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Why Your Students Need Free Time At School (And How You Can Make It Happen!)

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I am fascinated by how education works in different countries around the world. But learning about foreign schools is more than just interesting. We can learn a lot from studying the successes of other education systems.

A couple of years ago, I read a book called The Smartest Kids in the World: And How They Got That Way, by Amanda Ripley. The book (which I highly recommend) describes the lives of different students and the schools in which they are enrolled. One of the students is from Finland, a nation known for its successes in education.

One interesting component of the Finnish school day is free time. Children are given lots of time to play outdoors and socialize with their friends. I’m not claiming that this free time is the sole reason why Finnish schools are so successful, but I do think that they are on to something here. Keep reading to learn more about free time in Finnish schools, and how to maximize your students’ learning by providing free time in your own classroom!

Finnish schools give students LOTS of unstructured free time and recess, and they have some of the most successful schools in the world!  Read this post to find out how to find time for free time in the school day.

In Finland, students have 15-minute recess periods between lessons (typically every 45 minutes). Kids go out to play even in very cold weather!

But free time in Finland seems to go beyond just outdoor recess. When I watched the documentary “The Finland Phenomenon,” I noticed students standing in groups and socializing (indoors) between classes. They weren’t tardy or misbehaving – they were being given time to relax and chat!

So why do Finnish schools allow students to have free time? From what I’ve read and watched, here are some of the main purposes of providing free time at school:

  • Serves as a “brain break,” so kids are focused and ready to learn when they begin a lesson
  • Teaches responsibility (not every minute of the child’s day is planned out for him)
  • Encourages development of social and communication skills
  • Supports students’ physical healthy and motor skill development

Unfortunately, free time is a foreign concept in many American schools. Recess is typically brief (once a day, twice if you’re lucky). And students are rarely, if ever, given unstructured free time indoors.

We often give our students brain breaks, and my kids have always loved participating in movement activities like GoNoodle. But can these brain breaks truly be considered free time? In my opinion, not really.

After learning a lot about Finland’s education system, I didn’t toss rigorous instruction or whole class brain breaks out the window. But I did decide to incorporate free time into my second graders’ daily schedule.

That year, my schedule was planned out for me by the school where I worked. We had to stick closely to the schedule, because students switched classes frequently. I definitely didn’t have a lot of “wiggle room,” but I made time for a 10-15 minute break each morning.

During that break, students were allowed to eat a snack and socialize in our classroom. I didn’t require them to complete work or do anything in particular. They could use the time as they pleased, as long as they were being safe.

It was such a simple routine, but my students LOVED having their 10-15 minutes of free time each day! They talked in groups, ate their snacks, and some even chose to read. It was their time that belonged to them, and they loved having that privilege and responsibility.

In addition to just plain making my kids happy, the break kept them focused during the morning. I taught all of the core subjects between 8:45 and 11:45, so having a break in the middle was essential. My kids still had outdoor recess after lunch, but that break helped keep them focused in the morning. We also still did whole group brain breaks, because these are also a good way to keep kids focused (and they’re fun!).

So how can you incorporate free time into your classroom? Well, just prioritize it. It’d be nice if you were able to convince your administrators about the importance of free time (show them this article!), but I know that’s not always realistic.

If you’re struggling to find time in the day (who isn’t?), rethink your bathroom breaks. Do you have all students use the restroom at once? If your restroom is close to your classroom, could you stand in the doorway and monitor kids using the restroom while the others enjoy free time in the room?

Or, do you spend a lot of time on morning work? Could you assign more jobs to students to cut down on your responsibilities in the morning? If you reduce the time kids spend doing morning work, that might free up more time later in your day.

If you’re really struggling to fit in free time, start timing your daily transitions between activities/lessons. Motivate students to spend less time goofing off – tell them that will be able to take a free-time break if they trim time off their transitions!

I know there’s so much that we have to squeeze into each school day. But I’ve seen firsthand that students learn better when we make time for them to have unstructured breaks.

Do you agree? If so, how do you fit free time into your day? Comment below – I’d love to hear from you!

If you’re a Kindergarten teacher, you might also like this post about how I fit 45 minutes of free choice centers into our daily schedule.

Happy teaching!

 

Disclaimer: This post contains an Amazon affiliate link.

