Giving Compass' Take:

• Research shows that recess which facilitates children playing freely together and offering a "brain break" can have numerous benefits, one being, teaching young people how to build community. 

• How are educators encouraging community-building through recess activities? How structured is free time in your local school system? 

•  Read how schools in Chicago boost learning through structured play. 

Physical education teacher Eric Nelson writes for Edutopia that physical education classes are crucial in helping students not just connect, but learn how to be respectful and trust one another, ultimately building a sense of community.

Working in Florida's Duval County Public Schools, Nelson uses a number of games and activities, from a form of volleyball to jump rope, in helping students build positive connections with each other during the school day.

Giving students a chance to take breaks and direct their own time so they can interact and connect — even with staff and teachers — can support the building of a community within the school building while providing a chance to develop crucial SEL skills.

Alongside physical education, recess provides a needed break during the school day for students. That downtime can be more than a chance to play, providing a brain break and an opportunity for students to refocus and socialize, creating a sense of community and culture as they collaborate in positive ways, as noted by CASEL.

Recess' role in building community is also among the findings in a 2017 study published in the Journal of Physical Education, Recreation & Dance, which reported primary school teachers noting “…students would play better together, interacting much earlier in the school year as a result of simply having the time to play freely with one another.”

Read the full article about recess builds community by Lauren Barack at Education Dive.