Learn how to implement and use brain breaks for kindergarten and first grade learners in the classroom to boost learning and engage students.
We loved making this brain hat (UPDATE: if that link won't work for you, try this : Go to the link here: https://ellenjmchenry.com/ and...
Do you teach a wiggle worm? Or perhaps your learner(s) have been sitting for a while and you can see the energy level going down. Enter wiggle brain breaks! These wiggle brain breaks can help wake up and recharge the brain, something I particularly need after lunch! *This post contains affiliate links. **The free printable can ... Read More about 20+ FREE Wiggle Brain Breaks
Try these fun brain break ideas to help active kids stay focused and learn at their best like yoga, Go Noodle, and printable cards.
Check out this free list of brain breaks for kids that you can do in your upper elementary classroom. Refresh their brains with easy and fun brain breaks!
If you're thinking of a fun way to teach your kids about the human brain, try these awesome Human Brain Activities for Kids that they will definitely enjoy.
Discover the best diet for the brain with the 11 most important foods for brain health and how to improve brain function naturally.
Your baby is growing up quickly and is having a whale of a time making discoveries and exploring new things. Of course, your excitement to knows no bounds. However, for your child to master important motor skills, it’s vital that she has good bilateral coordination.
When I moved to my current school the department chair made it clear that we should “teach bell to bell.” I understand the logic in this, and sometimes class does last exactly 50 minutes. But if EVERY teacher taught bell to bell EVERY period, students would never have time to give their brain a break. ... Read more
Tired of the same GoNoodle videos? Break out of your brain break rut with these 6 new ideas that your students are sure to love.
Brain breaks for middle school students are extremely important not only for everyone's sanity, but for their brain development.
Tired of the same GoNoodle videos? Break out of your brain break rut with these 6 new ideas that your students are sure to love.
Games are a tried and true way to engage students. Whether teaching in-person or remotely via a live session like Zoom or Google Meets, teachers know that games, brain breaks, and icebreakers are an awesome way to get students actively involved in learning. With the ever-changing landscape of education, I thought it might be nice to compile some versatile activities that challenge students in really fun ways. Best part? These activities are very low prep and work in a variety of settings. These activities encourage students to listen, solve problems, be creative, and practice critical skills. They're designed to be easy to do with little to no prep. You can easily add one of these games to any lesson as a warm-up, closure, community building activity, or lesson extender. GAMES & ACTIVITIES ⭐How Many? Give students a category and then challenge students to see how many different things they can fit within that classification. At first students will respond with obvious ideas. However, as they brainstorm, their ideas will stretch and their creativity will grow. Students can jot their ideas down on scrap paper and earn points for each unique response when they share out. Here are some categories to get started: occupations, things that are slimy, things that roll, animal noises, articles of clothing ⭐Listen Carefully: Read a short passage out loud to students. Then, have them answer questions based on what they can remember. Make it especially fun by awarding points for every answer that students get right. You can change up this activity by reading two versions of the same story. Mix up some of the details in the second version for students to listen for. Give this activity a try with the passages in this set of FREE Brain Bursts. Add your information below and then check your inbox! ⮟⮟⮟⮟⮟⮟⮟⮟ ⭐Silly Silent Spelling: Practice spelling words in a super silly way. Explain to students that you are going to be giving them a practice spelling test (definitely NOT the real thing). Just like a typical practice test, they'll listen for the word and write it down. However, here's the catch: you're only going to silently mouth the words. Students will need to read your lips to figure out what word they will need to write down. Of course, figuring out a word from a silent cue is not easy. That's what makes this fun. Students will write down some wild guesses as they spell their way through this game. ⭐One Word: Pose a fun question to the class and have them all think of a one-word answer. Then, give every student a chance to share their responses as you call on each of them. Here are some questions to get started: --- If you were a type of dessert, what would you be? --- Where do you feel happiest? --- How would a soccer ball describe its day? --- Where is somewhere that you would like to visit? --- What would be the perfect gift for you? ⭐Mystery Item: This activity is quick and easy to play. To prepare, write 5 or 6 clues about an object. Make the clues gradually increase in their specificity. Then, read the clues to students as they jot down their guesses for the mystery item until you reveal the answer. ⭐Punchline: Start telling a joke to students, and then have them guess the punchline. Find a ton of jokes for kids here. ⭐Strike a Pose: Explain to students that they are going to pretend that they are in a photograph. They will need to imagine that the photo was taken at the height of the event. All they have to do is strike a pose after you give them a situation. For instance, you might say, "haunted house," and then students would freeze in a pose that shows them frightened or terrified. Here are a few situations to try: Dentist Office, Roller Coaster, Last Day of School, Scary Movie, Food Fight, Race ⭐Timed Writing Activities: Engage students with a creative writing prompt. Then, "amp up" the fun factor by adding a timed element. Challenge students to race the clock as they write as much as they can in a fixed time period. Find my favorite prompts here. ⭐And Then...: This is a listening game for the entire class. Students will need to listen to and add to a growing story. You'll start the story with an opener like, "At the zoo, I decided to open the lion's cage, and then..." Next, you'll call on a student to explain what happened next. That student will add one line and the phrase "and then" before selecting