Alison

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Michelle Gifford
8 years ago

I totally agree with all of this. I am fortunate to work at a school where out K-2 students still get a 20 minute morning and afternoon recess, plus a 45 minute lunch. Still, I find that they benefit from indoor free time as well. Just yesterday, I found a 30 minute slot in the afternoon for most kids to select from free choices while a few kids completed work. 6 girls decided to work together on a diorama (their own idea), while most of the boys built with blocks. They were all socializing as they worked. I think they… Read more »

8 years ago

So happy to have stumbled across your blog, Alison! I just shared your post on twitter and I also sent you an email 🙂

Marie-Hélène
6 years ago

I have been reading your blog for about a month now, and I am so thankful I found them! I teach grade one and your ideas always inspire me! I manage to give my students a 15-minute break time before their recess every day. That time is used by them to eat their snacks and to socialize. They love it and so do I after a full morning of teaching. Thank you so much for your great posts, I will be reading them for quite a while! 🙂

Joy
6 years ago

In an ideal world our kids can have choices 🤔 With 30 plus kids in a class (some with various problems) I agree that all kids have outdoor play. No choice!

Anomous
6 years ago

This helps a lot on my essay I’m writing thanks 😛

Keylon. Parker
4 years ago

Thanks so much! I really needed a source to write a essay and this one was perfect!

Debbie Penor
3 years ago

so much to say. I was a SPED teacher for a high school ERR classroom. I taught 6 periods, and usually had 15-25 students in the classroom at one time. Academically, the students ranged between 1st-6th grade. If students had worked the entire class time, I would allow those students to choose activities on my posted “free time” list, for the last 10 min. of the period. I found the “brain break” to be an essential motivator for students to refrain from putting their heads down, and actually work! Also, it allowed the students to engage in socializing-an important skill… Read more »

Editor
Reply to  Debbie Penor

Thank you for sharing your thoughts, Debbie! I commend you for trying to implement activities in your classroom that not only allowed your students free time, but also worked to enhance their socialization skills. You were truly working to create a classroom environment that made your students’ needs and interests a priority!

Dat_Gorl
3 years ago

I LOVE THIS WE NEED FREE TIME!! Coming from someone who has a lot of troble in being orginized and focusing in class this would probaly help me alot. WE NEED BREAKS!!

Editor
Reply to  Dat_Gorl

I completely agree! I hope this post helps you give your students the free time that they need! 🙂

Violeta
3 years ago

We should have more free time in schools because it gives them more time to socialize with friends whether in games or at recess time.

Editor
Reply to  Violeta

I completely agree, Violeta! 🙂 Giving our students the chance to socialize with their peers helps to develop/enhance both their social and communication skills!

Violeta
3 years ago

Thanks for your hardworking everyone, I am new to this but I read every comment it is positive and helpful to me, this site is a recommendation to people who are new here especially myself. 😊

Editor
Reply to  Violeta

I’m so glad that that you found the blog post and comments helpful! 🙂

Sean Smart
1 year ago

It helped me write my essay 🙂

Last edited 1 year ago by Sean Smart
Admin
Reply to  Sean Smart

Great!

landyn
1 year ago

it helped me do my essay thanks for doing this❤

Admin
Reply to  landyn

Awesome!

Willow burns
1 year ago

I totally agree with all of this. I am fortunate to work at a school where out K-2 students still get a 20 minute morning and afternoon recess, plus a 45 minute lunch. Still, I find that they benefit from indoor free time as well. Just yesterday, I found a 30 minute slot in the afternoon for most kids to select from free choices while a few kids completed work. 6 girls decided to work together on a diorama (their own idea), while most of the boys built with blocks. They were all socializing as they worked. I think they… Read more »

Admin
Reply to  Willow burns

Yes, you made such great points!

RAYCE
1 year ago
Reply to  Willow burns

YES YES YES YES YES YES YES

serenity
1 year ago

i like what you are saying about this i love it so much and i agree with you with all of this

Admin
Reply to  serenity

Great to hear, thank you!

Sean Ali
1 year ago

I’ve been working on an essay for my school so we can have enough free time to do and rest our eyes on the computer, so this is really helpful, Thanks a lot!

Admin
Reply to  Sean Ali

You’re welcome!

Welcome!

I’m Alison, a literacy specialist. I love getting kids excited about reading and writing – and sharing teaching ideas with other teachers!

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