Recess is a general term for a period in which a group of people are temporarily dismissed from their duties.

In education, recess is the American and Australian term (known as break or playtime in the UK), where students have a mid morning snack and play before having lunch after a few more lessons. Recess could occur during other times of the school day, such as after lunch or before dismissal. Typically ten to thirty minutes, in elementary school where students are allowed to leave the school's interior to enter its adjacent outside park where they play on equipment such as slides and swings, play basketball, tetherball, study, make up any missing assignments or talk. Many middle and high schools also offer a recess to provide students with a sufficient opportunity to consume quick snacks, communicate with their peers, visit the restroom, study, and various other activities.

During recess, children play, and learning through play has been long known as a vital aspect of childhood development. Some of the earliest studies of play began with G. Stanley Hall, in the 1890s. These studies sparked an interest in the developmental, mental and behavioral tendencies of babies and children. Current research emphasizes recess as a place for children to "role-play essential social skills" and as an important time in the academic day that "counterbalances the sedentary life at school." Play has also been associated with the healthy development of parent-child bonds, establishing social, emotional and cognitive developmental achievements that assist them in relating with others, and managing stress.

Although no formal education exists during recess, sociologists and psychologists consider recess an integral portion of child development, to teach them the importance of social skills and physical education. Play is essential for children to develop not only their physical abilities, but also their intellectual, social, and moral capabilities. Via play, children can learn about the world around them. Some of the known benefits of recess are that students are more on task during academic activities, have improved memory, are more focused, develop a greater number of neural connections, and that it leads to more physical activity outside of the school setting. Psychomotor learning also gives children clues on how the world around them works as they can physically demonstrate such skills. Children need the freedom to play to learn skills necessary to become competent adults such as coping with stress and problem solving. Through the means of caregiver's observations of children's play, one can identify deficiencies in children's development. While there are many types of play children engage in that all contribute to development, it has been emphasized that free, spontaneous play—the kind that occurs on playgrounds—is the most beneficial type of play.

Recess is key in the development of children. Studies have shown that recess plays a large role in of how children develop their social skills. During recess, children usually play games involving teamwork. On the playground, children use many leadership skills – they educate other children about games to play, take turns, and learn to resolve conflicts while playing these games. The leadership skills promoted throughout recess are how children are able to continue to play the games. Along with developing social skills, recess helps with the development of children's brains. Recess gives the children's brains a chance to "regroup" after a long day of class. Also, the physical activity actually leads to the development of the brain. Brain research has shown a relationship between physical activity and the development of the human brain. Another study supports these findings from the brain research. A school system that dedicated one third of their school day to nonacademic activities – such as recess and physical education – led to improved attitudes and fitness, and improved test scores despite spending less time in the classroom.

Problem solving is an integral part in child development and free play allows for children to learn to problem solve on their own. Teachers and caregivers can scaffold problem solving through modeling or assisting when a confrontation occurs. Although play should involve adults, adults or caregivers should not control the play because when adults control the play, the children can lose their creativity, leadership, and group skills. Adults should let children create and follow agreed upon rules and only intervene if a serious conflict arises. Problem solving encourages children to compromise and cooperate with each other. The conflict resolution process helps children to attain a vast range of social and emotional skills such as empathy, flexibility, self-awareness, and self-regulation. This vast range or capabilities is often referred to as "emotional intelligence" and is essential to building and maintaining relationships in adult life. Teachers can also view recess as a time to observe children's social and cognitive development skills and be able to develop different activities in the classroom that reflect the children's interests and development. Recess at its core is a social experience for children and as such, plays a significant part in the development of language. Children's intentionality with language during recess is tied closely to navigating the social landscape of the playground. Even as early as preschool, children use language to make group decisions and establish authority or a standing in the social setting of the playground. One researcher states that children use language to "invoke play ideas as their own possessions to manage and control the unfolding play", which engages a bidding war for group leadership. When viewing recess through a language perspective, the individual experience of the playground can vary depending on a willingness to follow other's ideas, and the development of language to modify play as it unfolds.

Depending on the weather (rain, large amounts of snow, and sometimes in extreme heat or extreme cold), recess might be held indoors. Therefore, it should include creative activities that promote movement of moderate-to-vigorous intensity, whether in a gym or a classroom. Allowing the students to finish work, play any board games or other activities that take more than one to play; this helps to encourage group activity, and some games are also educational. Or, they might play educational computer games or read books. It also may contribute to do something non-educational, to help unwind and de-stress from the daily workload. Sometimes, some classes might watch a film or a TV program.

The debate surrounding recess has been around for decades and is still happening today. Some people believe that recess is important, while others argue that eliminating recess will lead to better academic achievement. Educators, parents, and experts are debating the importance of recess and play time in the school day. Data shows that recess has many benefits for students. These benefits include increased health, increased test scores, increased attention and social abilities, as well as better behavior. This is because during this physical activity, students produce dopamine, a neurotransmitter involved in memory and problem-solving. Also, the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) advocates for unstructured play, including recess. NAEYC recommends play as a way for children to decrease stress and develop socially. But, about 40% of school districts in the United States are doing away with recess. Studies show that this lack of free and unstructured play during recess may contribute to the rise in childhood obesity, anxiety and depression among children, as well as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.