I suggest recess serves the physical, educational and social needs of children and therefore fosters academic success. It is almost impossible to keep active, curious and exuberant elementary school children focused specifically on one goal for an entire seven-hour period. In fact, to any child, it would be considered torture to keep them in a classroom all day only to be released at lunch and the end of the school day. That is not to say that the sole purpose of recess is to let children blow off steam. It is essential that children be given the opportunity to expend energy and interact with one another in meaningful ways.
Recess is incredibly valuable to students and to teachers.
Play allows children to express ideas and feelings, obtain new knowledge and develop oral language skills as they interact with objects and the people around them. Play is the vehicle for learning and through play children are able to answer their own questions and test their own limits in ways that are important to them. Consider the girl who ventured to the top of the monkey bars. During recess children are able to develop their cognitive skills and learn to deal with social situations. For example, during a game of tag children learn cooperation.