Recess Activity Planner Calculator

Structured play from age, space, and equipment.

Total Students at Recess

Recess Duration (min)

Play Area (sq ft)

Grade Level (1-6)

Number of Supervisors

Tab to move between fields

Sq Ft per Student

Recommended Activity Zones4

Max Students per Zone15

Estimated MVPA (min)10

Est. Calories Burned43

Student:Supervisor Ratio30

Recommended Supervisors2

Balls Needed5

Jump Ropes Needed9

Cones/Markers Needed16

Est. Conflict Reduction (%)34

Active Play Zone Students18

Structured Game Students21

Space Per Student (Free Play)75

Space Per Student (Organized)100

Meets Cdc Recommendation1

How to Use This Calculator

Enter Total Students at Recess, Recess Duration (min), and Play Area (sq ft).
Set Grade Level (1-6) and Number of Supervisors.
Review the Sq Ft per Student result.
Use Recommended Activity Zones and Max Students per Zone to inform your decision.

How the result changes with Total Students at Recess

Total Students at Recess: Total number of students during the recess period.
Recess Duration (min): Length of recess period. CDC recommends at least 20 minutes.
Play Area (sq ft): Total outdoor play area in square feet. NRPA recommends 75-100 sq ft/child.
Grade Level (1-6): Grade level of students (affects activity type distribution).
Number of Supervisors: Adults supervising recess (recommended ratio: 1:30).

Sq Ft per Student: Available play space per student. 75+ sq ft is recommended.
Recommended Activity Zones: Number of distinct activity zones to set up.
Max Students per Zone: Maximum students per activity zone for safety and engagement.
Estimated MVPA (min): Estimated minutes of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity.
Est. Calories Burned: Approximate calories burned per student during recess.
Student:Supervisor Ratio: Current ratio (target: 30:1 or less).
Recommended Supervisors: Minimum supervisors needed for safe recess.
Balls Needed: Recommended number of balls for structured game zones.
Jump Ropes Needed: Recommended jump ropes for individual activity.
Cones/Markers Needed: Zone boundary markers needed.
Est. Conflict Reduction (%): Expected conflict reduction vs unstructured recess based on your setup.
Active Play Zone Students: Students allocated to free active play zone.
Structured Game Students: Students allocated to organized game zones.

Identify Input Parameters
4 parameters
Total Students at Recess = 60, Recess Duration (min) = 20, Play Area (sq ft) = 5000, Grade Level (1-6) = 3 = 5 input(s) provided
Calculate Sq Ft per Student
Sq Ft per Student = outdoorSqFt / totalStudents
83 = 83
Calculate Recommended Activity Zones
Recommended Activity Zones
4 = 4
Calculate Max Students per Zone
Max Students per Zone
15 = 15