Pediatricians group stands up for kids' rapidly shrinking recess time: 'Very powerful benefit'

Recess may look like downtime, but pediatricians say cutting it could cost kids far more than a few minutes on the playground.

The American Academy of Pediatrics released updated guidance for the first time in more than a decade that urges schools to protect recess, highlighting that the unstructured break delivers major benefits for kids' health, learning and behavior.

"It has a very powerful benefit if it’s used to the fullest," said Dr. Robert Murray, a lead author of the new guidance...