BRAIN BREAK CARDS

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZtLKKrJ4KSs

According to research, brain breaks actually increase INSTRUCTIONAL TIME by reinforcing skills and helping children stay alert and interested. Glue your favorite brain breaks to index cards and place them in a bag. Pull one out and you’ll be ready to release all day long.



https://drive.google.com/file/d/1QzLsIfxcCf8r9sGZ-VWeBP4TKwgKQhdv/view?usp=sharing


Shake It Up
Hold up your right hand and shake five times as you count. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5.
Hold up your left hand and shake five times as you count. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5.
Hold up your right foot and shake five times as you count. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5.
Hold up your left foot and shake five times as you count. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5.
Count to four with each arm and leg…then three…two…one.
End by saying, “Oh yeah!” as you extend your arms and make the letter “Y.”


Balancing Brains
Have children stand. How long can they balance on their right foot? How long can they balance on their left foot?
Can they balance on their toes?
Can they balance on their right foot and extend their left leg in the air?
Can they balance on their left foot and extend their right leg in the air.
Can they balance on one foot with their eyes closed?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Thq9MTAUfSY

Jumping Brains
Ask children to stand and challenge them to jump in their space as long as they can. When they get tired they can sit back in their seats.


Hanky Panky
Tell the students when you throw the handkerchief (or tissue) up in the air they can start doing a silly dance and make funny noises. When the hanky hits the ground they must freeze. Do this several times to get rid of wiggles.




Chop Wood
Hands together as if holding an ax. Place hands on your right shoulder and then cross over your body to your left foot as you pretend to chop wood. Place hands on the left shoulder and chop to the right foot.

MY BONNIE BOUNCE

You probably all know the song "My Bonnie Lies Over the Ocean." You'll be surprised how much exercise you get as you stand up or sit down every time you say a word that starts with the /b/ sound. Join me on this video.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ONWTT-JFu8

Warning! One teacher said her kids loved it so much they kept begging to do it over and over. She said she could hardly walk up the stairs when she got home!

My Bonnie Bounce (Tune: “My Bonnie Lies over the Ocean”)
My Bonnie (Stand up.)
Lies over the ocean.
My Bonnie (Sit down.)
Lies over the sea.
My Bonnie (Stand up.)
Lies over the ocean.
Oh, bring (Sit down.)
Back (Stand up.)
My Bonnie (Sit down.)
To me.
Bring (Stand up.)
Back (Sit down.)
Bring (Stand up.)
Back (Sit down.)
Oh, bring (Stand up.)
Back (Sit down.)
My Bonnie (Stand up.)
To me, to me.
Bring (Sit down.)
Back (Stand up.)
Bring (Sit down.)
Back (Stand up.)
Oh, bring (Sit down.)
Back (Stand up.)
My Bonnie to me. (Sit down.)

A little faster…
Super fast…


You can also move and release wiggles in a confined space with this song.

Chair Can Can

Have children sit in their seat, bounce their feet to the beat, and make the following movements.

Bend right knee and then kick. (Right leg up and kick out.)
Bend left knee and kick. (Left leg up and kick out.)
Cross kick right and then cross kick left. (Kick feet in opposite directions.)
Rainbow arms from left to right. (Swish arms in a big arch.)
Bounce your feet up and down as you rainbow your arms.
Right heel up. (Put up right heel.)
Left heel up. (Put up left heel.)
Open and close arms like an elevator door. (Open arms out and together.)
Hands on the sides of your chair and lift and sit. (Lift body.)
Lift, hold, hold, sit. (Lift, hold for several seconds, and sit.)
Kick right leg out straight and the left leg out straight. (Kick straight leg.)
Wave arms high in the air. (Arms up and move back and forth.)
Take a bow.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WIOSRvmYp94

How about a new video from Alex May?

https://bit.ly/drJNeurobics

BRAIN BREAK CARDS

If you've enjoyed my blogs about the BRAIN, here's a special treat you'll definitely want to download.

