Brain Breaks:

PhonicsMan YouTube would you rather body breaks

GoNoodle

5-4-3-2-1 Shake out one arm five times, then the other arm five times, shake out one leg five
times, then the other leg five times repeat with four times down to one time.

Seated and standing stretches

Simon says (do arm circles, touch your toes, balance on one leg, etc.)

https://www.understood.org/articles/en/brain-breaks-what-you-need-to-know

-What are brain breaks?

Brain breaks give students a break from what they are concentrating on.

-Benefits of brain breaks:

Reduce stress, anxiety, and frustration
Help students focus which then leads them to be more productive
Help children self-regulate
Brain breaks allow students to refocus and return to a task which builds self-confidence and
self-esteem

Brain break tips:

It is important to choose the right time for breaks before lack of focus sets in. Elementary
students typically need a brain break after 10 to 15 minutes of work. Middle and high school
students can typically work for 20 to 30 minutes before needing a break.

Trying a quiet activity for a brain break can be just as effective to reset students’ brains as a
physical brain break. Deep breathing or gentle stretching can be used as quiet activities.

Dance breaks can be fun way to refocus and refresh.

It is important that brain breaks are actually breaks. Moving from work to an activity that feels
like more work won’t be an effective way for students to stay focused.

-Examples of movement brain breaks:

-Exercise increases blood flow to the brain which in turn helps with focus and reduces stress
and anxiety
-Children learn more quickly after they have exercised
-Examples of movement brain breaks:
Stretching breaks- yoga poses and animal walks (hop like a frog, walk like a bear, stand like a
flamingo, fly like a bird, etc)
Wall push-ups/Regular push-ups
Yoga ball activities
Sit-ups
Jumping jacks
Running in place as fast as possible
Cross crawls (touch hand to opposite knee)
Rocket ship jumps (bending down, touching toes, and bouncing while counting down from 10,
then blast off)
Snow angles on the floor

-Oral-motor activities like chewing on a crunchy snack or tactile activities like using silly putty
can also be beneficial

Quiet brain breaks:

-Can be beneficial especially for children who can get overstimulated by a physical brain break
-Active brain breaks can be challenging for children to settle back down to start working again
-Actively sitting still while checking your heartbeat can be an example of a quiet brain break
-Guided mediation exercises, directed drawing, or doodling can be effective brain breaks.
-Brain breaks don’t have to be long, but it is important to give the brain time to recharge and
refocus

When to take brain breaks:

-Some children need a brain break when they are feeling frustrated or distracted
-Brain breaks may be a reward for staying on task for a specific length of time
-Brain breaks may be used in order to accomplish a larger goal (an example of this could be
taking a break after 10 minutes of reading in order to complete 30 minutes of reading)
-Brain breaks can be scheduled by interval breaks or ratio breaks. Interval breaks is when
breaks are scheduled in timed intervals. For example, students could work for 10 minutes and
then take a 5-minute break. A timer can be a great tool to use so children know how much time
is passing and helps students become aware of how much they can accomplish in a set amount
of time. It is important to explain how long the break will last and to explain the brain break
itself. Then start the timer. The timer gives a warning to students so they know that the break is
winding down. Verbal reminders can also be a great way to make students aware that the brain
break is over. Ratio breaks are tied to a certain number of behaviours (work better for older
students). Once students complete their math homework they can take a 5 or 10 minute break
before moving on to homework in another subject. Another example could be once students
finish a certain number of math problems they can take a brain break.