Thirteen State Require Daily Recess
ARIZONA 2018
The law requires schools to provide at least two recess periods during the school day for students in kindergarten through fifth grade, with half-day kindergarten programs needing only one recess. Physical education classes can count as one recess period. Schools don’t need to extend the school day to meet this requirement, and it doesn’t apply to middle schools, high schools, online instruction, or schools where fifth grade is the lowest grade offered. Recess is defined as a time for students to engage in physical activity or socialize.
ARKANSAS 2019
Act 641 of 2019 mandates 40 minutes of daily recess for elementary students, designates recess as part of the instructional day, and clarifies that supervising recess is not a non-instructional duty. Not every teacher must supervise recess, leaving student-staff ratios to the school district. Schools can mark recess under course code 999020. Principals may adjust recess time for special circumstances. Elementary schools with grades 5 and 6 must follow the law if using an elementary model, but middle schools are exempt. Physical education requirements are separate and still apply to all grades.
CALIFORNIA 2023
Current law encourages school districts to offer daily recess for elementary students and allows district boards to set rules permitting teachers to limit recess for disciplinary reasons. This bill removes that authority, mandating that, beginning in the 2024–25 school year, public and charter schools provide at least 30 minutes of recess on regular days and at least 15 minutes on early release days. Staff may restrict a student’s recess only if there is an immediate threat to their or others’ physical safety.
CONNECTICUT 2012
Each school board must ensure that all full-day students receive a minimum 20-minute lunch and at least 20 minutes of physical exercise daily, with exceptions allowed for students with special needs. Boards can also allow extra time for undirected play beyond the 20-minute exercise requirement. Starting in the 2022 school year, boards must adopt policies outlining when school staff may restrict a student’s exercise time for disciplinary reasons. These policies must allow restrictions only when a student poses a health or safety threat, limit restrictions to one time per week (unless safety is a concern), and cannot restrict exercise time due to incomplete work or academic performance.
FLORIDA 2017
This bill requires all district school boards in Florida to provide kindergarten through fifth-grade students with at least 100 minutes of supervised, unstructured free-play recess each week, including a minimum of 20 consecutive minutes of free-play recess each day. The act is set to take effect on July 1, 2017.
GEORGIA 2023
This Georgia law mandates that starting in the 2022-2023 school year, elementary schools must provide daily recess for students in kindergarten through fifth grade, with exceptions for days when physical education or structured activities are scheduled, or due to certain circumstances like bad weather or emergencies. Local school boards must establish policies by January 1, 2005, that govern unstructured break time, including details on the timing, frequency, and supervision of breaks, as well as guidelines for withholding breaks as a disciplinary measure.
LOUISIANA 2023
Louisiana’s 2023 law requires all public schools with kindergarten through fifth grade to provide at least 15 minutes of daily recess, consisting of supervised, unstructured free play. This recess time is mandated for every school day and applies specifically to schools with any of these elementary grades.
ILLINOIS 2021
Illinois law mandates that all public schools provide daily, supervised, unstructured playtime for students in kindergarten through fifth grade, with at least 30 minutes on school days of five hours or more, and a prorated amount for shorter days. This playtime must be child-directed, cannot include digital devices, and ideally takes place outdoors or in a space that encourages physical activity if indoors. It is separate from physical education requirements, and cannot be withheld for disciplinary reasons unless there is an immediate safety threat. Playtime policies must also accommodate students’ individualized education programs (IEPs) or Section 504 plans. This law took effect on July 1, 2021.
MISSOURI 2009
SB291 (2009) mandates that elementary schools provide 150 minutes of moderate physical activity each week. Signed into law on July 31, 2009, this bill also requires a daily recess period of at least 20 minutes, which can be included as part of the lunch period.
NEW JERSEY 2018
This bill mandates that public schools provide a daily recess period of at least 20 minutes for students in kindergarten through fifth grade, ideally held outdoors. Recess cannot be withheld except for serious conduct violations, such as those involving harassment or bullying, and no student may be denied recess more than twice a week. If recess is withheld, students must instead participate in restorative justice activities aimed at improving social and emotional skills. Exceptions to recess requirements are allowed for medical advice, 504 plans, or shortened school days. The bill does not allow recess to count towards physical education requirements and takes effect in the first full school year after becoming law.
RHODE ISLAND 2016
The existing law was amended to require that all public and state-managed elementary schools (grades K-6) provide at least 20 consecutive minutes of supervised, safe, and unstructured free play recess every day. This recess can count as instructional time if the school day needs to be extended to meet this requirement. Teachers are also expected to avoid withholding recess as punishment. “Free play” is defined as an unsupervised activity environment but overseen by school staff. This is in addition to other recess requirements already established in §16-22-4.
WASHINGTON 2023
The Washington State Legislature has passed a law ensuring that elementary school students receive sufficient daily recess for their mental, physical, and emotional well-being. Starting in the 2024-25 school year, public schools are required to provide at least 30 minutes of recess daily for students in kindergarten through grade six. Recess must be supervised, student-directed, and free from devices like phones or tablets. It should be safe, inclusive, and encourage physical activity, ideally held outdoors. Recess cannot be withheld as punishment or to force students to complete academic work. Schools are also encouraged to schedule recess before lunch to reduce food waste and maximize nutrition. Additionally, new policies will be created to guide schools in providing high-quality recess and alternatives to punitive measures.
VIRGINIA 2006
In Virginia, a 2006 state board rule mandated 20 minutes of daily recess for elementary students. Then, in 2018, new legislation expanded the amount of time schools could allocate for recess and downtime, allowing up to 50 minutes of the instructional day for these activities. The 2018 law also set a requirement that recess should make up at least 15% of the instructional time. Additionally, Virginia requires a minimum of 30 minutes of physical activity daily for students, with the amount of recess time left up to each school.