Refreshing Recess

Spend some time reading about recess best practices. Invite one or more colleagues to join you so that you can generate shared interest and a commitment to running this program. Key players include occupational therapists, health educators, speech therapists, school counselors, teachers, para-educators and school nurses.

Important information about best practices during recess is synthesized in the Refreshing Recess Annotated Bibliography. Based on a comprehensive literature review of recess best practices, this annotated bibliography provides a summary of descriptive articles, research studies, and website resources. Key 'take aways' include:

1) Have enough adult supervisors: Schools should aim for a 1 to 50 ratio of adults to students (e.g. a minimum of 2 supervisors for 100 students). We have found, however, that adult presence during recess makes a big difference in student behavior. Schools need to be creative in increasing the number of supervisors present.
2) Provide education and support for recess supervisors: Include OTs or other school personnel who have a vested interest in creating a positive recess environment when interviewing potential recess supervisors. Right from the start, convey how important it is for supervisors to be positive and take an interest in students. Provide an orientation to supervisors on what 'active supervision' entails, such as 'working the crowd' (walking around and saying 'hi' to groups of students; making a point to learn one new name each day). Make sure rules and routines are established for behavior during recess are communicated routinely and reinforced.

Other suggested reading:

Refreshing Recess website material. Read the information in the About the Program section to learn the basics about the  program. Pay special attention to the Vision Statement & Guiding Principles as these provide an important foundation for the entire program.

Refreshing Recess Information Brief provides a 2-page overview of the program. Share this document with colleagues who might be interested in helping you implement the program. For example, in one of our demonstration sites, the occupational therapist and physical therapist worked together to provide the program.

Refreshing Recess FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions). This document provides user-friendly information related to implementing the Comfortable Cafeteria program

Helpful websites:
Playworks - For over 20 years Playworks has been helping schools provide positive recess experiences. Check out their website for information for supervisors, play activities, inclusion strategies, and a game library. 

Peaceful Playgrounds -The mission of the Peaceful Playgrounds Foundation is to create safe play environments, promote healthy active kids, and advocate for free play and recess. Visit their website to obtain resources on enhancing the play environment. Emphasis is on conflict resolution, rules, equipment, expectations, and designs. 

Observe recess for the grade level that you plan to implement the program with. Complete the Refreshing Recess Environmental Analysis form. This is a fillable form.

Before beginning the program, it is important to stop and observe the recess environment and students' recess experience in order to identify what's 'right' as well as what might need to be modified in order to make improvements. Every school and grade level within a school might have different challenges and needs.

Action step: This observation can be completed in a short amount of time (~20-30 min.) by a skilled occupational therapist or other school personnel who have the ability to tune into the physical, social-emotional, and sensory aspects of the environment – each of which can influence the recess experience in a positive or negative way. Let the recess supervisors know that you'll be doing an informal observation to obtain preliminary information about the quality of recess experience. Reassure them that this is not being done to evaluate their performance. Use this time to start building a positive relationship with the supervisors. Obtain their input about what they perceive are strengths and challenges during recess.

Refreshing Recess Environmental Analysis involves observing the physical (space, play equipment, toys), sensory (auditory, visual, movement) and social-emotional aspects of the recess experience. Determine what characteristics of the existing recess environment contribute to successful participation and enjoyment for all students. Identify challenges and/or limitations. Consider what may need to be modified or changed both in terms of procedures (i.e. transitioning in and out of recess, clean up of materials) as well as environmental modifications (availability and placement of toys & equipment). Think about aspects of the social environment that might need improvements (e.g. opportunities for all students to play and be included).

Summarize observations. Think about strategies for improvement.

As a part of gearing up to begin the Refreshing Recess program, it is important for the program facilitators (e.g.occupational therapist and/or other school staff) to meet with 'relevant stakeholders' and begin to develop a positive, trusting relationship with them.

Relevant stakeholders include any person who has a vested interest in or may be impacted by the recess program such as recess supervisors, teachers, health and physical education teachers, school nurse, and principal. All relevant stakeholders need to be informed about what the Refreshing Recess program is and when it will take place.

The most important stakeholders to collaborate with are the recess supervisors. It's important to find out who is assigned to 'recess duty' which varies from school to school. Although there may be variations in who actually serves in this capacity, recess supervisors are the adults responsible for overseeing recess and who help the students enter and leave the recess area, access play equipment, and behave in positive ways. They also are responsible for dealing with any injuries or conflicts. Recess supervisors may be paid personnel (usually part-time), parent volunteers, or teachers assigned to 'recess duty'.

