Let the kids play: the impact of chaos on academic success

Abstract

Recess, defined as unstructured play, is a necessary break for children to reboot their brains, regulate their emotions, socialize with their peers, and enhance their motor skills. Over the past 40 years, this unstructured, outdoor break has been all but removed in the school day and replaced with longer school days focused on classroom content. The aim of this article is to present a stark contrast between the United States educational practices and those of another country, Finland, on how to be academically successful. This journey will highlight a successful elementary school intervention, the LiiNK Project, which implements four 15-minute unstructured, outdoor recesses and a character lesson daily as part of the school year schedule. Next, challenges to implement such strategies will be discussed, including the problems with standardized testing. Curriculum shifts from the past to the present, the lack of focus on developmental needs of the child, and the benefits of recess and character skills will be addressed. Finally, research-based school strategies needed for whole child learning will be outlined. If we as a nation are going to develop healthier, more resilient children who become a sustainable adult population, the strategies outlined in this article are a good place to start.