a strong positive relationship…

February 1, 2009

School Recess and Group Classroom Behavior ›

Based on secondary analysis of the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, children with non or minimal exposure to recess were more likely to be black, low income, live in large cities,…