Action step: The program facilitators need to make a point of introducing themselves to the recess supervisors during the observation session and share a copy of the Refreshing Recess Information Brief.

Emphasize that the purpose of the program is to help support them in their role as supervisors by providing information, weekly activities, and ongoing problem-solving and coaching. Recess supervisors play a critical role in helping students enjoy their school day. Reinforce their importance and commit to working with them in a collaborative manner.

Although the Refreshing Recess program is designed to be a universal whole school initiative, we suggest starting small to ensure initial success. The program facilitators (e.g. OT, PT, teacher) should meet to decide what grade level to begin with. It's best to begin any new program by working with stakeholders who show interest and enthusiasm in being involved. Our motto is, 'look for the open doors' and begin there since implementation involves collaboration with any staff member or volunteer assigned to recess duty. We have had success beginning with 2nd, 3rd, or 4th graders and expanding to the other grades.

Action steps:
Pick a grade level. In our demonstration projects, we began with 2nd or 3rd graders since students at these ages are generally adjusted to school and can follow directions. Since the program only takes 6 weeks, it can be replicated numerous times throughout the school year with different grade levels. Note: Some OT practitioners have implemented the program with a small group of students with disabilities or other students at-risk of challenges during recess. Check out the Refreshing Recess Expansion materials, developed by Lauren Zastrow, OTD, OTR/L at the bottom of this page!

Select a day of the week to implement the program. The program facilitators will be embedding their services into recess one day per week for 6 consecutive weeks. Choosing the specific day of the week should be a collaborative decision between the program facilitators and recess supervisors. In most instances, this will depend on the program facilitators' schedule. A benefit of holding the program mid-week is that it allows recess supervisors and teachers to introduce the weekly theme to students early in the week (e.g. verbally or with books or coloring sheets).

Time commitment. Based on our experience in implementing the program in multiple school districts, OTs report needing approximately 30 minutes of preparation time and 30 minutes for implementation each week. Many related service providers (OT, PT, school counselors) have indicated that their time implementing the program can count toward IEP minutes or as a part of a workload model. Like any new program, the first time it is implemented will take more effort. We have observed many creative ways that school professionals have collaborated to provide the program. Likely facilitators include: OTs, PT, PE teachers, health educators, special education teachers, general education teachers, and school nurses.

Following the 6th week, it is suggested that the program facilitators provide intermittent coaching and support by stopping in recess to offer ongoing problem solving and activity suggestions. Also, consider adding more weeks by implementing the Refreshing Recess Expansion program (Zastrow, 2020).

In order to implement the program, it is essential to obtain the school principal's permission and support. We have found principals to be very interested in this program because recess tends to be a time with higher incidents of behavioral problems and minor injuries leading to office referrals. Most schools, in our experience, do not have organized programs designed to prepare recess supervisors in how to provide active supervision and enjoyable play activities.

Action step:
Schedule an appointment to meet with the school principal to obtain permission and support. Before the meeting, give him/her a copy of the Refreshing Recess Information Brief to read so that she/he can become familiar with the program. Encourage the principal to read about the Refreshing Recess program on the Every Moment Counts' website and watch the video vignettes 'Here's what recess supervisors and OTs says about it'.

During the meeting:
1. Give a brief review of the Refreshing Recess program;
2. Summarize your observations of recess based on the recess Environmental Analysis. Discuss the strengths, needs, and your suggestions for improvement. Obtain the principal's perceptions about recess (i.e. challenges, concerns, creative ideas).
3. Share your plan of action for implementing the program (i.e. targeted grade level, day of the week, and date to begin).
4. Agree on when to begin the program and plan a date/time for the Orientation for recess supervisors (need ~ 1 hour). The principal will coordinate with the supervisors to arrange a time and location for the Orientation session. It is critical that the principal is 'on board' and communicates her/his commitment to the success of the Refreshing Recess program.

After the principal has given an official approval to implement the Refreshing Recess program, it is important to let the relevant stakeholders (recess supervisors, teachers, students and parents) know about the program and the start date. Ideally, it is good to get the word out about the program about 2-3 weeks ahead of time so that participants can become aware of what will take place and look forward to participating in the program.

