Children can be found playing on playhouses such as this during recess.

This article is about the break period. For the television show, see Recess (TV series).

Recess is a general term for a period of time in which a body of people is temporarily dismissed from its duties. In parliamentary procedure, "recess" refers to legislative bodies—such as parliaments, assemblies, juries—that are released to reassemble at a later time. This is used as an alternative to adjournment. Under the commonly used Robert's Rules of Order, a motion to recess may not be called when aother person has the floor, is not reconsiderable, and requires a second and a majority vote.

In education, "recess" is the North American term (known as "playtime" or "break" in Great Britain or "interval" or "morning tea" in New Zealand) for a daily period in elementary school where students are allowed to leave the school's interior to enter its adjacent outdoor playground, where they can play on such recreational equipment as seesaws and swing sets, or engage in activities such as basketball or four square. Although no formal education exists during recess (this fact being touted most often by the children themselves), sociologists and psychologists consider recess an integral portion of child development, to teach them the importance of social skills and physical education.

In North America, the point where recess ends in a child's education is largely dependent on the school district, though by most standards it is removed when the child enters middle school. However, in the United Kingdom and Ireland, where there are traditionally few, if any, free periods during the school day, a recess-like period of free time in the morning is maintained by most schools of all ages. In both regions, access to outdoor facilities during a lunch break of varying duration is common to most schools, regardless of age level.

In Australia and New Zealand, generally in public schools "recess" occurs as a break between morning and mid-morning classes. It is followed after mid-morning classes by a more lengthy break, lunchtime. Thus, the structure of the school-day consists of three lesson blocks, broken up by two intervals: recess and lunch respectively.

In Scotland, a playtime snack is called a "playpiece" or a "leevie."

Sources and further reading

• Patnode, Dr. Darwin. Robert's Rules of Order: The Modern Edition. Berkley: 1989. ISBN 0425116905. Pages 8, 11, 30, 32, 125.