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The Best Episodes of Recess

Every episode of Recess ranked from best to worst. Let's dive into the Best Episodes of Recess!

Binge this in 23h 50m•Peaking at 8.3/10

Join a group of six fourth-grade best friends at Third Street Elementary School on their fun-filled adventures in their school playground. Through the ups-and-downs of adolescence, they must wrestle with authority, avoid the school snitch,

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Episode Rankings

  1. #1 Fan Favorite
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    Recess Season 3 Episode 3 - Dodgeball City
    8.3/10(179 votes)

    #1 - Dodgeball City

    S3:E3

    The main kids discover that Gus was once a notorious dodgeball player who went by the name of El Diablo.

    Director:Howy Parkins
    Writers:Mark Drop, Phil Walsh, Gil Evans

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  2. Recess Season 4 Episode 14 - The Rules
    8.0/10(136 votes)

    #2 - The Rules

    S4:E14

    The original 1935 edition of The Rules of the Playground is discovered in the library.

    Director:Howy Parkins
    Writers:Etan Cohen, Bart Jennett

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  3. Recess Season 1 Episode 3 - The Experiment
    7.9/10(207 votes)

    #3 - The Experiment

    S1:E3

    The kids carry out a crucial experiment to see if it's really true that kissing each other is an inevitable part of their future.

    Director:Chuck Sheetz
    Writer:Lesa Kite

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  4. Recess Season 1 Episode 25 - Parents' Night
    7.9/10(185 votes)

    #4 - Parents' Night

    S1:E25

    Spinelli will do anything to keep her parents from attending parents' night and meeting the others.

    Director:Chuck Sheetz
    Writer:Holly Huckins

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  5. Recess Season 6 Episode 5 - Lost Leader
    7.9/10(141 votes)

    #5 - Lost Leader

    S6:E5

    When one of T.J.s plans goes wrong and Gus breaks his leg he won't make another plan. It's up to the others to get T.J. back to his old self

    Director:Howy Parkins
    Writers:Bart Jennett, Randy Fechtor

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  6. Recess Season 3 Episode 10 - Lord of the Nerds
    7.8/10(148 votes)

    #6 - Lord of the Nerds

    S3:E10

    T.J. breaks his clavicle and now has to spend recess with the ""pale kids"" in Room 51.

    Directors:Chuck Sheetz, Howy Parkins
    Writer:Ford Riley

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    The 20 WORST Episodes of Recess

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  7. Recess Season 4 Episode 1 - The First Picture Show
    7.8/10(136 votes)

    #7 - The First Picture Show

    S4:E1

    Señor Fusion: the Movie finally opens and T.J. vows to be there at its first screening.

    Director:Chuck Sheetz
    Writer:Richard Whitley

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  8. Recess Season 4 Episode 21 - Schoolworld
    7.8/10(135 votes)

    #8 - Schoolworld

    S4:E21

    The school gets a new technology system installed called the SAL 3000 which controls everything.

    Director:Howy Parkins
    Writer:Scott Shelley

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  9. Recess Season 4 Episode 23 - The Dude
    7.8/10(138 votes)

    #9 - The Dude

    S4:E23

    T.J. and the gang meet Mr. Dudicoff, a student teacher who was a legend at 3rd Street School back in the day.

    Director:Howy Parkins
    Writer:Richard Whitley

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  10. Recess Season 4 Episode 34 - Soccer Boy
    7.8/10(134 votes)

    #10 - Soccer Boy

    S4:E34

    Mikey makes the other kids regret not letting them play on their team for the playground's soccer tourney.

    Director:Howy Parkins
    Writers:Bart Jennett, Scott Redman

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  11. Recess Season 6 Episode 1 - Terrifying Tales of Recess
    7.8/10(154 votes)

    #11 - Terrifying Tales of Recess

    S6:E1

    In this Hallowe'en episode, Butch tells us three terrifying tales of Recess. Children of the Cornchip: Cornchip Girl eats some untested cornchips and turns into a werekid! The gang have to save her. When Bikes Attack!: The bikes that the kids ride to school everyday become alive and turn against their riders. Night of the Living Finsters: Lawson challenges Vince to spend the night in the graveyard, only for the gang to discover that the school is built on the Finster family graveyard.

    Director:Howy Parkins
    Writers:Bart Jennett, Mark Archuleta, Jack Monaco

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  12. Recess Season 1 Episode 5 - Jinxed
    7.7/10(200 votes)

    #12 - Jinxed

    S1:E5

    The Ashleys jinx Gus according to the playground rules so that he can't talk until his friends say his name.

