Recess as a Tool for Building Students’ Social Skills and Relationships
Recess is an essential part of a child’s school day. This time gives children a much-needed break from the rigors of the classroom, providing them the opportunity to unwind and engage in unstructured play. That said, there is greater benefit to recess than simply free time to run around. It’s a valuable time for children to build their social skills, a critical aspect of child development for promoting connection and relationship-building.
While simply providing a safe space allows kids to interact with their peers, recess can be optimized in a variety of ways to promote students’ social skills and relationships. Though children will naturally build skills as they play, educators and administrators can help them hone these kinds of interpersonal skills.
Inclusive Play Spaces
To optimize recess for building social skills, it is important for children of all abilities to be able to utilize the play space. Games encouraging teamwork and collaboration will help foster an environment of belonging. Promoting inclusive games and activities and ensuring equipment is widely adaptable sends a message that everyone is welcome and prompts broad participation. Designing an inclusive play space also helps children recognize peers with different abilities, allowing them to interact in meaningful ways.
Little Tikes Commercial is proud to partner with Unlimited Play® to provide certified play spaces that represent the standard of inclusive play, going above and beyond the ADA law, across North America.
Unlimited Play® Curriculums are available for all grades and offer schools many resources, activities, and lesson plans for instructors to help students of all abilities with social and emotional development. Each program uses play as a key component, as it provides educational benefits that other tools cannot replicate. These curriculums can be used during recess, Physical Education classes, or applied throughout local playgrounds. All lessons meet the 5 National Standards for Physical Education and the 8 National Standards for Health, as well as support the 11 Principles of Character Education.
A Model for Positive Behavior
Educators and recess supervisors serve as role models for students, encouraging them to exhibit positive behavior, offering guidance during conflicts, and actively engaging in games and activities. Their presence and involvement affirm the importance of fostering social skills while also building strong relationships outside of the classroom.
A study from Oregon State University found that adults are one of the most important entities on the playground. The more adults engage with and play with students at recess, the more kids play, the more physical activity there is and the less conflict there is. Schools that ranked highly on these measures saw associated positive outcomes in classroom behavior and socio-emotional markers.
Skill Building
Recess encourages a culture of community and belonging, stemming from interactions that bring about other valuable skills related to communication and socialization:
- Leadership
- Cooperation
- Compromise
- Sharing
- Conflict resolution
- Problem-solving
- Coping skills
- Negotiation
- Perseverance
Teaching Conflict Resolution
Recess offers an opportunity for students to learn how to navigate social conflicts both independently and with adult supervision. Learning how to sort out their own disagreements is an important life skill. When needed, supervisors can intervene to reach a positive resolution and model appropriate behavior. Introducing games and activities that incorporate conflict resolution is another way to foster these skills.
Little Tikes Commercial exists to empower kids to flourish by inspiring wonder and developing life skills through imaginative play. It is imperative that today’s students have access to recess as it is a critical part of building students’ social skills and fostering relationships that can last a lifetime. You can trust that our play equipment will be a source of joy and imagination for years to come.
To learn more about Little Tikes Commercial playgrounds and equipment, find a representative near you. And remember, ESSER (Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief) funding can be used to enhance student wellness and learning environments, including the purchase of playground equipment.