20 three-minute brain breaks _ minds in bloom

13.04.2015 20 Three-Minute Brain Breaks | Minds in Bloom

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20ThreeMinuteBrainBreaks

Wednesday'sguestpostaboutwhykidsneedtomovefrompediatricoccupationaltherapistLorenShlaeswassopopularthatIdecidedtofollowitupwithalistofBrainBreaksyoucanusewithyourstudents.Thesearegreattouseanytimeyourstudentsarefeelingrestlessandarestrugglingtopayattention.Mostofthesewillonlytakeafewminutes,andthenyoucangetbacktothelessonwithyourstudentsreadytofocusonthelessonathand.

1. 54321.Inthissimplegame,studentsstandupandtheteacher(orleader)hasthemdofivedifferentmovementsindescendingorder.Forexampletheteacherwouldsay:"Dofivejumpingjacks,spinaroundfourtimes,hopononefootthreetimes,walkallthewayaroundtheclassroomtwotimes,giveyourneighboronehighfive(pausinginbetweeneachtaskforstudentstodoit).

2. TradingPlacesHavestudentsstandbehindtheirpushedinchairs.Calloutatraitandeveryonewhohasthattraitmustchangeplaceswithsomeoneelse(studentswhodonothavethetraitstaywheretheyare).Examples:"Everyonewithcurlyhair.""Everyonewhoatecerealforbreakfast."Everyonewhoiswearingstripes."

3. SixSpotsNumbersixspotsaroundyourroomfrom16.Havestudentseachgotoaspotoftheirchoice.Chooseastudenttorolladie(ifyoucanmakeabigoneoutoffoam,itaddstothefun).Allthestudentsatthenumberrolledmustgobacktotheirseats.Studentsthatareleftgotoanewspotandthedieisrolledagain.Continueuntilonlyafewstudentsareleft.

4. Mingle,Mingle,Group!Inthisgamestudentsmillabouttheclassroomsaying,"mingle,mingle,mingle"insoftvoicesuntiltheteachersays"Groupsof5,"atwhichpointthestudentsmustquicklygroupthemselvesintogroupswiththecorrectnumberofpeople.Studentswhoareleftovermustdothreejumpingjacksbeforethenextroundstarts.Theteachercancalloutanynumberforthegroupsize.Youcanalsoaddrulessuchas:assoonasagroupiscomplete,allmembersmustsitdowninaline.

5. DanceParty!Putonsomerockin'musicanddance!Ifyoucanmaketheroomsemidarkandhaveablacklightorotherspecialeffect,yourkidswillloveit!

6. FreezeDance!SimilartoDancePartyexceptthateverysooftenthemusicstopsandstudentsmustfreezeandholdthepositiontheyareinuntilthemusicbeginsagain.

7. NameMovesStudentsstandbehindtheirchairs.Inturn,eachstudentsayshisorhernameaccompaniedbyaspecialmovement.Forexampleastudentmightsay,"Kayla!"whiledramaticallydroppingtoonekneeanddoingJazzHands.Afterthestudentdoeshisorhermove,therestoftheclasssaysthestudentsnameinunisonandimitatesthemove.Thenitisthenextstudent'sturn.

8. KeepitUp:Studentsmustkeepabeachballfromhittingtheground.Addtwoorthreeballstomakeitevenmorefun.

9. SimonSaysAnoldiebutagoody!

10. MovementSongsSingasongwithwholebodymovementssuchas,Head,Shoulders,Knees,andToes,FatherAbraham,ToeKneeChestNut,ShakeYourSilliesOut(Raffie),GrandOldDukeofYork,MyBonnieLiesovertheOcean

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13.04.2015 20 Three-Minute Brain Breaks | Minds in Bloom

http://www.minds-in-bloom.com/2012/04/20-three-minute-brain-breaks.html 2/7

etc.

11. RecordedMovementSongsOlderstudentsmightenjoyasimpleZumbaroutine,YMCA,ortheMacarena.LittleroneswillloveSesameStreet'sAVerySimpleDancetoDo.

12. AnimalPretendYoungerchildrenwillenjoypretendingtobevariousanimals(orevenobjectssuchaslawnmowersorairplanes).Calloutafewinsequence.

13. WouldYouRatherAskawouldyouratherquestionandhavestudentsshowtheirchoicebymovingtooneendoftheroomortheother.Haveafewkidssharewhy.Hereare20freeWouldYouRatherQuestionstogetyoustarted.

14. FinditFastCalloutacolororothertrait(somethinground,somethingmadeofwood),andstudentsmustfindanobjectintheroomthatfitsthetraitandgettoitquickly.

