Recess may look like downtime, but pediatricians say cutting it could cost kids far more than a few minutes on the playground.

The American Academy of Pediatrics released updated guidance for the first time in more than a decade that urges schools to protect recess, highlighting that the unstructured break delivers major benefits for kids’ health, learning and behavior.

“It has a very powerful benefit if it’s used to the fullest,” said Dr. Robert Murray, a lead author of the new guidance, which was published Monday in the journal Pediatrics.

Researchers say recess helps students reset between lessons, improving focus and memory. It also gives kids time to build social skills, boost confidence and stay physically active, a key factor as 1 in 5 U.S. children and teens struggle with obesity.

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Despite those benefits, recess time has been shrinking for years. Since the mid-2000s, up to 40% of school districts have reduced or eliminated it, according to data from the Springboard to Active Schools group and U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The group is pushing schools to reverse that trend, recommending at least 20 minutes of daily recess and multiple breaks. It further warned against using it as punishment.

“If the child is disruptive or rude and disrespectful, recess is one of the things that teachers use to punish kids,” Murray said, noting that those students often need it most.

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Doctors also stress that recess isn’t just for younger children. As screen time rises, older students need time to unplug, move and recharge.

“As kids get older, they’re more on their screens,” said Dr. Lauren Fiechtner, a pediatric specialist. “So it’s really helpful, I think, for outdoor activity and recess to be happening. Recess is great. We all kind of need recess.”

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In other countries such as Denmark, Japan and the United Kingdom, students already get more frequent breaks, often after every 45 to 50 minutes of instruction. Experts say this model could help U.S. schools improve both learning and student well-being.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

The cruise ship linked to a deadly Hantavirus outbreak arrived early Sunday off the Spanish island of Tenerife, where passengers began to evacuate and fly to their home countries.

Passengers are being tested by Spanish health authorities to ensure they are asymptomatic before being transported ashore in small boats, Spanish officials said, according to Reuters.

Spanish health authorities confirmed that the first plane carrying the Spanish passengers has departed for a military hospital in Madrid, where they will be under quarantine.

The 17 Americans aboard the MV Hondius will be flown to a medical center in Nebraska after health officials allow them to disembark.

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A Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) official told ABC News on Saturday morning that federal officials currently do not plan to mandate quarantine when the American passengers arrive in Nebraska.

They will instead be screened upon arrival in the U.S. and either stay briefly at Nebraska’s National Quarantine Unit or return home to monitor for symptoms for 42 days while staying in contact with local health authorities, the official said.

The ship set course for Spain on Wednesday from the coast of Cape Verde after the WHO and European Union requested assistance in managing the outbreak.

The ship’s arrival comes hours after World Health Organization Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus arrived on the island.

The WHO said Friday that eight people aboard the ship had fallen ill, including three who died. Six cases have been confirmed, with two others suspected.

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In a statement Saturday, Ghebreyesus said the public health risk remains low.

“I know you are worried. I know that when you hear the word ‘outbreak’ and watch a ship sail toward your shores, memories surface that none of us have fully put to rest,” he said.

“The pain of 2020 is still real, and I do not dismiss it for a single moment. But I need you to hear me clearly: this is not another COVID-19. The current public health risk from Hantavirus remains low. My colleagues and I have said this unequivocally, and I will say it again to you now,” he continued.

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Ghebreyesus noted that the virus identified aboard the ship is the Andes strain of hantavirus, which can be severe.

“Three people have lost their lives, and our hearts go out to their families,” he wrote, reiterating that the public health risk posed by the virus remained low.

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About 30 crew members are expected to remain on board as the vessel continues to the Netherlands, where it will be disinfected.

Fox News Digital’s Robert McGreevy, The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.

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