Why Winning and Losing is Important for Children

Winning and losing are great opportunities for teaching children appropriate actions and reactions, and to understand the ups and downs...

Nathan Recess Guardians

Mar 25, 20224 min read

7,515 views

Unstructured Play Is Critical For Kids

Unstructured play is a category of play without predetermined guidelines. Unstructured play is often informally referred to as ‘just...

Nathan Recess Guardians

Mar 25, 20224 min read

2,525 views

Less Play Is Keeping Kids From Turning Into Confident Adults

What are your memories of playing as a kid? Most of us will remember exciting games of hide and seek, tag, red rover red rover, others...

Nathan Recess Guardians

Mar 25, 20224 min read

915 views

The Importance of Exercise and How Recess Can Help

More and more educators, researchers, and parents are realizing that not only is playground time good for kids, but it’s also a necessity...

Nathan Recess Guardians

Mar 25, 20224 min read

19,332 views

Science Backed Benefits of Recess

One of the few things that all children like about going to school is recess, which is why barring kids from participating in recess when...

Nathan Recess Guardians

Mar 25, 20224 min read

2,363 views

Recess Improves Classroom Behaviour

Recess during the school day had a different meaning for children four to five decades ago. This coveted break allowed kids to play...

Nathan Recess Guardians

Mar 25, 20225 min read

4,108 views

Recess and Cognitive Development

Does anyone remember the stories about callisthenic exercises to start the day at school? Years ago in elementary school, children would...

Nathan Recess Guardians

Mar 25, 20224 min read

1,365 views

Less Play Is Keeping Kids From Turning Into Confident Adults

What are your memories of playing as a kid? Most of us will remember exciting games of hide and seek, tag, red rover red rover, others...

Nathan Recess Guardians

Mar 25, 20224 min read

25 views

Just Let Kids Figure It Out

We all want and imagine our kids to grow up to be wise and kind. And as adults while we are wiser than them, we are also usually the ones...

Nathan Recess Guardians

Mar 25, 20223 min read

1,200 views

It’s Essential for Kids to Play, Here’s Why

Have you seen the most famous painting of children at play? Children’s Games made in 1560 by Pieter Bruegel, the Elder of a town square...

Nathan Recess Guardians

Mar 25, 20224 min read

220 views

If We Want Smarter Kids, They Need Recess

Over the years, there have been numerous debates over recess and the role of schools in promoting the optimal development of the child....

Nathan Recess Guardians

Mar 25, 20223 min read

307 views

How To Teach Kids Good Sportsmanship

With kids starting soccer at the age of three and swimming at the age of five these days, teaching good sportsmanship is more important...

Nathan Recess Guardians

Mar 25, 20224 min read

1,512 views

How To Increase Inclusion At Recess

Teachers ensure the full participation of all learners during class time, but what about non-instructional times like recess, lunch and...

Nathan Recess Guardians

Mar 25, 20225 min read

2,384 views

How Recess Can Curb Bullying

Research shows that recess, when well-organized, can make a real difference in schools, resulting in children who feel safer, bully less...

Nathan Recess Guardians

Mar 25, 20223 min read

2,227 views

How Recess Can Build Empathy And Other Skills

It has been found that children with a strong social and emotional foundation are more likely to graduate high school, go to college,...

Nathan Recess Guardians

Mar 25, 20223 min read

2,368 views

4 Strategies to Help Kids Become More Responsible

Just like walking and talking, responsibility is gradually learned over time as a child keeps evolving and growing through different...

Nathan Recess Guardians

Mar 25, 20224 min read

2,525 views

10 Reasons Kids Should Have Longer Recess at School

Experts say that there’s more to learning than just books. While academics are important and help shape the minds of our children, it has...

Nathan Recess Guardians

Mar 25, 20225 min read

160,753 views

11 Benefits of Recess In Elementary School

Schools across North America are recognizing the benefits of daily recess for elementary students. In a time of increased academic...

Nathan Recess Guardians

Mar 25, 20224 min read

16,171 views

In The News

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Recess Guardians Brings Games Back to Kids at School

August 21, 2019

Remember recess? Chances are, you filled those short periods between classes with fun activities like tag, four square and jump rope. Today, you’d be hard-pressed to find that in many schools, says Mike McDonald, founder and CEO of Recess Guardians.

Elise Stolte: A common-sense solution for Edmonton’s playground bullies

May 24, 2019

It’s called Recess Guardians and it’s showing real promise in a kind of common sense, a why-didn’t-we-do-this-before way.

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Unique program puts play time back into recess - The StarPhoenix

September 25th, 2015

Recess Guardians encourages students to be school leaders

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Recess Guardians - Bringing play back to recess

September 1, 2015

Empowering youth to lead through active play. Mike McDonald explains how Recess Guardians is bringing play back to recess.

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Recess Guardians empowers youth

September 1, 2015

Bringing the play back into recess, Recess Guardians empowers youth by encouraging leadership and a healthy lifestyle.

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Recess Guardians

August 16, 2013

A non-profit organization, recess guardians, works with students in schools to teach them games and promote leadership skills.