Brain breaks are activities that encourage movement and can help students get the "wiggles" out to refocus their minds for academic learning. Brain breaks can also be used to assist students in transitioning from one classroom activity to the next, to reduce feelings of stress or anxiety, or to energize their bodies to complete a longer work project. These activities do not require any materials or preparation, however, it is recommended that educators provide clear expectations for behavior during the activities and a "stop signal" to alert students when the activity is over. This resource guide provides helpful tips to prepare students for brain breaks.
This guide provides General Brain Breaks, and activities for specific academic subjects, like Vocabulary/Spelling Brain Breaks, Math Brain Breaks, Social Studies Brain Breaks, and Science Brain Breaks. Directions are provided for each activity.
When we experience stressful events, our body enters "fight, flight, or freeze" mode, and our heart and breathing rates increase. One way that we can calm ourselves in stressful situations is to engage in deep breathing. Although we all know how to "breath," deep breathing to reduce stress and anxiety is a skill that must be taught. This resource provides a printable with visual explanations that will help teach students deep breathing techniques.
This graphic organizer will help students create a plan to reach an academic or behavioral goal. Students will identify a personal goal and how they will reach it. Then, they will create a plan, describe the work required to reach the goal, and reflect on the process after the specified time frame. This resource can help educators teach the goal-setting process to elementary students.