Why Recess Matters: The Importance of Unstructured Play and How to Fight for It

Recess is more than just playtime. It is a crucial part of schooling, necessary for nurturing holistic well-being and supporting schools’ mission to provide a well-rounded education. This unstructured break fosters imagination and builds collaboration, ingenuity, resilience and critical thinking―skills at the core of emotional regulation. These are the potential benefits of recess.

To realize this potential, all students must experience a high-quality, safe, playful break. In Why Recess Matters, children’s health expert Dr. Catherine Ramstetter presents deeply researched data, relatable real-world stories, and simple action steps parents can take to support their child and their schools in designing and delivering the full potential of recess. 

Produced in collaboration with dozens of recess researchers and advocates, Why Recess Matters gives parents and educators the tools to improve how recess is designed, delivered, and experienced, to “do recess better.”

Catherine Ramstetter, PhD, is the coauthor of the American Academy of Pediatrics Policy Statement on Recess and a school health consultant with Successful Healthy Children, assisting schools with wellness initiatives and recess implementation. Cathy is a founding member of the Global Recess Alliance, a group of scholars, researchers, and educators from North America, the United Kingdom, and Australasia that guides schools to rethink policies and practices for recess. She has been recognized as a fellow of the American School Health Association and with the International Play Association USA’s Doctor of Play in honor of her work advocating for children’s right to play. Cathy’s research has been published in the Journal of School Health and Pediatrics, and she has presented her research at local, state, national, and international conferences and delivered workshops and trainings for schools. She has been interviewed by news outlets including USA Today, Time magazine, and ABC News.