A Wisconsin Republican lawmaker wants to double the amount of recess time required for elementary school students, proposing legislation that would require 60 minutes of unstructured play time daily for kindergarten through sixth-grade students in public schools.
WATCH : Wisconsin lawmaker proposes longer recess time for elementary students
State Representative William Penterman of Hustisford introduced the bill that would increase the current state requirement of up to 30 minutes to one hour of recess per day.
The proposed legislation specifically defines recess as "unstructured time for physical activity, play, organized games, or social engagement with other pupils."
The bill also includes a technology restriction, prohibiting students from using computers, tablets, phones or other personal electronic devices during the required recess time.
Watch: Parents push for 60 minute mandatory recess:
"We're not looking for an extra study hall, we're not looking for extra time to necessarily be working on math during the school day," Penterman said. "We're looking for peer-to-peer, unstructured play, in which they are moving, they are physically active in some way."
Penterman, a father of two who works part-time as a substitute teacher, said the bill is in its early stages. He emphasized that he is not calling for longer school days to meet the requirement, and so far no Democratic lawmakers have signed onto the proposed legislation.
The push for increased recess time aligns with recommendations from medical experts. The American Academy of Pediatrics states that "recess is a necessary break in the day for optimizing a child's social, emotional, physical, and cognitive development."
The organization also notes that "recess can serve as a counterbalance to sedentary time and contribute to the recommended 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous activity per day, a standard strongly supported by AAP policy as a means to lessen risk of overweight."
The American Academy of Pediatrics has not taken a position on the Wisconsin bill specifically.
Parents in Kenosha County have been advocating for more recess time, highlighting the growing support for increased physical activity and unstructured play during the school day.
This story was reported on-air by Charles Benson and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
It’s about time to watch on your time. Stream local news and weather 24/7 by searching for “TMJ4” on your device.
Available for download on Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, and more.