I know how important it is to keep our kids and students focused and energized throughout the day. And let's be honest, sometimes it's a struggle ...
Teachers are sometimes looking for movement and activity videos that they can use in the classroom. They may need movement ideas for throughout the day when kids need a brain break or they may want to start the day with a movement activity. Other times, kids need a movement “wake up” midway through the day ... Read more
This Brain Break is usually easier on one side or the other. Try it out and see. 1. Stand up. 2. Make an X with your arms out in front of you. Move your palms to face you with your fingers up in the air. Lock your thumbs together. 3. With your index finger on your right hand, try to touch each of the finger tips of your other hand, one by one. 4. Now take your middle finger on your right hand and do the same thing and touch the finger tips of your other hand one by one. 5. Do this same process for your ring finger and pinkie on your right hand. 6. Now do the process for your left hand index, middle, ring and pinkie fingers.
Oh my goodness do these "Brain Break" YouTube videos come in handy. They are so awesome to put on if it is a rainy day, the kids have too much energy, they need to get up and off the couch, or you just really want a good nap time. If you're unfamiliar, "Brain Break" YouTube
Perfect for re-charging and re-focusing, these 10 great Youtube videos will get your kids moving and grooving as they cross that all important midline. Great for brain breaks at school or at home.
Good Morning! I hope everyone is having a good week so far. I'm home today with my little one who isn't feeling to good. So I thought I'd do...
Are you looking for quick ways to give your students much-needed mental breaks throughout the day? You’re in luck! Here are 16 exciting brain break games, activities, videos and more for your students that are fast and easy to implement.
Pretty impressed with my students - first time playing this game! #brainbreak #classroom #elementaryteachers
Perfect for re-charging and re-focusing, these 10 great Youtube videos will get your kids moving and grooving as they cross that all important midline. Great for brain breaks at school or at home.
This helpful resource has a variety of brain breaks organized into the following categories: - Dance Brain Breaks - Scratch Garden Brain Breaks - Calming Brain Breaks - Bari Koral- Yoga - Phonological awareness dance videos - Super Simple Songs - Math Songs - Jack Hartmann- Interactive Songs - Calming Music (instrumental music videos) Great resource to use in a preschool/early childhood classroom to quickly find brain breaks and appropriate videos during transition times!
The best brain breaks songs for your preschool or pre-k kids. Your kids will have a blast moving and grooving to these fun songs!
I have put together an AMAZING list of BRAIN BREAKS and EDUCATIONAL YOUTUBE VIDEOS BELOW that can be used throughout the day to help your...
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.
Looking for fun and energizing YouTube brain break videos to keep your kids moving? Check out this list of the best Brain Break YouTube channels for kids.
Brain break idea with Play-Doh! I love getting students involved by using their suggestions. It is so sweet to see how encouraging they are to each other and how excited they are to show their...
Brain breaks that keep students socially distanced will be much needed this year. We've heard many teachers say that their students will not be allowed to leave the classroom as they did before. Teachers will be rotating to them, recess is a big question mark, and all meals will be eaten at their desks.
