Brain Breaks Ideas
Bleacher Dance – Robyn Bretzing
Firework
Forward 3 steps clap
Backward 3 steps clap
Punch right, left, 2 right
Punch left, right 2 left
4 count kick circle to left
4 count tap circle to right
4 count wave to the right
4 count wave to the left
Activities to Get Students Moving
Jammin Minute - http://www.jamschoolprogram.com/
Jammin Minute – on Youtube
Fit Dice/Fit Deck – can be purchased from most PE suppliers
Rubber Band Activities – Use packing rubber bands found Officemax
1) Rubber band under foot do curls (straight, across body)
2) Around ankles pushing out with legs
3) Arms out in from pulling rubber band out
4) One hand stationery out in front pulling other arm out
5) Hands above head, pulling arms apart
6) Hands behind back pulling arms apart
7) One hand stationery out in front and putting back
Letters w/ foot – sit on edge of seat and draw alphabet, numbers, spelling words with foot. Have leg extended straight out in front of body.
My Bonnie - Recite the words to My Bonnie Lies Over the Ocean. Every time the B sound is made sit down or stand up doing the opposite as you were doing. When this becomes easy, sit down or stand up for all of the B and M sounds.
Answering Questions – Instead of having students raise their hands when they know the answer to a question, have them do a physical activity. For example, have students stand when they know the answer or jump out of their seat.
Activities for a Short Break
Paper Spiral – Put paper in one hand spin it under arm and behind back. Switch hands behind back and bring paper under arm back around to front of body.
Crab – Put hands together touching all finger tips. Bend middle finger so your knuckles are touching. Lift thumbs, put down, lift pointer, put down, lift pinky, put down and finally ring fingers
Spiral Figure 8’s – take spiral and put it around legs as in a figure 8.
Finger to Nose – put right finger on nose. Reach left arm through right arm and touch ear. Switch putting left finger on nose and right arm through left and touch left ear lobe.
Guns and Roses – make a fist with one hand (rose) and point index finger out and thumb up like a gun with the other hand. Switch so the other hand is doing the opposite.
Foot Circle – Circle one foot around clockwise. With finger make a 6 without changing the direction of your foot.
Activities for Your Curriculum
Rock, Paper, Math – Play as if you are playing rock, paper, scissors but when you put out rock, paper, scissors just put out a number of fingers instead. Then each person in the group tries to add, subtract or multiply the numbers as fast as they can. The first person to answer correctly wins.
Quick Draw Math – Played the same way as Rock, Paper, Math but students have hands at their sides as if in holsters. On the work draw, they put fingers out in front to add, subtract or multiply.
Snow Ball – Have students write a vocabulary word or math problem on a full sheet of paper. On the back, write the definition or answer to the problem. Then have them form the paper into a ball. Have students throw their “snowball” and then pick up two others and throw them. On the forth one they pick up, have the students unwrap the paper and solve the problem or name the correct definition or word.
Ball Bounce w/ vocabulary or math facts – Get students into small group, Tape vocabulary words or math facts to a ball that bounces. Have students bounce the ball to each other. When they catch the ball they must give the definition of the word that they see or the math problem they see.
Frozen Vocabulary – Have students do a physical activity such as jumping jack until the teacher says a vocabulary word. At that point the entire class stops doing the activity until someone can say the definition or use the word correctly in a sentence.
Jump or bounce a ball while doing math facts or spelling words
Resources
Books
Spark – John J. Ratey
Activities that Teach – Tom Jackson
Promoting Physical Activity in the Classroom – Pangrazi/Beighle/Pangrazi
Energizing Brain Breaks – David Sladkey
The Kinesthetic Classroom – Traci Lengel/ Mike Kuczala
Webpages
YouTube
EMC Brain Break Page – http://alturl.com/a6z4q
Energizing Brain Break Contest – http://alturl.com/ys9br
Energizers from East Carolina University – http://alturl.com/8735h
Game
Brain Break Game by Cranium – Can be found at Target or Walmart for about $13
Charity Campbell –
Charity Campbell
2012 Iowa Teacher of the Year