Screen-Free Indoor Recess Activities

Question: Do you have recommendations for screen-free recess (indoor) activities?

Answer: Thank you for this important question! We reached out to our Center’s Technical Expert Panel member at the National Education Association (NEA) for their advice on this topic. NEA shared: 

Physical activity, provided through recess, is an essential part of every school day. Just like adults, students need brain and body breaks every 20 to 30 minutes. Students’ schedules are packed with lessons in Science, Math, English, History, etc., and their bodies begin to squirm and their minds begin to wander without sufficient opportunities to move.  

Recess provides students with opportunities to build interpersonal and problem-solving skills, encourages a healthy lifestyle and promotes physical, mental, and emotional wellness. Research has shown that organized recess periods reduce student conflict, exclusion, and bullying and cultivate a positive school climate. 

When educators need to transition from outdoor to indoor recess, Playworks has developed a transition plan with multiple activities for different school spaces.  CATCH Health Education Program and We Are Teachers  also have a variety of screen-free activities that educators can use for indoor recess to give students the opportunity to play so they can return to the classroom ready to learn.  

Age: 5-12 

Topics: Recess 

Role: Educator