Spencer Taylor described his high school experience as a dark period filled with detention, suspensions, and classmates behaving erratically due to being overmedicated. They caused disruptions as they were unable to sit quietly in the classroom all day.
“We might have had five minutes to go outside and soak up some sun,” recalled the Michigan native. “We just needed to run around and release all that built-up energy… I barely made it through to graduation.”
Fifteen years later, Taylor released the documentary “The Death of Recess” in 2026, exploring issues affecting millions of American students.
He studied laws and policies across the nation and visited schools in various states in the U.S. and Europe. He even sneaked into the national teachers’ union annual conference to understand why conflicting interests continuously blurred the discussion focus on recess time.
In a panel discussion hosted by The Heritage Foundation in Washington D.C. in June, Taylor said, “No single voice can represent parents and students. Everyone is trying to control those precious few minutes of children’s recess, because they believe – they all believe – it’s a social engineering.”
The documentary, released earlier this year, comes amidst a wave across the U.S. to restore or increase recess time in public schools, with a study showing that schools with more free playtime during recess have students who perform better academically and have better mental health.
Currently, 13 states have enacted laws requiring recess time at the elementary level, while 12 states have legislated minimum weekly “physical activity” time, including recess and physical education.
In May, the American Academy of Pediatrics updated its guidelines on school recess, advocating for multiple 20-minute breaks each day. A new parent organization called “Say Yes to Recess” is lobbying policymakers and elected officials nationwide.
“This issue has sparked a huge wave of discussion,” Debra Lawrence, chair of the International Play Association (IPA) U.S. branch, told Epoch Times. “Parents are talking about it.” As the 2026-2027 school year begins, schools nationwide are increasing physical activity time.
Johns Hopkins University in Maryland released a policy guide in December 2025 to promote legislation for school recess.
The policy guide’s model bill requires kindergarten to eighth-grade students to have at least 20 minutes of recess time each day and prohibits schools from using the deprivation of recess as a disciplinary measure. It also outlines how districts and states should supervise the implementation of this provision.
The policy report notes that the Department of Health and Human Services recommends 60 minutes of physical activity per day for children aged 6 to 17, whether at school, at home, or elsewhere. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention suggests that elementary students have 20 minutes of recess supplemented with regular physical education.
Lawrence argues for a clear national standard for recess, preferably outdoor free play covering all grades from kindergarten to twelfth. She adds that when factoring in time for students to put on coats, boots, line up, and exit buildings, 20 minutes of recess time for elementary students isn’t much.
Her organization proposes scheduling up to 15 minutes of outdoor activity for every 45 minutes of instructional time, a practice long followed in Finland.
The brain needs breaks to absorb information; short-term memory requires rest periods, while the formation of long-term memory demands adequate sleep.
“Their little brains need a break,” she said.
South Carolina is the latest state to mandate recess time. The governor signed a law in June requiring students from kindergarten to eighth grade to have 20 minutes of free outdoor recess time in addition to 90 minutes of physical education each week.
Illinois, Kentucky, Texas, Tennessee, Vermont, and Virginia passed laws related to school recess last year. California, Connecticut, and Washington passed similar laws in 2024.
Earlier this year, Kansas Governor Laura Kelly vetoed a bill requiring elementary students to have 30 minutes of recess each day. Similar bills failed to pass in Oregon and Utah but succeeded in Oklahoma.
New York lawmakers are still considering a bill that would mandate 30 minutes of recess for students from kindergarten to sixth grade each day. The bill also prohibits school leaders from depriving students of recess time for disciplinary reasons.
Ohio legislators Tom Young and Melanie Miller proposed a bill urging for 30 minutes of recess in the morning and afternoon for eighth grade and below. Governor Mike DeWine supports this bill.
Talking about the proposal in the State of the State address on March 10, he said, “Developing healthy habits can help every Ohioan reach their God-given potential.”
The “Say Yes to Recess” organization was founded by three mothers in early 2025. Prior to this, a local initiative in Tennessee to increase children’s outdoor playtime only managed to add 10 minutes of outdoor activity.
After successfully promoting mandatory 60-minute free playtime in Tennessee, the organization launched a national movement. Currently, it has established chapters in 18 states. Its website shows plans to expand to Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Utah in the coming months.
One of the founders, Kathryn Truman, stated, “Say Yes to Recess” succeeded in Tennessee because it found practical solutions that neither extended class time nor shortened recess time, while still meeting state curriculum requirements.
Truman explained to Epoch Times, “Some instructional time requirements are recommendations, not mandatory state regulations. This distinction provides schools the opportunity to prioritize recess time without extending class hours.”
Six years ago, the Global Recess Alliance, an international organization, was founded.
Lawrence’s team collaborates with “Say Yes to Recess,” the Global Recess Alliance, and similar state and national-level organizations. Since 2020, she has hosted 300 episodes of “Porch Play Chat” on her YouTube channel, discussing this topic with parents, researchers, and medical professionals.
Policymakers and legislators continue to push for state governments to protect recess time, but this does not mean school districts cannot take action on their own.
For instance, the Lockhart district in Texas recently increased recess time for fifth graders from the state-required 30 minutes to 45 minutes and arranged free playtime for middle school students before and during lunch.
States and districts nationwide are considering research on children’s sleep patterns, suggesting that schools should delay morning start times.
Certified clinical sleep educator Terry Cralle stated that if unable to start classes by 9:30 a.m., school leaders should at least allow students to engage in outdoor activities during the day, preferably in the sunshine, to reset their circadian rhythms.
“If we can bath ourselves in the morning light, we are more likely to sleep at the appropriate time in the evening,” she said at The Heritage Foundation panel discussion. “Children who sleep well at night are more interested in learning, have better memory, problem-solving skills, and overall behavior.”
While no one questions the importance of recess and physical activity in education, people are concerned about the reduction of teaching time and the logistical challenges it brings. Another expert at the meeting, Lawrence, suggested one way to increase recess time without changing the existing instructional hours is to eliminate standardized testing.
She stated that since most state assessments occur in April, elementary and middle school teachers often spend much of March conducting “drilling and killing” exercises.
“We think this should be talked about – not cutting back on arts and music programs, as these programs also help alleviate stress and anxiety,” she said.
“We need to reconsider how we schedule our days.”