Health and PE Professional Development

Health/Physical Education Professional Development

Free Recess Kit

The first 500 NASPE/AAHPERD members who are elementary school physical education teachers to register at www.RescuingRecess.com will receive a free recess kit. Enter your contact info and then scroll down under member of and you will see NASPE - then add your NASPE membership ID number. Register today!

Each kit will contain a variety of activity ideas, games and playground equipment such as red rubber balls, street chalk, whistles and jump ropes, plus instructions on how to hold a recess rally during National Recess Week. .

National Recess Week - September 18 - 22
To call attention to the importance of daily recess for elementary school students, the Cartoon Network has declared the week of September 18-22 as National Recess Week. Held in partnership with leading child advocacy groups including NASPE, the National Parent Teacher Association, National Education Association, Hands on Network and Sportime, the goal is to encourage schools to support and celebrate recess. National Recess Week will include a number of elements that spotlight the significance of recess including a national media campaign, a kick off celebration in New York City, and distribution of 10,000 free Rescue Recess Kits to participating elementary schools to use throughout the school year. Schools will be encouraged to host their own recess rallies, and on Friday, September 22 at 7 pm the Cartoon Network will present Operation: R.E.C.E.S.S.

NASPE has developed a formal position statement that states, recess provides children with discretionary time to engage in physical activity that helps them, develop healthy bodies and enjoyment of movement. It also allows children the opportunity to practice life skills such as cooperation, taking turns, following rules, sharing, communications, negotiation, problem solving, and conflict resolution. Furthermore, participation in physical activity may improve attention, focus, behavior, and learning in the classroom. Quality physical education and daily recess are components of the elementary school educational experience that enable students to develop physical competence, health-related fitness, personal and social responsibility, and enjoyment of physical activity so that they will be physically active for a lifetime. To download a copy of the position paper, go to this website.