HB1507

Having worked in education for 20 years and seeing the detriment to our youth when recess is not added to a school day schedule. It is very important that our youth interact with their peers in a recess driven environment, as studies have shown a greater ability for children to be able to solve conflicts on their own, with indirect supervision. Allowing outside play is not a privilege it is a necessity for normal human growth and development.

Say yes to recess - recess helps kids to regulate and should be included in curriculum.

For over 15 years I have worked as a parenting coach, supporting mothers and fathers in their day-to-day parenting struggles. I have also worked with families that have more nuanced, and complicated behavioral and family dynamic patterns. There are many ways to support children so that they develop and thrive to be healthy and whole, both inside and out. One fundamental requirement is free, physical movement and time outside. Children of all ages need ample time in their day to be outside, to feel the weather, to run around and burn off energy or to sit quietly and pause. This is not only a physical need, but a developmental one as well. Children learn through play. They learn vital social and emotional cues and relational dynamics that they depend on for life. Children need a break in their day. It’s not merely a nicety, it’s essential for healthy growth. Allowing for a longer recess everyday is an important step in protecting the well-being for the children in New Hampshire.

Please support this bill. Think back to your time in school - recess was a key period of the day. Maybe outside, maybe inside, definitely a break for young brains. Recess is an opportunity to develop social skills, as well as for children to expend the energy built up while paying attention in class.

As a retired preschool and elementary school teacher I support HB 1507 because kids need time to move, reset, and be kids. Recess improves focus, behavior, and overall health, and it actually helps learning instead of taking away from it. This bill just sets a reasonable baseline so recess doesn’t disappear when schedules get tight.

Let’s provide more accountability to public school boards and protections for public funds. Vote yes, please.

Children need recess time it should never be taken away as a punishment, especially for the children who need to be active.

Recess and the opportunity to run around on the playground should be a fundamental right of every child in the state of New Hampshire. Studies have shown that by getting out and playing, and using up some energy helps regulate our nervous system and the rest of our body.

Currently I and a parent of two small children and a taxpayer in the town of Tamworth. Oldest who is 7 years old has had to transition out of public school due to the lack of outdoor play implemented at the KA Brett School in Tamworth. We have since moved to a charter school in in the area. If the school implemented a strong outdoor related free time experience for the children I would consider moving my children back into the public school realm.

There are endless studies on the importance of physical activity for children and they all conclude recess is more important than academics for brain development at younger ages. Children’s physical activity should be prioritized many times in a school day. For the strong development of these kids, please pass this bill as a starting point.

I’m on the school board in my town, and a parent of two kids in the public school. Most of my kids’ friends who they went to preschool with have opted to homeschool or go to an outdoor-focused charter school, partly because they’re concerned about the dwindling recess in public schools - the kids left in the public school are mostly from families who are less economically advantaged, where both parents have to work and don’t have time to homeschool or drive their kids to distant charter schools. Our public school is becoming economically segregated as a result - kids whose parents are poorer and less educated go to the public school, while kids whose families are better educated and have more resources go elsewhere. Our public school offers a great education and caring teachers, but it has to follow the laws of the state, which include that only half an hour of recess can be counted as instructional time. More than that and we’d have to extend the school day, which would be expensive, and we’re already under an enormous amount of pressure to cut costs. Parents I talk to are torn - they don’t like this increasing segregation and they don’t want to contribute to it, especially when our country/state/town is already so divided. Kids benefit from going to school with all members of their community, not just their bubble of similar-minded families. But they don’t want their kids to be in an environment that’s bad for them, where they don’t get the movement and outdoor time they believe is important for kids. The families I talk to who send their kids to our school want this too - more outdoor time for their kids, more movement and fresh air. We need this bill to pass so our local public school can offer what parents are looking for, and what’s good for all children: an education that’s developmentally appropriate for kids, that sets them up well to learn in the ways kids are built to learn - by balancing movement and focus, and through play. Please push this bill forward to allow our schools to offer what’s best for kids.