another student to add to the story. ⭐Listen and Draw: Students love this activity! To prepare, create a simple illustration filled with shapes and designs. Then, write out the directions for students. Have students complete the activity on a piece of paper. Read each direction to students and challenge them to replicate the illustration you instructed them to draw. (These are included in the exclusive freebie below.) ⭐Class Pet: Pretend that you have a new class pet. Explain to students that they will need to guess the type of animal. Students will need to ask questions and write their guesses on a piece of paper when they think they have figured out the new class pet. ⭐Add the Ending: Engage students as they practice writing and storytelling skills with this activity. First, students will listen to the beginning of a story that you read to them. Then, they'll take over the writing and complete the story. The story starters are a fun way to motivate students to write. ⭐Alien, Tiger, and Cat: Here's an improvisational theatre game that works in the classroom. Explain to students that they can be one of three things: an alien, a cat, or a tiger. If they choose to be an alien, they need to hold their pointer fingers next to their head (like antennae) and say "bleeb, bleeb." To be a cat, they need to rub their wrist along their face (like a cat cleaning itself) and say "meow." Finally, to be a tiger they need to push their hand forward with a claw stance and roar. On your cue, every student will choose and act like an animal. The goal is to get everyone to choose the same animal (which is nearly impossible, but fun to try). ⭐Rapid Recall: Create a list of random words. Then, read the list of words to students. As you read the words, you might have students put their hands on their heads so that you know for sure that they aren't taking notes. Once you've read the words to students once or twice, wait about a minute before letting students write down every word that they remember. (Find ready-made lists in this complete resource.) ⭐Finish the Fact: Share the beginning of a fact with students. Then, challenge them to complete the fact. Have them share their guesses before revealing the complete fact. Find a collection of random facts here. Want a free set of virtual classroom activities designed to be NO PREP and NO COPIES? Just add your name and email below. ⮟⮟⮟⮟⮟⮟⮟⮟ BONUS: Here's one more idea: ⭐Paper Airplanes: Help students practice following directions by challenging them to fold a paper airplane by following your directions. To get started, choose a paper airplane design to have students fold. Then, have students take out a piece of paper. They'll need to listen carefully to each of your directions to make their paper airplane. Wishing you tons of fun in your (virtual) classroom, Mary Beth P.S. Find a TON of ready-made activities HERE.
Tired of the same GoNoodle videos? Break out of your brain break rut with these 6 new ideas that your students are sure to love.
My Zettelkasten workflow is the basic Zettelkasten method, but modified to work for me as a fiction writer.
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10 whiteboard activity ideas. A compilation of ideas for activities to do on a whiteboard. A versitile tool for anyone working with others.
Crafts, activities, and printables you can use during your brain or nervous system unit study
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Brain dump planner is a simple yet effective tool that allows you to unload your brain's contents onto paper and organize them in a structured and actionable format. Download and print!
To learn why crossing the midline is key for everything from emotional regulation, fine and gross motor skills, reading and writing, and better behavior, click through to read this post now or pin for later! #brainintegration #crossingthemidline #braingym #emotionalregulation #childdevelopment#learntoread
Also known as sensory breaks, the energizing brain breaks help improve attention, focus, retention, self-regulation, and more!
This fun, quick, activity can be used as Thursday morning work or well... any time. I use it as part of my weekly morning work. This is definitely the favorite! Math Journal Monday, ABC Tuesdays, Work On Writing Wednesday, Think Outside the Box Thursday, and Word Search Friday are our morning work c...
a lack of motivation A lack of motivation is a common challenge that many people with ADHD experience. The brain's reward system, responsible for
These Google Slides provide a quick resource for FREE to get you started with a daily brain break in Spanish class! Check them out!
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Print This CraftThis Olympic Memory Game provides an opportunity for kids to get into the Olympic spirit and also practice ... Read More
We are currently doing a short study of the human body. We recently finished up our unit on the Brain and Nerves, and here are some of the activities we did and resources we used.
Free crossword puzzle printable for kids. Beach themed puzzle for ages 6-10. Challenging, brain buster activities for kids.
Did you know that after nine minutes of an online class most kids start to tune out? You can increase that number to somewhere between 10-30 minutes for in-person classes. Kids (and adults!) have a limited attention span which makes planning for breaks an essential part of any lesson. So, please, please, please… pause that
Crossing the midline activities for kids. What on earth are those? Sometimes in the educational world we start speaking a slightly different language than 'normal' people. Not that teachers aren't normal ... though ... you do need to be a little insane to work with small children all day long, don't you? Anyways. I had
Work brain breaks into your regular daily activities with this simple Transportation Theme Brain Break Cube! The prep for this activity is easy. There are two options for the dice itself. First we have a large, color insert set that will fit inside a Differentiated Instruction Cube. You can cut each piece out and slide into the cube and begin playing. We also have a black and white version of this as well. If you do not have a differentiated instruction cube, I have also included a printable cube template. Transportation Brain Break Activities Included: "Choo-choo" like a train. Bob like a boat. Drive the bus. Zoom like an airplane. Peddle a bicycle. Spin like a helicopter. This is a digital file. You will receive the PDF or .zip file for you to download and print.