15. PhysicalChallengesChallengestudentstodosomethingphysicallydifficultsuchasstandingononefootwitharmsextendedorthisone:grabyournosewithlefthandandgrabyourleftearlobewithyourrighthand,thenquicklyswitchsothatyourrighthandisonyournoseandyourlefthandisgrabbingyourrightearlobe.Yogaposescouldalsobeagoodvariation.

16. PlatesGiveeachstudentapaperplate.Studentsmustwalkaroundtheroombalancingtheplatesontheirheads.Ifastudentdropshisorherplate,thestudentmustfreezeuntilanotherstudentpicksitupandplacesitbackonthestudent'shead(whilekeephisorherownplateinplace,ofcourse).

17. LineUp!Havestudentslineupusingaspecificcriteriasuchasage(usedayandmonth,notjustyear),height,alphabeticallybymiddlename,hairlength,etc.

18. LimboAllyouneedisalongstickandapairofkidstoholdit.Musicisnicetoo.

19. HumanKnotDividestudentsintogroupsofabouteightstudents.Havestudentseachgrabrighthandswithsomeonewhoisnotdirectlynexttothem.Thendothesamewithlefthands.Thechallengeistountangleandbecomeacirclewithoutreleasinghands.

20. JumpSkipCountingHavestudentscountbytwos,fives,tensetc.whilejumpingwitheachcount.Youcouldalsopracticespellingwordsthisway.

PleasenotethatIdidnotcomeupwithalloftheseoutofmyownhead.HerearesomeofthesourcesIused:

MichiganDepartmentofEducation:BrainBreaks(greatresource!)ProTeacher:QuickBrainBreaksIWanttoTeachForever:TeachersShareTheirBestBrainBreaksandContestWinners

HereisanineminutevideoabouthowtomanageBrainBreaksinyourclassroom.Goodideasonhowtoquicklytransitionandgroupstudents.TrysearchingBrainBreaksonYouTubeforideasanddanceroutinesyoucanusewithyourstudents.

LookingformoreBrainBreaks?Youcanget60oftheminaconvenientcardformatrighthere!

Whatworksinyourclassroom?Pleasecommentwithyourideas!

Labels:brainbreaks,energizingbrainbreaks,main,movementactivities,TeacherStrategies

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13.04.2015 20 Three-Minute Brain Breaks | Minds in Bloom

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13.04.2015 20 Three-Minute Brain Breaks | Minds in Bloom

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movementbraingymaspectsCatchABrainWaveFitnessFunRonno&LizJonesTwomeyBrainBoogieBoostersTheLearningStationJumpin'&Jammin'Greg&Steve

Allofthesehavemovement/actionsinthelyricsandarefunforpreschool/elementaryagechildren.Wehavehomeschooledpreschoolandfindthatdoingabraindanceasatransitionreallyhelpsourkidsfocusforthesittingandwritingpractice.

KellyJuly11,2012at7:37AM

HeatherEarleysaid...Thanksforpostingsuchausablelist!Gotitprintedandmakingmycheatercardsaswespeak!:))Anewfanhere!:0)July19,2012at11:30AM

Tiffanysaid...Lovethislist!Suchgreatideasthatreallybringtheenergybacktowhereitshouldbe.September10,2012at10:34AM

MissFootesaid...

Thanksfortheideacompiling.Thisissohelpful!

LaurieChickadeeJubileeNovember1,2012at11:07AM

HilaryGardsaid...

Thanks!igotsomereallygreatideas!Ilovebrainbreaksintheclassroom!HilarySecondGradeisOutofThisWorld!January20,2013at9:23AM

MonyHusseinsaid...May7,2014at6:50PM

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13.04.2015 20 Three-Minute Brain Breaks | Minds in Bloom

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Anonymoussaid...

Greatideas!Thanksforsharing.TheSixSpotactivityissimilartoFourCornersthatIhavedonewithkids.Itoccurredtomewhenreadingthisthathavingkidssitdownwhentheirnumbercameupkindofdefeatedthepurposeofabrainbreak.Maybetwodicecouldberolled,onewiththespotnumbersandonewithsixdifferentmovements:jumpingjacks,touchtoes,etc.Thekidsinthenumberedspotwouldhavetodothatnumberofthemovement.Nobodysitsdownbutthebreak0nlygoesonforabout3minutes.Keepsallengaged.November1,2014at8:08AM

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March24,2015at1:33AM

13.04.2015 20 Three-Minute Brain Breaks | Minds in Bloom

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