A poll about recess time

[blondeviolin]

I was speaking with my neighbor who told me our local kids don't get much recess: 20 minutes after they eat lunch. And they are not allowed to talk in the lunch room. Nor are they allowed to leave lunch early for more playtime. I was astonished and am wondering if it's this way elsewhere...

[Soapy]

My kids (1st graders) in ps last year had a 15 minute morning recess and 20 minutes after lunch.

[eternalsummer]

That's more or less how it was at DC's public school until we pulled them out.  Furthermore, lunch was silent - they couldn't talk at all, just eat.  The punishment for talking at lunch was that at recess, instead of playing, you had to walk in circles by yourself around the playground (even for Kers).  You think I'm kidding, but no.

 

They said the silent lunch was so kids could focus on eating, because otherwise they didn't eat enough.  I saw the line of kids waiting to be picked up after school by parents.  Trust me, most of these kids are having *no trouble* eating enough.

[Joker]

When my dds were in ps seven years ago they had at least 30 minutes a day for outside recess and it usually went to 45 minutes for dd in kindergarten. They also had PE, music, or art for 30 minutes after lunch (and they were allowed to talk but quietly).

 

My sister teaches Kindergarten and says her students get at least 30 minutes outside on days they can go out (there are times they are not allowed if it is too hot or too cold). On those days they have indoor recess in the room and play with the games and toys she has in there. They also alternate PE and one other elective (it varies) every day for 30 minutes.

 

My dds are now back in ps but in middle and high school so there is no recess. They are allowed to talk at lunch (no yelling but it gets really loud in there) and oldest in high school can roam around school grounds with her friends and do whatever for that 30 minutes. They have a nice courtyard with gardens and a fountain where they like to hangout.

[NorthwestMom]

DD 10 is in fourth grade. They get 10 in the morning, 30 after lunch, and 10 in the afternoon.

[HSmomof2]

Dd(9) is in fourth grade. They get 30 minutes after lunch and 15 in the afternoon.

[Kathryn]

I answered the last option, but did recently ask about this and found out that the local elementary schools have 15 minutes after lunch for recess. Also they have a 30 minute block each day that alternates for one day a week for each of Spanish, computers, art, music, and PE.

[eternalsummer]

When I student taught in NZ (high school), the kids had an hour for lunch, which had to be eaten outside in almost all weather (weather is almost always excellent in NZ, so this was not a problem the way it might be here).  After eating they ran around outside playing rugby or basketball or chatting or whatever.  It seemed so civilized compared to the way things are done here.  They also got 20 minutes at like 10:30 in the morning for "tea" - they sat around in class and chatted and ate cookies/buttered rolls/etc.

[LucyStoner]

For my nephew it totals about an hour, inclusive of lunch. That's one shorter morning recess and one longer block of time for lunch and play.

[MomtoCandJ]

Dd1 is in private school so I did the doesn't apply to us :D. Any who she has a 10 minute morning recess, 30 minutes after lunch and another 10 or so in the afternoon (there's only about 2 hours from end of lunch recess and end of school)

[Erica in OR]

DS goes to our church's classical school. They do a "walk/jog" time every morning where everyone walks/jogs/runs a mile. They have about 15 minutes in the schedule for that. Lunch goes 12 to 12:45 and roughly 20–25 minutes of that ends up as recess. 15 minutes in the afternoon.

 

Erica in OR

[Arcadia]

Older boy went to public school.  My district's K-5 schedule is 15mins of recess including restroom/eating and 20mins of lunch which again includes restroom and eating.  My older boy spent his entire lunch eating so he didn't have time to play.  School day was 8:15am to 2:15pm.

[Barb_]

I went to two different catholic schools in Florida from 1975-1983. We never had recess. We had PE every year, but never any time for unstructured play. I don't know why and I never knew it was unusual.

[DawnM]

Pretty sure they get a 20 min. am and 20 min after lunch recess.

[itsheresomewhere]

20 minutes after 20 minute lunch.  

[Excelsior! Academy]

They dropped it for 1/2 day Kindy when my dds were in ps. I *think* it has been dropped altogether, but I'd have to verify to know if that is accurate.

[SKL]

Our school was good about this in grades 1-2, but in grade 3, it has been cut a lot.  I was wondering what others think of this as well.  I mean, I'm sure it's developmentally appropriate for kids to have less recess as they get older, but how much less, I'm not sure.

