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Regular breaks throughout the school day鈥攆rom short brain breaks in the classroom to the longer break of recess鈥攁re not simply downtime for students. Such breaks increase their productivity and provide them with opportunities to develop creativity and social skills.

Students, particularly young ones, often struggle with staying focused for long periods of time. In , psychologist Karrie Godwin and a team of researchers measured how attentive elementary students were during class, and discovered that they spent over a quarter of the time distracted, unable to focus on the teacher or the current task. Shorter lessons, however, kept student attention high: Teachers found it more effective to give several 10-minute lessons instead of fewer 30-minute ones.

And there are more benefits to downtime than increased attention: It decreases stress, increases productivity, boosts brain function, and provides opportunities for children to learn social skills.

Reducing Stress, Increasing Productivity

Recent research shows that our brains aren鈥檛 idle when we take breaks鈥攖hey鈥檙e hard at work processing memories and helping us make sense of what we experience. In , Mary Helen Immordino-Yang and her colleagues at USC and MIT used an fMRI scanner to examine neural activity during the brain鈥檚 鈥渄efault mode鈥濃�攁 state of rest that鈥檚 usually associated with taking a break or letting our minds wander. In this state, the brain is still highly active, with a different set of regions lighting up than when we鈥檙e focused on the outside world.

Further experiments showed that this default mode is crucial for consolidating memories, reflecting on past experiences, and planning for the future鈥攊n other words, it helps shape how we make sense of our lives. Breaks keep our brains healthy and play a key role in cognitive abilities such as reading comprehension and (the ability to generate and make sense of novel ideas). 鈥淩est is indeed not idleness, nor is it a wasted opportunity for productivity,鈥� Immordino-Yang and her colleagues write.

So breaks are an essential part of learning. But the benefits extend beyond the psychological well-being of students. Particularly for younger students, regular breaks throughout the school day can be an effective way to reduce disruptive behavior. In a series of recent studies, short physical activity breaks in the classroom improved students鈥櫬�, increasing the effort they put into their activities as well as their .

Both students and teachers benefit from using unstructured breaks to reduce stress. According to the American Psychological Association, stress can have , increasing someone鈥檚 chances of serious conditions such as heart disease and depression. The APA recommends frequent breaks, in addition to other activities such as exercise and mediation.

Boosting Brain Function

Exercise breaks鈥攚hether short activities in the classroom or recess鈥攈elp promote physical fitness, which in turn boosts brain health. In 2013, the National Academy of Medicine (then called the Institute of Medicine) published on the benefits of physical activity on children鈥檚 cognitive development and academic success.

At the time, less than half of U.S. students were meeting the federal guideline of 60 minutes of daily exercise. Bringing together experts across a range of fields, the report made the case for why regular exercise crucially belongs in schools: It not only provides physical health benefits to students but also enhances their cognitive functioning, leading to higher academic performance.

How does exercise improve learning? Engaging in physical activity increases blood flow and oxygenation in the brain, boosting neural connectivity and stimulating nerve cell growth in the hippocampus, the center of learning and memory. So exercise actually , with : improved attention and memory, increased brain activity and cognitive function, and enhanced聽mood and ability to cope with stress.

show that physically active children consistently outperform their inactive peers academically on both a short- and long-term basis.

Developing Social Skills

Longer breaks鈥攕uch as recess or playtime鈥攑rovide opportunities for children to learn important life skills. that when children play together, they learn how to take turns, resolve conflicts, and solve problems. They also learn how to manage their own emotions and behavior鈥攆undamental skills for life. So dropping recess is a mistake, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics: Recess is a 鈥渃rucial and necessary component of a child鈥檚 development,鈥� and sacrificing it for more academics is counterproductive.

Unstructured playtime provides an opportunity for imaginary and creative play and allows children to practice divergent thinking. They benefit from the freedom to explore new ideas without fear of failure or the stress of grades, and regular exposure to new experiences can also increase their cognitive flexibility, preparing them for academic challenges.

Incorporating Breaks in Your Classroom

Several breaks throughout the day can help students stay focused:

• If students are getting rowdy or bored, 聽in the classroom聽can reset their attention.
• Use brain breaks鈥攕hort activities that stimulate curiosity鈥攖o boost students鈥� motivation and improve their mood.
• Set aside time during class for creativity鈥�makerspaces, Genius Hour, and art projects can help boost kids鈥� imaginations.

While breaks can help reset student focus, a useful alternative鈥攅specially for older students鈥攊s to switch teaching strategies throughout a lesson: Try having students team up on a think-pair-share activity or work in groups, spend a few minutes reviewing concepts, or give a low-stakes practice test at the end of a lesson. These activities can help break up the monotony of a long lesson, and as a bonus, boost students鈥� memory.