Here are three pages of brain breaks that are quick, easy, and fun.


https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B1SnEagA4jljNWNWalMwQjh5UnM/view?usp=sharing

It’s important for the teacher to model brain breaks and participate with the students. These activities have an additional benefit by reducing stress and boredom – in adults and children!

My suggestion would be to choose one at a time and practice it for several days. (Not all of these are going to work, so just throw the ones your students don’t like in the trash and move on to another one.) Glue popular activities to an index card or jumbo craft stick and save them in a bag. After a few weeks you’ll have a bag full of brain breaks.
*Older students will enjoy choosing a brain break and leading their classmates.

Note!  You can watch me demonstrate these on this video.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZtLKKrJ4KSs

WIGGLE WORMS

Have you ever been in front of your class and it truly looked like a can of WIGGLE WORMS?  Here's some tips to help them release wiggles so they can FOCUS!

Note!  Before doing these activities ask children to show you their “body space” by extending their arms slightly and twisting around. Remind them to stay in their body space as you do these activities.

Shake It Up
Hold up your right hand and shake five times as you count.
1, 2, 3, 4, 5.
Hold up your left hand and shake five times as you count.
1, 2, 3, 4, 5.
Hold up your right foot and shake five times as you count.
1, 2, 3, 4, 5.
Hold up your left foot and shake five times as you count.
1, 2, 3, 4, 5.
Count to four with each arm and leg…then three…two…one.
End by saying, “Oh yeah!” as you extend your arms and make the letter “Y.”

Adaptations: If children are wound-up do this with a whisper voice.

*Count to five in different languages.

*Do the vowel shake down where you say, “A, E, I, O, U,” and the “E, I, O, U,” and then “I, O, U,” and so forth.

Push the Wall
While children are waiting in the hall have them put their hands up against the wall and push it as hard as they can. Ask them to do push ups against the wall?

Babble Break
How about a three-minute "babble break" where children can talk to their friends? You could give them a topic to discuss that relates to a unit of study, let them tell jokes, or just chit chat.

Hanky Panky
Tell the students when you throw the handkerchief (or tissue) up in the air they can start doing a silly dance and make funny noises. When the hanky hits the ground they must freeze. Do this several times to get rid of wiggles.

WAVE!
To do the WAVE, ask children to look at you. Explain that when you point to them, they can stand up, wave their arms in the air, and then sit down. (This is often done at sports events.)

Hint! Do the wave several times. Do it forwards and then reverse and do it backwards.

Wiggle Worm Game

Make flash cards more fun by adding a few joke cards that say “wiggle worms.” When that card comes up, children stand and wiggle, wiggle!

RIDE THAT PONY

Here's a fun activity that children can do with a partner to use up some energy.

https://bit.ly/drJRidePony

The second version is longer and faster than the first.

https://bit.ly/drJRideFaster

Handout Link:  https://bit.ly/drJPonyBadges

DECEMBER HAPPIES

You'll make every day jolly and bright with all the songs, games, and printables you'll find in our DECEMBER HAPPIES.  You can download 150+ pages of fun and 15 songs wit this free link:

 

04-December

https://bit.ly/drJFreeDec

HOLIDAY LEARNING CENTERS

While you're out shopping this weekend, stop at the Dollar Store and pick up some holiday "treats" you can use for learning centers and games.

Match and Memory

Materials: stickers or gift cards, heavy paper cut in 3 1/2” squares

Attach 2 of each different sticker to the squares. Younger children can use these as a matching game.

Older children can play a memory game with these by place them face down and turning over two at a time.



Fit Like a Puzzle

Materials: puzzle and frame, marker

Write an uppercase letter on each puzzle piece and a lowercase letter on the shape in the frame. As children match up letters they will complete the puzzle.

*Use for math facts, synonyms, number words, and other skills.

