As a mother of two young boys I have witnessed first hand the importance of recess. I have seen how overwhelmed and helpless a child feels when recess, either all or a fraction of it, is taken away. Recess is vital on so many levels. We need to stop the practice of denying children recess as a form of punishment. Below I have attached two articles that explain in great detail the overwhelming need for recess and the negative effect that is causes when a child is denied even a few minutes of recess.

You will need to copy and paste the websites to view them

http://www.theatlantic.com/education/archive/2013/10/nixing-recess-the-silly-alarmingly-popular-way-to-punish-kids/280631/

http://usplaycoalition.clemson.edu/resources/articles/13.11.5_Recess_final_online.pdf