One of the most impactful ways to support student learning starts with play.
At Playworks, we’ve seen firsthand how the benefits of play extend far beyond recess time. When kids have the opportunity to play, it not only keeps them physically active but also helps to fuel their academic success. Research shows that incorporating time for play can lead to more engaged and motivated students, reclaimed instructional time, and a classroom environment where learning thrives.
Play Supports Learning in the Brain and the Classroom
Play isn’t a break from learning—it’s an essential part of the process. Movement and active play help stimulate brain function, increase focus, and improve cognitive processing. According to Harvard University’s Center on the Developing Child, physical activity increases blood flow to the brain, which supports executive function skills like working memory, attention, and cognitive flexibility—all essential for academic success.
Why does this matter? Executive functions are the building blocks for goal-setting, problem-solving, and self-regulation. Without these skills, students may struggle to follow instructions, retain new information, or shift their attention between tasks. Active play strengthens these foundational brain functions, making it easier for kids to stay engaged and succeed in academic settings.
Academic Motivation and Engagement
When students feel active and connected on the playground, they’re more motivated to learn in the classroom. In a recent survey, 95% of educators at Playworks schools reported that our recess programming helps create an engaging learning environment. Additionally, 85% of students who participate in Playworks’ Junior Coach Leadership program recently reported a positive change in their academic motivation and incentive to succeed in school.
Feeling motivated isn’t just about enjoying school—it’s about building the confidence and sense of purpose that helps kids persevere through challenges, set goals, and stay engaged in their learning. Play lays the groundwork for this by fostering connections and a sense of competence that supports a strong classroom mindset.
When kids are motivated and ready to learn, classroom time becomes more effective—and more efficient.
Reclaiming Valuable Class Time
Transitional moments—like shifting from math to reading, returning from lunch, or walking to art class—can be particularly challenging for teachers. During these times, students are often restless, distracted, or still carrying energy and emotions from the previous activity. Without intentional strategies to guide these transitions, they can become drawn out or disruptive, ultimately cutting into valuable instructional time and making it harder to re-engage students in learning. But when students have time to move, play, and release energy, return to class more focused and ready to learn. In fact, schools with Playworks report spending 34% fewer minutes transitioning from recess to learning activities.
That reclaimed time matters. Over the course of a school year, it can add up to hours of additional instruction time that may otherwise be lost. It also helps create a learning environment that’s less chaotic and more productive. When classroom time is more focused, students are better able to build the critical academic and interpersonal skills they need to succeed.
Check out these five activities to help your students smoothly transition from the playground to the classroom.
Building Skills That Support Academic Growth
Through games and play, students develop skills like cooperation, communication, and conflict resolution that directly support academic success. Games require students to follow directions, solve problems, and collaborate with peers, all of which build the cognitive and interpersonal foundations needed in the classroom and throughout the rest of their lives.
A student who can ask for help from a teammate, resolve a disagreement about a rule, or focus during a game can find ways to translate these skills to the classroom. Play creates a space to practice these interactions and build confidence so they’ll be better positioned to work in groups in the classroom–and later in life in the workplace.
These same skills also play a role in how well students absorb and process information.
Movement Boosts Memory and Processing
In addition to supporting in-classroom learning, play can also help boost students’ ability to remember and process the information they take in during the school day. According to research published in Frontiers in Psychology, even short bouts of physical activity can enhance brain function and memory in school-age children.
This is especially important in today’s classrooms, where students are often expected to sit still for long stretches of time. When kids have the chance to move regularly throughout the day—whether during recess, classroom games, or quick brain breaks—they’re better able to retain what they’re learning and apply it in meaningful ways.
Play Is a Powerful Investment in Learning
When we prioritize play in our schools we are also making learning more effective and supporting students’ overall academic success. Play creates the conditions for students to be focused, curious, and ready to succeed.
At Playworks, we believe every child deserves to play every day—because, like you, we want children to thrive on the playground, in the classroom, and throughout their lives.
