Recess is much more than a break. Daily recess helps young children and teenagers build executive function skills such as planning and self-control, along with focus, creativity and physical and mental health. The American Academy of Pediatrics notes that cutting play time to fit in more academic work can backfire. Even so, many schools have cut recess in recent decades, and many US states don't require it. The amount of time children spend at recess varies widely between schools.

Hampi is a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Karnataka, India, with more than 1,600 surviving remains spread over 4,100 hectares. It was the capital of the Vijayanagara Empire from 1336 to 1565. Travellers from Persia and Portugal described it as a prosperous, wealthy and grand city with temples, markets and farms along the Tungabhadra River. By 1500 it was estimated to be the world's second-largest city after Beijing, and probably India's richest at the time. In 1565 a coalition of Muslim sultanates defeated the Vijayanagara Empire, its capital was conquered and destroyed, and the city was left in ruins. Hampi remains a religious centre, with the active Virupaksha Temple at its heart.