Do you use Brain Breaks with your students? You should!
This amazing guest post about why kids need to move from pediatric occupational therapist Loren Shlaes was so popular that I decided to follow it up with a list of Brain Breaks for kids!
These are great to use anytime your students are feeling restless and are struggling to pay attention. Most of these will only take a few minutes, and then you can get back to the lesson with your students ready to focus on the lesson at hand.
In this simple game, students stand up and the teacher (or leader) has them do five different movements in descending order. For example, the teacher would say: “Do five jumping jacks, spin around four times, hop on one foot three times, walk all the way around the classroom two times, give your neighbor one high-five (pausing in between each task for students to do it).
Have students stand behind their pushed-in chairs. Call out a trait, and everyone who has that trait must change places with someone else (students who do not have the trait stay where they are). Examples: “Everyone with curly hair.” “Everyone who ate cereal for breakfast.” “Everyone who is wearing stripes.”
Number six spots around your room from 1-6. Have students each go to a spot of their choice. Choose a student to roll a die (if you can make a big one out of foam, it adds to the fun). All the students at the number rolled must go back to their seats. Students that are left go to a new spot, and the die is rolled again. Continue until only a few students are left.
You can click here for a digital dice you can project! Here’s another way to roll a brain break!
In this game, students mill about the classroom saying, “mingle, mingle, mingle” in soft voices until the teacher says, “Groups of 5,” at which point the students must quickly group themselves into groups with the correct number of people. Students who are left over must do three jumping jacks before the next round starts. The teacher can call out any number for the group size. You can also add rules such as: as soon as a group is complete, all members must sit down in a line.
Put on some rockin’ music and dance! If you can make the room semi-dark and have a black light or other special effect, your kids will love it!
Similar to Dance Party, except that every so often the music stops, and students must freeze and hold the position they are in until the music begins again.
Students stand behind their chairs. In turn, each student says his or her name accompanied by a special movement. For example, a student might say, “Kayla!” while dramatically dropping to one knee and doing Jazz Hands. After the student does his or her move, the rest of the class says the student’s name in unison and imitates the move. Then it is the next student’s turn.
Students must keep a beach ball from hitting the ground. Add two or three balls to make it even more fun.
An oldie but a goody!
Sing a song with whole-body movements, such as, “Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes,” “Father Abraham,” “Toe-Knee Chest-Nut,” “Shake Your Sillies Out (Raffie),” “Grand Old Duke of York,” “My Bonnie Lies over the Ocean,” etc. Be sure and check out our new blog post: Brain Breaks for the Online Classroom TAG: Brain Breaks
Older students might enjoy a simple Zumba routine, YMCA, or the Macarena. Littler ones will love Sesame Street’s A Very Simple Dance to Do.
Younger children will enjoy pretending to be various animals (or even objects such as lawn mowers or airplanes). Call out a few in sequence.
Ask a “would you rather” question and have students show their choice by moving to one end of the room or the other. Have a few kids share why. Here are 20 free “Would You Rather” Questions to get you started.
Call out a color or other trait (e.g., something round, something made of wood), and students must find an object in the room that fits the trait and get to it quickly.
Challenge students to do something physically difficult, such as standing on one foot with arms extended, or this one: Grab your nose with left hand, and grab your left earlobe with your right hand, and then quickly switch so that your right hand is on your nose and your left hand is grabbing your right earlobe. Yoga poses could also be a good variation.
Give each student a paper plate. Students must walk around the room balancing the plates on their heads. If a student drops his or her plate, the student must freeze until another student picks it up and places it back on the student’s head (while keeping his or her own plate in place, of course).
Have students line up using a specific criteria, such as age (use day and month, not just year), height, alphabetically by middle name, hair length, etc.
All you need is a long stick and a pair of kids to hold it. Music is nice, too.
Divide students into groups of about eight students. Have students each grab right hands with someone who is not directly next to them. Then do the same with left hands. The challenge is to untangle and become a circle without releasing hands.
Have students count by twos, fives, tens, etc. while jumping with each count. You could also practice spelling words this way.
When we are forced to sit still for long periods, we are either in one of two states: the just right state, meaning that our bodies can support our ability to stay present by remaining effortlessly aroused and upright, or in a sensory needs state, which means that we cannot attend because our bodies need something to help our brains stay alert and ready to learn. The just right state doesn’t last long when we are forced to sit without moving, unless what is happening in the room is highly interesting and engages our full attention.
Loren Shlaes, Pediatric Occupational Therapist
That is why I created this set of 60 Brain Break cards for classroom use. Before I began, I looked at a lot of sources for brain breaks and also called on my own experience as a teacher, a camp counselor (from waaaaaay back when), and (briefly) a student of improv. The result is a unique set of brain break task cards that all meet the following criteria:
In addition to the brain break cards, there is also a list of suggestions for use. I am confident that you will get years of use from these cards and that they will not only make your students happy and attentive but will also save your sanity!
Whether you’re teaching 5th grade or kindergarten brain breaks belong in your daily routine and can significantly boost students’ mental health, focus, and overall classroom experience.
These short, engaging activities are perfect for providing a much-needed mental break, especially during long periods of instruction. With a wide range of ideas (I mostly used 4th grade brain breaks!) available, it’s easy to find activities that cater to different interests and energy levels.
As educators, it’s essential to keep our classroom ideas fresh and engaging, and incorporating these brain breaks can be a game-changer for indoor recess or as a quick pick-me-up during the school day.
By making time for these rejuvenating exercises, you’ll create a positive classroom environment that helps your students develop healthy habits for managing stress and maintaining focus.
So go ahead, give these brain breaks a try, and watch your students flourish both academically and socially!
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