Ask many kids what their favorite academic subject is, and their answer will be, “Recess!” Recess breaks are the student versions of adult coffee breaks — a chance for students to do two critically important things:

• Romp and play and get some much-needed physical exercise

• Relax for a while before returning to the process of learning

Generally, recess takes place outdoors, but you'll want to be sure to follow your school's inclement-weather policy and supervise your kids in your classroom during rainy days, etc., if that's what your school requires.

Many psychologists, teachers, and other professionals who work with kids will tell you that recess is critical to a child's social development. For example, the distinguished law professor John E. B. Myers, a veteran prosecutor of child-abuse cases, says in his book Myers on Evidence in Child, Domestic, and Elder Abuse Cases: “Teachers know children have a limited attention span for schoolwork, and that recess is essential for learning.” In other words, recess helps kids learn.

And don't forget about all the talk regarding childhood obesity that's been streaming from the news media for the past few years. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), a division of the United States Department of Health and Human Services, has said the number of obese children in this country has tripled since 1980. In full agreement, Dr. Stewart Trost, Professor of Kinesiology at Kansas State University, says on the “Cartoon Network Rescuing Recess” website, available at www.cartoonrecessweek.com/experts_say.html: “Kids who have recess display an improved ability to stay on task. … Movement is essential to the physical and social development of all children.”

Recess helps kids learn. Remember that the next time a parent or even a fellow teacher tries to tell you that recess is a waste of time. Consider the issue of recess this way: Recess is beneficial to the mind, body, and soul.