Lauren McNamara

2

Articles

2

Comments
Children need pauses from cognitive effort, ideally involving unstructured play. Students play during recess on Lasqueti Island, B.C., in 2016. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chad Hipolito

Our kids’ recess at school is essential to well‑being and learning — and shouldn’t be scaled back

Lauren McNamara, Toronto Metropolitan University and Tracy Vaillancourt, L’Université d’Ottawa/University of Ottawa

Time to play, move, connect with peers and breathe is a vital part of learning and essential to academic motivation.
The COVID-19 pandemic provides an opportunity for us to rethink and redesign how schools support children’s social connections and opportunities for informal play and recreation. (Shutterstock)

Kids will need recess more than ever when returning to school post‑coronavirus

Lauren McNamara, Toronto Metropolitan University and Pasi Sahlberg, UNSW

Global experts in child development say recess will be critical for children’s well-being when schools reopen, so education authorities should see planning recess as a high priority.

Contact Lauren for

  • General
  • Media request
  • Speaking request
  • Consulting / Advising
  • Research collaboration