The School Code (HB 1505) recently passed by the Pennsylvania General Assembly and signed into law by Governor Josh Shapiro on July 12 included a 2026 Recess Mandate, making Pennsylvania one of 12 states that mandate recess at varying lengths during the school day for kindergarten through fifth grade.
“The passage of a Recess Mandate for Pennsylvania is an exciting step forward towards ensuring that early childhood education in Pennsylvania is rooted in developmentally appropriate practice,” said Valerie Williams, Trying Together’s kindergarten transition program director. “Play is the primary modality through which children learn and recess is critical for children to have unstructured active play time, which supports their mental and physical health. When children have daily active recess, they are healthier, they internalize all learning concepts more deeply, and we even see classroom behavioral challenges improve.”
The Importance of Recess
Defining recess explicitly as unstructured play, physical activity, and social interaction supports developmentally appropriate practice in early childhood education. Recess should be a device-free period that includes play and social interaction.
Policymakers also rightfully ensured that the bill addressed preserving lunch time – and not requiring children to choose between rushed nourishment or play – and that it included a minimum time mandate of 15 minutes for half-day kindergarten programs as well as the minimum 30-minute recess mandate for full-day programs.
While this progress should be celebrated, the current school code still allows for the removal of recess for disciplinary reasons. Trying Together calls on districts to choose other options for discipline.
“Removing a child’s access to play not only conflicts with the United Nations’ ‘Rights of the Child,’ but will also not improve behaviors,” Williams said. “On the contrary, regular access to recess and playful learning all across the early childhood day has been shown to improve behavioral outcomes. I hope this important policy update spurs many positive conversations and system-level changes across the state in service of young children’s joy in learning.”
The World Health Organization recommends one hour of moderate-to-vigorous activity for children, ages 3 to 6, during the day. It also recommends three hours of active learning for children ages 3 to 5. Additionally, the American Academy of Pediatrics revised and published its policy statement, The Crucial Rule of Recess in School, in May 2026 that reaffirms that recess is a necessary break in the day with benefits for social, emotional, physical, and cognitive development. AAP also recommends that recess not be withheld for academic or punitive reasons.
Regular access to aerobic exercise, team-based activities, and physical activity through movement-based activities across curriculum has been shown to increase children’s executive functioning, which is the cognitive process responsible for organizing and controlling goal-directed behavior.
The Benefits of Play
Research demonstrates the cognitive, social, emotional, and physical benefits from play and physical activity:
- Cognitive/Academic Benefits: Several studies show that recess increases children’s attention spans and productivity in the classroom. Physically active students tend to have better attendance, classroom behaviors, cognitive performance, and grades.
- Social and Emotional Benefits: Recess promotes social and emotional skills that become fundamental lifelong tools and serves as a developmentally appropriate way to reduce stress. Through recess children learn to develop self-discipline, plan strategies, respect rules, and solve problems.
- Physical Benefits: Dedicated time for recess during the school day helps children achieve some of the recommended sixty minutes of moderate to vigorous activity per day.
More Resources
Trying Together continues to advocate for play integrated throughout the school day and for people of all ages. Take a look at our Playful Resource Series for more information about play. The second part of the series – which will focus on play equity and advocating for play – will be coming soon.
For more information on recess advocacy and other resources, check out Trying Together’s Recess Advocacy Toolkit.
We look forward to collaborating with school districts as they implement the recess policy and consider how playful, hands-on learning can be integrated throughout the school day.
