In recent years, there has been a significant focus on the mental health of young people, accompanied by substantial financial investment in Social Emotional Learning (SEL) programs designed to support the mental well-being of students. According to a 2017 report, schools are estimated to have spent between $21 billion and $47 billion annually on SEL. That number grewexponentially during and after COVID school closures. While these programs may have been adopted with good intentions, they have not proven to be effective, and research suggests that they may be causing harm. In addition to the lack of evidence supporting the use of SEL, these programs place an added burden on teachers who are overburdened and on school budgets that are already stretched thin.
We believe that there is a better way to improve the mental well-being of students, and the best part is that our solution doesn’t place any additional work on teachers, nor does it burden school budgets. We propose that schools adopt Outdoor Unstructured Recess (OUR) instead of SEL. Giving students daily time outdoors to interact with their peers, engage in physical activity that isn’t organized or directed by an adult, and learn organic conflict resolution would do wonders to boost their mental and physical well-being. The fresh air and pause from instruction time would likely be a welcome respite for teachers as well.
A recent study conducted by Heather Macpherson Parrott and Lynn E. Cohen highlights the benefits of unstructured play that spill over into the classroom. One teacher involved in the study commented that, “For most students, they’re able to focus more during the day because they know a play break is coming, and they can save their socializing and their energy for that time. They look forward to it, and they physically need it.”