A recent report from the Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences found that exercise can improve academic performance, cognitive abilities and health among children.  The study, also concluded, that the benefits of exercise (e.g. physical education. recess) during the school day outweigh the benefits from increased time in the classroom.

Finland’s school system is a prime example of how a focus on play and learning by doing, not testing, result in some of the highest test scores in the world.

http://www.smithsonianmag.com/people-places/Why-Are-Finlands-Schools-Successful.html