ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses the history of recess in schools in the larger context of the place of play in schools. Schools did, however, have recess periods and the goal of recess, like education more generally, was to educate Soviet citizens. In contrast to factories, children in school are able to use free-play time and recess not only as a time to simply enjoy themselves but also as a time to subvert the order of school. Recess was seen as a break from the stress of instruction. The recess period may have been a way in which the ideals of the Child Study Movement, with its emphasis on play, were expressed as a socialization period. Recess in many schools, then, may have been used as a break from work, recharge, or whatever metaphor one prefers to use to explain taking a break to maximize school performance.
