Teachers, health experts and parents push State House for guaranteed 30 minutes of recess for K-8 students

A broad group of educators, pediatricians and parent advocates told the Joint Committee on Education that Massachusetts should require at least 30 minutes of unstructured recess per day for students in kindergarten through eighth grade.

Max Page, president of the Massachusetts Teachers Association, and other witnesses cited research from the CDC and pediatric organizations linking regular recess to better physical and mental health, improved classroom behavior, and social-emotional development. "Recess is not a luxury, but it's essential to healthy social, emotional, physical, and cognitive development," educator Donna Grady said.

Nut graf: Supporters argued that a statutory minimum would prevent inequities where some districts already guarantee extended recess while others provide little or none; they noted that 13 other states have set minimum recess durations. Advocates also recommended coupling a recess requirement with policies limiting student screen time at school.

Witnesses described how recess supports conflict resolution, teamwork and creativity, and raised concerns that removing recess for disciplinary reasons can exacerbate behavioral problems. The Massachusetts Teachers Association said local pilots and district policies show student outcomes improve when free play is protected and not routinely taken away.

Ending: Committee members acknowledged bipartisan interest and agreed to continue consideration; the hearing included testimony both from education associations and from community members who said recess contributes to mental-health prevention strategies.