When I had my two children, it prompted conversations about how I want to educate my children and the opportunities I had growing up. This is one of those conversations. Everyone is aware that raising children is the single most complex, costly, and rewarding thing that you'll likely embark upon in your life. Providing them with the best opportunities and support is of paramount importance when it comes to raising a well-rounded and regulated child. I'm sure you'll hear plenty of science-backed testimony today, such as how recess is important for development and how missing unstructured time is detrimental to the development of children; let's not forget common sense and the plain obvious though. When I was five, my parents moved my family from North Carolina to New Zealand, which is a whole world away. I grew up knowing that I'd go outside at least three times a day for small snack breaks and a long lunch recess period, and this time was largely unstructured. We'd play with friends, climb trees, work on extracurricular activities, or form teams and play pickup games. Sometimes I'd use my time to catch up on work I'd forgotten to complete or put extra effort into a project that I particularly liked but couldn't find extra time for. All these things ensured that I was able to achieve my own goals and manage my own stresses and emotions, and they all required that I find unstructured time within my day alongside my friends. I remember this time fondly, and even today I use breaks like this during my day to break up the complexity of my adult life so that I can come back refreshed and ready to proceed. While my wife and I talked about how we wanted our children raised and which schools they should go to, it became clear that my experience of school was very different to the average school in the US. I remember walking out to meet my friends when we'd eat our lunches, eat, talk, and roughhouse. By contrast, I heard stories of waiting in long lines for lunch with only close classroom fellows and just enough time to wolf down the food and return to class. A contrast like this is alarming for me. These recollections are not fond like those of my childhood; instead, they are traumatic. I relied on those periods of unstructured time to build my own ability to solve problems in my own life; how is my child supposed to learn to be a self-reliant, inquisitive, and productive member of society if they are not guaranteed the same? As a parent, I'm keenly aware of my children's behavioral states as things change for them. Maybe they've skipped a nap, maybe they've spent too long watching TV, maybe they haven't gotten to move about because it's storming outside. All these things directly result in primarily negative behavioral changes, that is the plain obvious. It's as clear as when they skip a nap! You simply know that they will be crankier than if they'd napped. It is clear when they have not been able to burn off energy just the same whether it's Bluey on a stormy day or not getting enough recess at school. You simply know that they will act out more when cooped up than if they'd been able to burn off the energy. This is what happens to a child when they cannot exercise their body and mind, on their own terms, during recess. They are crankier, they have pent-up energy, and they are uncomfortable, which is the perfect storm for ruining the classroom for the children and the teachers. Common sense shows us what we need to ensure for our children. We need to guarantee them that outlet to burn off that energy, a safe place to play, a place to solve their own problems and achieve their own goals on a daily basis. We need to ensure this minimum amount of recess.

I support this bill for many reasons. Extended recess supports children’s readiness to learn, providing opportunities for social skill development through team work and conflict resolution. Supports self regulation and leads to less disruptive behavior, because physical activity.

I'm a mental health clinician and I strongly support this bill!

Dear NH Leaders, Our students need breaks during the school day. Recess gives children essential time for fun, joy, movement, fresh air, and an emotional reset so they can learn better. Recess supports healthy growth and learning. Please support this bill. Thank you for your time and consideration.

Dear Representatives, I strongly encourage you to emphasize the importance of recess and play for future generations. As an educator, I have experienced, first hand, the impact of shortened and removed recess. Too often, we favor content consumption over child development. There has to be both for a successful community of learners to thrive.

Working in the school system I know the value of recess and support it.

I am writing as a New Hampshire parent to urge the Department of Education to take meaningful action to ensure that all students in grades K through 8 receive daily recess and time outdoors during the school day. In Portsmouth, students in sixth, seventh, and eighth grade currently receive no recess or scheduled outdoor time at all. This is deeply concerning, particularly in light of what we know about child development, mental health, and learning readiness. I have two children in the New Hampshire public school system. Both have had Individualized Education Programs in the past. Because of this, school choice is not simply a matter of preference for our family. Private school is not a realistic or appropriate option for many families, whether for financial, logistical, or educational reasons. What I am witnessing instead is a widening inequity. Families with financial means are able to access schools that offer multiple recesses, outdoor learning, and enrichment, while children in public schools are expected to spend the entire day indoors. At the same time, our schools rely heavily on screen-based learning and Chromebooks as part of daily curriculum. While I support responsible technology use, we are at a crossroads. We have worked hard to remove phones from children’s hands during the school day. The next logical and developmentally sound step is to ensure children are spending time outside, moving their bodies, and resetting their nervous systems. A minimum of 30 minutes of outdoor time per day should be considered a baseline, not a luxury. This raises an essential question: how are children expected to be emotionally available for learning when they are denied regular opportunities to regulate themselves? The school day already requires sustained cognitive effort, emotional resilience, and constant self-regulation. What about children who deal with learning challenges or mental health Issues. Dyslexia makes reading, writing, and language processing significantly more demanding. Anxiety compounds this by keeping the nervous system in a heightened state of stress. Without opportunities for movement, fresh air, and unstructured outdoor time, many children are asked to perform academically while their bodies and brains are overwhelmed. Recess and outdoor time are not rewards. They are essential regulation tools. Movement and time outside allow children to release stress, improve focus, and return to the classroom better prepared to learn. When recess is removed for any reason students are instead expected to suppress frustration, sensory overload, and emotional dysregulation for hours at a time. This approach is not developmentally appropriate and disproportionately harms students with disabilities, anxiety, and other neurodivergent needs. If we are serious about academic success, mental health, and educational equity in New Hampshire, we must acknowledge that a dysregulated child cannot learn effectively. Ensuring daily outdoor time for all K through 8 students is a necessary and achievable step toward supporting the whole child. Thank you for your time and consideration. I urge the Department to prioritize this issue and provide guidance or requirements that protect children’s physical, emotional, and cognitive well-being across all public schools in our state.

