Fun And Free Brain Break Ideas for the Classroom

Last week the post was about the amazing benefits of brain breaks and learning. As promised at the end of that post, this week I am posting some fun and free brain break ideas that you can use in the classroom or your home-school. 

Understandably, most classrooms are pressed for time to get through the curriculum and so to spend a large block of the day on brain breaks would be adding more stress on learning time. However, the good news is that a brain break doesn't need to be long. It can be anywhere from 3 - 10 minutes.

The best brain breaks should include some sort of movement. So, I've listed and linked some ideas below for you to bookmark when looking for a brain break or to add to your current collection of brain breaks. 

1. Fun Fitness Routines
Select one student from the class to be the fitness instructor. Everyone else has to follow their moves. Put a timer on that suits your break needs. I recommend a minimum of 5 minutes for this. 
To make move ideas easier for kids, run them through yourself the first few times with your class. Then you can start to assign students to be the fitness instructor while you get ready for your next lesson. 

Choose a mix of any of the moves listed below to create a high-energy fitness routine for a short amount of time:  

• jumping jacks (star jumps)
• jog on the spot
• high knees
• Squats
• Desk push-ups (or wall)
• Mountain Climbers (standing up like climbing a ladder on the spot, or in plank form on the floor with a running motion on the spot). 
• Hopping on one foot
• Burpees
• Sit-ups
• Arm rolls forward and back
• Trunk Twists​

2. CLASSROOM YOGA

Need a brain break that is low energy but still gets the kids moving and away from their desks? Try some Yoga with the class. I've linked some awesome Yoga Routine videos below that you can try with your kids:

I love the Cosmic Kids Yoga Videos. The stories that goes along with them always keeps my kids engaged while moving at the same time, and keeping everything calm. 

These videos are a bit longer and may not suit your time requirements in the classroom. Ranging between 10 minutes to 40 minutes, you may need to break a single video up into shorter blocks throughout the day instead. 
There's a large range of short and long videos you can find. I'll post some of my kids favorite yoga videos below: 

Arnold the Ant (Under 10 minutes)

Popcorn and the Pirates (16 Minutes)

Mike the Cosmic Space Monkey (11 minutes) 

The Wizard of Oz  (24 Minutes)

Betsy the Banana (11 minutes) 

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Check out the Cosmic Kids Yoga YouTube Channel for more awesome videos - ​https://www.youtube.com/user/CosmicKidsYoga/featured

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3. DANCING​

Short dance routines are ideal to use as a brain break. There are heaps floating about on the Internet. Find some of my kids favorite picks below: 

The Sid Shuffle

Banana Banana Meatball by GoNoodle

Baby Shark

The Maxarena Maximo GoNoodle

Just Dance Kids - Crocodile Rock

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There are so many fun and short dance routines out there to try as brain breaks. I hope to keep on sharing my kids favorite collections in future posts too. Just check the Brain Breaks tab of my website for more ideas. 

The benefits of brain breaks are huge! So, let's collaborate and share brain break ideas to use at home or in the classroom in the comments section. 

You may also like to Read:

• The benefits of Brain Breaks
  
• Halloween Brain Breaks
• Christmas Brain Breaks
• ​​Winter Brain Breaks
• Valentine's Day Brain Breaks
• St Patrick's Day Brain Breaks
• Easter Brain Breaks