    Director:Chuck Sheetz
    Writer:Scott Shelley

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  13. Recess Season 3 Episode 16 - The Ratings Game
    7.7/10(152 votes)

    #13 - The Ratings Game

    S3:E16

    Everyone is segregrated once the Ashley's start giving ratings to everyone on the playground.

    Director:Howy Parkins
    Writers:Holly Huckins, Ilana Wernick

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  14. Recess Season 4 Episode 2 - The Big Prank
    7.7/10(136 votes)

    #14 - The Big Prank

    S4:E2

    The kids rope T.J. into a challenge to play a prank on King Bob before the end of the school day.

    Director:Chuck Sheetz
    Writer:Gregg Taylor

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  15. Recess Season 4 Episode 4 - The Spy Who Came In from the Playground
    7.7/10(139 votes)

    #15 - The Spy Who Came In from the Playground

    S4:E4

    The main kids make a friend of new kid James Stone and show him all their little schemes, but soon regret that.

    Director:Chuck Sheetz
    Writer:Michael L. Kramer

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  16. Recess Season 4 Episode 27 - Spinelli's Masterpiece
    7.7/10(140 votes)

    #16 - Spinelli's Masterpiece

    S4:E27

    Spinelli channels her anger into a playground chalk drawing.

    Director:Brenda Piluso
    Writer:Ford Riley

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  17. Recess Season 4 Episode 31 - Don't Ask Me
    7.7/10(138 votes)

    #17 - Don't Ask Me

    S4:E31

    Spinelli becomes popular as an advice giver when she sits in for Guru Kid.

    Director:Howy Parkins
    Writers:Sandy Adomaitis, Libby Bideau

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  18. Recess Season 4 Episode 32 - The Secret Life of Grotke
    7.7/10(129 votes)

    #18 - The Secret Life of Grotke

    S4:E32

    Ms. Grotke's strange behavior makes the kids think that she's a spy.

    Director:Howy Parkins
    Writer:Ford Riley

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  19. Recess Season 4 Episode 35 - Fort Tender
    7.7/10(126 votes)

    #19 - Fort Tender

    S4:E35

    The bored main kids build their own fort. But then Lawson takes it over.

    Director:Howy Parkins
    Writer:Nick DuBois

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  20. Recess Season 1 Episode 21 - Rainy Days
    7.6/10(192 votes)

    #20 - Rainy Days

    S1:E21

    The kids grow increasingly frustrated when rain keeps then indoors for recess days on end.

    Director:Chuck Sheetz
    Writer:Lane Raichert

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  21. Recess Season 1 Episode 23 - The Voice
    7.6/10(195 votes)

    #21 - The Voice

    S1:E23

    Principal Prickly needs Mikey to sing the National Anthem at the PTA Spring Fling, but Mikey only sings well in the bathroom. So he brings in a music teacher to bring the Robert Goulet out of Mikey.

    Directors:Susie Dietter, Chuck Sheetz
    Writer:Jonathan Greenberg

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  22. Recess Season 1 Episode 26 - Swing on Thru to the Other Side
    7.6/10(173 votes)

    #22 - Swing on Thru to the Other Side

    S1:E26

    Spinelli is inspired to form a cult based on the Swinger Girl when she thinks she's seen her swing over the top into another dimension.

    Director:Chuck Sheetz
    Writer:Joe Ansolabehere

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  23. Recess Season 3 Episode 1 - One Stayed Clean
    7.6/10(147 votes)

    #23 - One Stayed Clean

    S3:E1

    On class picture day, the kids vow to keep Gus clean as he's never had a class picture of him taken.

    Director:Chuck Sheetz
    Writers:Gregg Taylor, Bart Jennett

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  24. Recess Season 3 Episode 2 - A Genius Among Us
    7.6/10(138 votes)

    #24 - A Genius Among Us

    S3:E2

    Someone else besides Gretchen is a math genius, and through math, Gretchen starts a close relationship with this person.

    Director:Chuck Sheetz
    Writer:Brian Hamill

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  25. Recess Season 3 Episode 4 - A Career to Remember
    7.6/10(137 votes)

    #25 - A Career to Remember

    S3:E4

    A career day assembly gets all the kids to decide their future careers. That is all except Spinelli.

    Director:Brenda Piluso
    Writers:Mark Drop, Phil Walsh, Lesley Wolff

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Best Episodes Summary

"Dodgeball City" is the best rated episode of "Recess". It scored 8.3/10 based on 179 votes. Directed by Howy Parkins and written by Mark Drop, Phil Walsh, Gil Evans, it aired on 9/18/1999. This episode scored 0.3 points higher than the second highest rated, "The Rules".