I support this bill in hopes that New Hampshire students will experience the benefits that result when educators and legislators prioritize physical activity spread throughout the school day. Improved attention and focus in the classroom and strengthened social interaction skills are two important benefits that are often cited when assessing unstructured play in a structured setting (recess). When it is possible for this to happen outdoors the benefits multiply.. Please consider what children need, as individuals and as members of the school community.. Lew Prillaman Retired Teacher

Recess is an essential and critical part of a student's day. Recess is an outlet for physical movement that children absolutely need and crave. It is also an essential social setting where children learn amongst their peers various social skills and rules. Having ample time at recess to fulfill the physical needs young children have proven time and time again they have, educational success will increase tenfold.

In a world where children are now confined by rules and expectations most of their day, we need to give them more time to move their bodies. Children learn through their unstructured experience with the world, and play is how they do it. They need opportunities, without technology and one expected outcome, to experiment, interact with peers, test out cause and effect, and learn through natural consequences. Studies show that children who have more breaks for unstructured play have improved memory, attention span, and concentration. The decreased stress levels children experience with more recess also lends to less disruptive behavior in the classroom and a better quality learning time.

I am a father of two kids in New Hampshire public schools. I want my children to grow up healthy, grounded, and capable, not burned out before they even get a chance to be kids. Right now, it feels like we push academics harder and harder while ignoring the fact that children are human beings with bodies, emotions, and limits. They are expected to sit still, stay focused, and perform for hours at a time, even when everything in them says they need to move, breathe, or step outside. Time outside matters. Physical activity matters. Not because it is part of a program or a strategy, but because kids need it. When children can move and reset, they handle stress better and come back more ready to learn. That is just common sense to me as a parent. This is not about lowering standards. It is about raising kids who are healthy in both mind and body and who can sustain learning over time. Our future needs bill HB 1507. Please vote Yes.

My children attend an outdoor preschool, and I have seen firsthand the value that the unstructured peer to peer play outside brings to their life. They are happier, sleep better, and full of creative ideas. My son (5yr old) the other day said, "sometimes I don't want to leave our house but then I get to school, and my body is full of so much fun because I run around and play all day outside with my friends!" This was a happy Mom-moment :) I'd love to see this opportunity for outside, unstructured play, increase in the school setting for my kids and others! Thank you for your time.

My name is Dr. Traci Korhonen, and I am a life long educator and school leader with a BS in Special Ed, MA in Reading Ed, and Ed.D. in K-12 Leadership. I have founded two charter schools in the state of NH, one that opened in 2025, and another aimed to open in 2027. Both support at least an hour outside each day. All public school children need access to outdoors for longer periods of time and to be considered learning time. The value of recess is supported by theoretical frameworks, as well as experimental and longitudinal research, which demonstrate that recess breaks enhance children’s cognitive performance and their overall adjustment to the school environment (Pellegrino, 2005). A benefit of nature is that the outdoor environment naturally inspires children to be active, and there is rising evidence that physical activity supports learning, memory, concentration, mood, and creativity which all influence students’ academic performance (Satterlmair & Ratey, 2009). D’Alessio (2012) suggests that children need regular exposure to green spaces starting at a young age to connect with nature. When children feel connected to nature they are apt to spend more time outdoors, which supports behavioral and cognitive development for improved school performance. Researchers have found increased enthusiasm for learning, improvement in standardized test scores, and higher GPAs in 92% of the schools who integrated the outdoor environment into their curriculum (Blair, 2009). Studies among school-aged children display a positive correlation between physical activities and cognitive performance: perceptual skills, intelligence quotient, achievement, verbal tests, mathematics tests, developmental level/academic readiness, and other learning skills (Satterlmair & Ratey, 2009). All children should be guaranteed protected time outside each day as part of learning, as recess is a vital component to overall learning and academic success. Thank you for hearing my testimony.