It is the position of the National Association for Sport and Physical Education (NASPE) that all elementary school children should be provided with at least one daily period of recess of at least 20 minutes in length. Various cited organizations support school recess as an integral component of a child's physical, social, and academic development, providing children with discretionary time to engage in physical activity that helps them develop healthy bodies and enjoyment of movement. It also allows children the opportunity to practice life skills such as cooperation, taking turns, following rules, sharing, communication, negotiation, problem solving and conflict resolution. Furthermore, participation in physical activity may improve attention, focus, behavior and learning in the classroom. Daily physical activity is an important part of the solution to health issues of cardiovascular risk factors and type 2 diabetes. Twelve recommendations are offered for promoting elementary school recess. Quality physical education and daily recess are separate components of the elementary school education experience that enable students to develop physical competence, health-related fitness, personal and social responsibility, and enjoyment of physical activity so that they will be physically active for a lifetime.