Why Taking Away Recess Hurts Kids with ADHD (and What to Do Instead)

Recess is regulation. Movement is medicine. Connection is the cure.

🎟️ Understanding ADHD is crucial for parents, caregivers, and educators.
That’s why I created the ADHD Family Summit — a free online event where you’ll learn how to support children with ADHD using science, connection, and the LOVE Ü Method.

👉 Grab your free ticket and share it with teachers, friends, and family. Because when adults understand ADHD, everything changes — for the child and the classroom.

🌞 After 25 Years in the Classroom, Here’s What I Know

When kids spend time outdoors breathing fresh air, moving their bodies, and playing freely, something incredible happens.
They come alive. Their focus sharpens, their moods lift, their creativity blooms.

But when recess is taken away?
They wilt.
Literally — like a plant without air and water.

I’ve seen it with my own eyes, again and again. Children aren’t defiant; they’re depleted.
Recess isn’t a reward. It’s a regulation tool.

🌿 The Research is Clear

The American Academy of Pediatrics states that recess is essential for healthy child development and it should never be withheld for punishment or unfinished work.

Recess helps kids:
✔ Regulate their nervous systems
✔ Improve attention and working memory
✔ Build social skills and conflict resolution
✔ Boost mood, creativity, and connection

And for children with ADHD, it’s even more vital.
Movement directly supports executive function, the part of the brain responsible for focus, organization, and self-control.
As Dr. Russell Barkley explains, ADHD isn’t a lack of effort; it’s a deficit in executive functioning.
Movement and connection turn that system on.

🧠 E is for Executive Function (LOVE Ü Method)

In the LOVE Ü Method, “E” stands for Emotions and Executive Function.
Children with ADHD don’t need more correction — they need more co-regulation.
When educators remove recess, they’re taking away a tool the brain needs to think clearly, plan, and remember.

🚨 The Prison Yard Comparison

Here’s a fact that might surprise you:
Under the UN Mandela Rules, even prisoners are guaranteed at least one hour of outdoor time every day.
If adults in confinement are given that as a basic human right, surely our growing children deserve the same, especially those with developing, neurodiverse brains.

For many children with working parents, school is their only chance for sunlight, laughter, and fresh air. We can’t afford to take it away.

❤️ What to Do Instead

Instead of taking recess, let’s meet kids where they are:

1. Movement as Medicine: Allow oxygen breaks, movement stations, and flexible seating.

2. Reduce Overwhelm: Shorten assignments, use visuals, and prioritize understanding.

3. Connection Before Correction: Build emotional check-ins and co-regulation moments.

4. Collaborate: Protect recess in IEPs and support plans — it’s a right, not a reward.

When we teach through compassion, kids thrive. When we punish their biology, they shut down.

💬 Final Reflection

Children aren’t misbehaving — they’re communicating.
Movement is their language. Play is their therapy. Recess is their regulation.

When we allow them to move, breathe, and connect, they rise — every single time.

So let’s stop taking away what helps them succeed.
Let’s give them back their joy, their curiosity, their oxygen.

🎟️ Grab your free ticket to the ADHD Family Summit, and share this message with every educator, parent, and caregiver you know.
Because when we support children’s brains instead of punishing them, everyone wins. 💗