 

My kids' schedule shows one 20-minute recess some days, two 20-minute recesses other days, and gym twice a week.  However, the teacher seems to consider both gym and recess to be optional.  If the kids take too long on whatever is before recess / gym, including getting their shoes on or whatever, they just skip recess/gym and get back to work.  Also, kids like my Miss A who have a backlog of make-up work (which they are not allowed to bring home) are required to miss recess to get it done.  Miss A had no recess for about a month because she missed 4 days of school and isn't a quick worker.  (And now it's too cold for them to have recess... :/ )  The amount of time they get for free reading is also a lot less than prior years.

 

I don't think it's enough recess / free reading time, but I sympathize with the amount of work the teachers are expected to squeeze into each day.  We try to compensate by doing some exercise every evening.

[Nart]

My second grader gets 20 minutes of recess in the morning, 55 minutes of lunch -he brings a lunch, takes a few bites, and runs to play after 5 minutes or so, which leaves at least 45 minutes to play, then he gets 15 minute afternoon recess.

So 80 minutes a day.

By California law he is supposed to get 200 minutes of PE every two weeks, which averages out to 20 minutes a day. I don't think that always happens but when it does he gets 100 minutes a day outside.

[Starr]

Mine were in Catholic school early on. I used to say I paid tuition so they would get decent recess time.

[Tsuga]

1 hour including 20 minutes for lunch (about).

 

The teachers are discouraged from keeping kids in. DD2's teacher, when I asked if she could keep DD2 in to finish her homework that she forgot to bring home, said no, they need to go outside.

 

This does not include snack time for K-2.

[Rosie_0801]

That's how it is here in AU - except I think lunch is around 40 minutes, and recess is 15 or 20. Outside for both - the kids eat and then go play.

 

Grades 7 - 12 also get recess and lunch breaks of the same duration.

 

We got an afternoon recess too, even in high school.

[Laura Corin]

I think (UK) it's normally fifteen minutes mid-morning and half an hour before or after lunch.

 

 

[Carrie12345]

This doesn't apply to us, but our weekly all-day co-op has about 30 minutes of recess after about 30 minutes of lunch!

[Alittledeal]

My primary school in England had ten minutes in the morning, 45 minutes at lunch (including eating time) and an extra ten minutes in the afternoon aged 4 - 7.

 

In secondary school, starting age 10/11, we got 15 minutes in the morning and 50 minutes at lunch.

[Closeacademy]

I think it should still be what we had when I was growing up.  15 min in the morning, 30 min plus time to eat lunch, and 15 min in the afternoon.  Play is a very important part of learning.

[Pamela H in Texas]

It is 15-20 minutes after eating here also.  One of the things I've worked out for our behavioral education kids is outside time proactively as well as "in a moment."  Too bad every kid can't have an IEP like that :)  

I would love us to do like some countries and send our kids out for 15-30 minutes per hour or so....

[Library Momma]

Here in early elementary you get 10-15 minutes in the morning, 1/2 hour either before or after lunch (depending on your class' schedule) and 10-15 minutes in the afternoon.  Sometimes then get a third 10 minute period depending on the day and the teacher.  Kindergarten is only half day.

 

Upper elementary (3-5 grade)  gets 10 minutes in the morning then there is a 45 minute block for lunch and recess.  After the first 15 minutes students can decide if they want to stay in the lunchroom and eat and chat or go out for their recess.  after half an hour they have no choice and must go to recess for the last 15 minutes.  There is then usually a 10 minute recess in the afternoon.  Many teachers will use that afternoon recess for a class "hike" rather than free play.

 

Lunchrooms are definitely not silent, especially in the early elementary where they have dancing at least once a week (Cotton Eyed Joe, Chicken Dance etc).  It can get a little loud.

 

Kids with IEPs can have additional pull-outs during the day where they go and jump rope or other OT related activities.

[Library Momma]

I answered the last option, but did recently ask about this and found out that the local elementary schools have 15 minutes after lunch for recess. Also they have a 30 minute block each day that alternates for one day a week for each of Spanish, computers, art, music, and PE.

 

 

Schools here have that as well - it's a 40 minute period but it is considered their "specials," it's not really recess.  

[EKS]

Our district gives two 15 minute recesses and a 25 minute lunch.  It's all staggered so that each grade has its own time--wouldn't want students to ever see anyone outside of their own age group.

[Χά�ων]

I was looking at a private school last year for my son. It was k-12 and had no recess. Instead they offered daily PE that was 45 minutes at the end of the day.

 

My son stayed homeschooling.

[MedicMom]

dS4 had twenty minutes a day of actual recess in public school. Lunch was another twenty minutes, but since it didn't involve movement I didn't count it as unstructured playtime.

 

He had gym 2x a week.

 

Other than that, no unstructured playtime during school hours which were 8 am-2:45 pm.

 

And they couldn't figure out why a four year old was having such a hard time sitting still all day.