Action steps:
1. Start talking about it ... to everyone who will be involved in the program. Be enthusiastic! Let teachers, recess supervisors, students and parents know when the program will begin;
2. Share information about the program. Give recess supervisors and teachers a copy of the Refreshing Recess Information Brief;
3. Encourage teachers to talk about the Refreshing Recess program to their students a couple times during the weeks leading up to the program in order to generate student interest and enthusiasm. Give the teacher a copy of the black and white coloring sheet for the Refreshing Recess program (for primary students K -4th grades). This will give students a chance to learn about the program. Recess is their time to socialize with friends, play, and be responsible and respectful.
4. Share the Refreshing Recess Marketing Flyer with the students to take home to their parents. Encourage students to tell their parents about the program.

We recommend meeting with the recess supervisors and orienting them the week before the 6-week program begins. This will provide the supervisors with foundation information about what will be taking place and how they will be involved.

Orientation Action Steps:
1) Schedule orientation session. Collaborate with the principal and  recess supervisors to schedule a 1 hour orientation session at a mutually agreed upon time. Since supervisors work during the middle of the school day, this session will most likely occur either before or after recess. Make sure to include all relevant stakeholders if possible, including teachers, PE teachers, and principal.
2) Orientation Session. The purpose is to share information about the vision, guiding principles, and weekly themes of the program using the Refreshing Recess Power Point presentation. (another option is to send the PPT to the supervisors to review ahead of the meeting). Try and keep the presentation to about 15-20 minutes to ensure there is time to lead a discussion with the supervisors about what their greatest challenges and needs are during recess. Briefly summarize your Recess Environmental Analysis findings. Begin to problem-solve solutions to challenges.
3) Review the behavioral expectations listed on the Refreshing Recess Poster and bookmark. In our experience implementing the program in multiple schools, issues related to misbehavior seem to be common concerns.

Suggestion: Give the recess supervisors a folder with a copy of the Power Point presentation, Refreshing Recess Information Brief, and bookmark. Encourage them to use the folder to hold all of the subsequent handouts that will be provided each week.

Program Facilitators need to be effective coaches. The goal is to help the recess supervisors be effective in and enjoy doing their jobs.

An effective coach:

• Develops a positive relationships with the supervisors based on trust
• Promotes two-way sharing of information
• Demonstrates positive unconditional regard for the recess supervisors – they are experts about themselves and their experiences
• Is a facilitator of the change process involving problem-solving, exploring options, trying things out, working together and maintaining a positive attitude. You are in this together!

Specific instructions for how to implement the 6-week program are provided in the section below entitled, 'Just do it!: The Six Week Lesson Plans & Materials'.

For each week, a Lesson Plan for what to do along with collateral materials are provided.

Following the 6-week program, obtain feedback from the recess supervisors, students, and principal about what went well and any lingering needs.

Action Steps:
1) Provide follow up coaching on an ongoing basis as needed. Visit recess routinely (e.g. every other week) to touch base with the supervisors and find out how things are going. Observe interactions and informally solicit student input. Provide activity suggestions and support as needed. Maintain relationships.
2) Be creative! Consider developing a 'Recess Committee' that will routinely meet to reflect on the recess experience, challenges, and needs. The goal is to collaborate with recess supervisors, teachers and students to do fun activities to sustain the Refreshing Recess program! Look for and introduce fun recess activities and games routinely. Collaborate to obtain new play materials and replace worn or unsafe equipment.
3) Foster sustainability. Encourage the principal to involve the OT or other program facilitators to help interview and orient new recess supervisors. The purpose is to ensure that positive practices and supervision are sustained.
4) Consider implementing the Refreshing Recess Expansion program¹. The expansion program adds 6 more weeks of lessons, materials, and activities to extend students' learning about mental health promotion.

1Zastrow, L. (2020). Refreshing Recess Expansion.

Now that the Refreshing Recess program has been implemented with one grade level, replicating the program with other grades will require less time and effort. Because this program is designed to be a whole school initiative, it's important to implement it with as many grade levels as possible. With each replication, the vision, guiding principles and weekly themes will become a natural part of the recess culture that will spread to all of the grades.

Action steps:

Repeat the program with another grade. The occupational therapist(s) and/or other program facilitators should meet to decide what grade level to implement the program in next and establish a timeline for when to start the program. Follow the '10 Steps to Success' to the extent needed. However, it is likely that the process can be streamlined the 2nd and 3rd times around!

Involve the PTA (Parent Teacher Association) and/or other community groups who have a vested interest in recess and play to general funds for new games/equipment. Having materials in good repair is essential, so items can be replaces when broken or worn.

Help interview and orient new recess supervisors on a yearly basis. Use the Refreshing Recess PPT to orient new supervisors. Give them a folder with sample materials.

Share success stories! Spread and share the joy! Make sure to highlight successes during morning announcements and in school newsletters or on the school website.