Brain Breaks
This tab is to help you with:
- Fun energizers
- Giving students a quick 30 second to 5 minute break every 30-60 minutes
- Getting your students energized and refreshed
YouTube
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Guided Visualization (Mindfulness Time)
- Have a short talk with students about respect and not interfering with anyone else
- If students do not wish to participate, they must still sit quietly with their eyes down to give other students nonjudgemental privacy
- Tell students of the health benefits of relaxing the mind and body
- Ask students to sit upright with their hands on their laps, close their eyes, and breathe deeply
- Put on a 2-5 minute guided visualization from YouTube or from calm.com
Chair Yoga
Teacher guides a few simply poses while students are seated.
- Inhale and raise both arms up.
- Exhale and lower both arms down by sides.
- Repeat.
- Inhale and reach right arm up.
- Exhale and lean to left side (as shown in picture)
- Repeat with left arm toward right side.
- Inhale and arch back by sticking chest forward.
- Exhale and crouch back by hunching shoulders forward.
- Repeat.
For more yoga poses Google image search "chair yoga" or visit http://www.chopra.com/ccl/video/chair-yoga-flow-for-all-levels
Silent Arrangement Challenge (Seating Plan for Mimes)
This can also be an ice-breaker activity.
- Tell students to form a seating plan in alphabetical order WITHOUT any talking.
- Students may use hand gestures and mouth words, but may not make any sound.
Class Bingo
This can also be an ice-breaker activity.
Teacher creates the bingo template filled with random facts about students. (i.e. Greens eyes, more than 4 siblings, etc...)
Teacher creates the bingo template filled with random facts about students. (i.e. Greens eyes, more than 4 siblings, etc...)
- Students all receive the same copy.
- To win, students must find classmates who matches the descriptions on the bingo card.
- No name can be used more than once.
Double-Double
Grab a partner and form an inside/outside circle.
- Every time teacher says "double," students will fist pound.
- Every time teacher says "this," students will high-five.
- Every time teacher says "that," students will use their back-hands to high-five.
- Teacher says "double double this this, double double that that, double this, double that, double double this that."
Gimme 5!
All students must get out of seat and take at least 3 steps away from their desks.
- All students find 5 people to high-five
- While giving the 5 high-fives, each student must tell the other "you're awesome!" to boost class morale and develop a positive environment
Math Facts
Fun even if students are weak in mental math!
- Have students stand back to back in pairs
- Each student holds up between 1 and 10 fingers
- When teacher says, students turn around and add all fingers
- The first student to add all fingers correctly wins. Option: have losing student do push-up, jumping jack, air squat, or turn around three times.
Head-Shoulders-Knees-and-Toes
This can be a variation done as the original song.
- Without music, have students stand up and touch their head, then shoulders, then knees, and offer students (if they wish) to try touching their toes.
- The teacher can repeat this process at a quicker pace, and can even include pointing to the eyes, ears, mouth, and nose.
- Another variation can use a song or video to follow pace with.
Pen Flip
Have students stand up to increase their circulation.
- Take a pen and flip it ONE REVOLUTION. If the ink tip starts facing your body, then toss it in the air and let the ink side return to face your body again.
- Repeat with non-dominant hand
- Take two pens, one for each hand, and flip at the same time
- Challenge: throw the pens up into the air and catch them in opposite hands
I Like to Move It Move It!
Have a class that enjoys a dance party? Use the following ideas:
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Left-Right Brain Tasks
The following brain breaks are quick exercises that engage both the left and right sides of the brain at the same time.
Winking Snaps
Have students stand up to increase their circulation
To prepare students:
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Challenge:
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Opposing Pinky and Thumb
Have students stand up to increase their circulation.
To prepare students:
To prepare students:
Numbered Alphabet
Have students stand up to increase their circulation
- Students raise one finger and write a letter in the air according to the alphabet
- At the same time, students say out loud a natural counting number
- For example write A say "1," then write B and say "2," then write C and say "3"
- See if your students can make it through the alphabet
Ear-Nose Switch
Have students stand up to increase their circulation
Preparation:
Switch:
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Opposing Hands
Have students stand up to increase their circulation.
- Students move left hand up and down
- At the same time students move right hand left and right
- Image obtained from: http://brainbreaks.blogspot.ca/2014/02/hands-brain-break.html
Several More Active Brain Breaks
Here is a list of the activities and times during the video, by Dave Sladkey:
Ear and Nose (0:30)
Lap Clap (1:30)
Vowels ( 3:00)
Flamingo (5:00)
Numbers (6:50)
Dancing (11:15)
Fish and Snake (14:00)
Tap Your Head and Rub Your Tummy (16:50)
YMCA (19:45)
5 Little Monkey's (22:50)
Let's Go Swimming (25:00)
Let's Make a Pie (28:20)
Ear and Nose (0:30)
Lap Clap (1:30)
Vowels ( 3:00)
Flamingo (5:00)
Numbers (6:50)
Dancing (11:15)
Fish and Snake (14:00)
Tap Your Head and Rub Your Tummy (16:50)
YMCA (19:45)
5 Little Monkey's (22:50)
Let's Go Swimming (25:00)
Let's Make a Pie (28:20)
Other Resources
Many of the above brain break ideas came from: http://brainbreaks.blogspot.ca/ Called "Energizing Brain Breaks"
Keep kids moving by signing up for GoNoodle: https://www.gonoodle.com/
More Brain Energizers www.greeleyschools.org/site/handlers/filedownload.ashx?moduleinstanceid=14648&dataid=12830&FileName=Energizers.pdf
Keep kids moving by signing up for GoNoodle: https://www.gonoodle.com/
More Brain Energizers www.greeleyschools.org/site/handlers/filedownload.ashx?moduleinstanceid=14648&dataid=12830&FileName=Energizers.pdf