[Zinnia]

My kindergartener is in public school.  They get 3 outdoor recesses per day, supposed to be 15 minutes each, but the teacher pushes it a little longer.  They also have a 25 minute "free play" block during the day, and they have a 20 minute rest/quiet/nap time during the day.  This is a public charter, primary years IB themed, but the recess/free time is not school wide.  This teacher is just a gem.

[AimeeM]

When DD was in Catholic school, and when she was in public school, yes this was common. Kindergartners, I think, got the most at 30-40 minutes, while the other elementary grades received 20 minutes or so... assuming EVERYONE had behaved (we had an issue with the fourth grade teacher, who was fond of taking away recess - instead making the children run the track even in 90 degree weather - for the entire class if one child misbehaved).

After grade 5 in our city, there is no recess (so no recess for middle school or high school).

 

The private school last year that DD went to was exceptional in this regard, despite our other problems with the school in general. Everyone (even the middle/upper school students) got a generous recess, a generous lunch period, a snack period, and try incorporated physical (outdoors when weather permitted) activity into the regular lessons (like building water areas, and structures for history, or painting outside during art, or teaching the younger children old fashioned games during their literature unit - outside and active), and of course their PE/sports period was almost always outside if it was decent out. I would say that all of the children at this particular school (K-8) averaged 1-2 hours daily of active play... at least; when weather was nice, it was upwards of 3 hours. All of the kids were 2E, all had learning disabilities, and almost all were also dx'd ADHD, so they made sure the kids had an outlet.

 

 

[Seasider]

That's about it. When my youngest's teachers decided recess would be a good time to pull her aside for enrichment that the regular curriculum did not provide, she was NOT happy. (This in a private, not public, school.)

[Kathryn]

Schools here have that as well - it's a 40 minute period but it is considered their "specials," it's not really recess.

I mentioned it only to point out that they aren't getting physical education daily or for long either (30 minutes once a week), so it's not like they're getting energy out there also.

[mom2scouts]

When my son was in PS first grade, he had one 20 minute recess after a 20 minute lunch. He worked slowly and his teacher would make him miss recess to catch up on his work.  If the students were too noisy at lunch, they would have a silent lunch. Now all the schools have gone to a six day schedule for "specials" like art, P.E., and music so they may not even have P.E. every week in some schools. This schedule is very common in my area.

[gerka528]

My DD who attends K gets 20 minutes after lunch for recess, nothing else during the day. Since school starts so early here, they get out at 1:55 and we stay and play for 1-1.5 hrs after school to make sure she is getting plenty of outside time every day.

[kiwik]

NZ. Morning tea 10.30 to 10.50 lunch break 12.30 to 1.30 (must sit outside and eat for 20 mins before play). Start school at 9 and finish at 3. There are variations but this is fairly standard all the way through school although high school has a slightly longer day and some big high schools may stagger lunch. PE is scheduled - at the moment they swim mosf days plus in the younger levels especially the teacher will take them out for quick games to break up the day.

 

And why has the format changed suddenly. What have I done.

[Mom22ns]

When my kids were in ps, they got a morning and an afternoon recess, each 15 min. I can't remember if they got a short after lunch recess or not. There may have been an additional 10 min after lunch, but I don't think so. I voted 16-30 min.

 

The did have 45 min of PE once/week in addition. Talking was allowed in the lunchroom. 

[Joyofsixreboot]

Until 3rd 15-20 min at lunch and 10-15 afternoon. Over 3rd just gets lunch.

[AmandaVT]

I should have checked the last option, but I do know our local elementary school's schedule. The kids get 30 min of recess once a day. 

[kentuckymom]

My public schooled son gets 20 minutes a day. The time varies by grade. Some go out before lunch and some after lunch. Of course, that 20 minutes includes walking to and from the playground when they go outside, so the outside time is actually shorter. It seems they spend at least 1/3 of the year doing indoor recess, however. If it's below 32 they have to stay inside. If it's raining they have to stay inside. If it might start raining they have to stay inside. If a little birdie told the teacher that there might be a drop of water on the playground they have to stay inside. Okay, the last one is an exaggeration, but the number of days they stay inside is pretty ridiculous. I like a lot of things about my son's school. The recess policy is not one of them.

 

On the bright side, they get to talk at lunch, so I guess it could be worse based on some posts upthread.

[sassenach]

I just looked up our local school. 15 mid morning, 25-30 at lunch (with an additional 15-20 to eat), 15 in the afternoon. Total is an hour and 15 including lunch. More than I thought!

[MrsBasil]

According to friends, the school DS is zoned for allows for a 15-20 minute recess after lunch. The district just allowed for a 10 minute "brain break" period in the afternoon at the teacher's discretion and, if I understood correctly, free play is discouraged.