Foam Letters

Materials: gift bag, foam letters, paper, pencils

Place foam letters in the gift bag. Children draw a letter, write the letter, and then draw something or write a word that starts with that sound.

*Hide the letters in the classroom for children to find. Can they get with a friend and make a word with their letters?


Silly Glasses

Materials: silly glasses, paper, pencil, clipboard

Children walk around the room and write words they can read.

*Can they find a word for each letter of the alphabet?

*For a partner project let one child wear the glasses. The friend takes a pointer and points to words for their friend to read.

Book Presents (Danielle Underwood)
Wrap holiday books up like presents. Randomly choose a name out of a popsicle tin and let that child unwrap the present. After reading the book, display it for the children to look at during free time.

Holiday Brain Breaks (Sharon Smith)
Have the children stand and in place and

Melt like a snowman…
Waddle like a penguin…
Twinkle like a Christmas tree…
Prance like a reindeer…
Laugh like Santa...
Smile like an elf...

*Adapt for different seasons and themes.

Here's a video I did several years ago where I demonstrate the activities for December:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JT6ZaiWeiVs

TURKEY WIGGLES

I don't know about you, but I've got the Turkey wiggles this week. (That means I'm ready to get the Thanksgiving party started!!!) Here are some ideas that might help your children move, learn, and release their Turkey wiggles!

Jump

Jump as you read the words on the word wall, count to 100, and repeat other information.

*Children can also march or do other movements as they repeat skills.


Phonercise
Put your hands in the air and say the letter "A." Put your hands on your shoulders and make the /a/ sound. Touch your toes and say a word that starts with that sound. Continue going through the alphabet.

*Ask older children to say words that are nouns, verbs, or other parts of speech.


Stand Up
Simply asking the children to stand up gets blood going to the brain. They can stand up when they read, count, or review other information.


Air Writing
Ask children to make numerals, shapes, letters, or write words in the air with their "magic" finger.

Foot Writing
Use feet to write words, letters, answers to math facts, etc.

Pantomime
Have children stand and dramatize spelling words or vocabulary words.


Balancing Review
Have children stand. Can they balance on their right foot and count? Count by 2’s, 5’s, 10’s, etc.

*Can they balance on their left foot and read word wall words?

*Can they balance on their right foot and extend their left leg as they say the days of the week, months of the year, seasons, and so forth?

*Can they balance on their left foot and extend their right leg and read big books and classroom print?

*Can they balance on their toes and read big books and other classroom print?

PD at Home - BRAIN BREAKS

Brain breaks are short movement activities that help children focus and give them a positive outlet for energy and wiggles. Young children need brain breaks every 15-20 minutes to energize their brains and activate their senses.

Note! Children tell you things by their behavior and they will usually let you know when it’s time to get up and move!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZtLKKrJ4KSsBrain Breaks

Here are three pages of brain breaks that are quick, easy, and fun.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B1SnEagA4jljNWNWalMwQjh5UnM/view?usp=sharing

My suggestion would be to choose one at a time and practice it for several days. (Not all of these are going to work, so just throw the ones your students don’t like in the trash and move on to another one.) Glue popular activities to an index card or jumbo craft stick and save them in a bag. After a few weeks you’ll have a bag full of brain breaks.
*Older students will enjoy choosing a brain break and leading their classmates.

PD at Home - BRAIN HUGS

BRAIN HUGS are an easy strategy that you can use to wake up those little brains - and maybe your brain, too! Draw a line vertically down the middle of your body. That’s called the midline. Every time you cross over that line, you are activating both sides of the brain and building bridges between the hemispheres in the brain. In this video you'll learn some exercises for crossing the midline that are perfect for a brain break or between content areas.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nn__Ll7n2GY

Hint! Put a piece of masking tape or painter’s tape down their bodies so they can visually see how they cross the midline when they sing and exercise.

BRAIN TOYS

Here are some simple and inexpensive tools for energizing brains and bodies anytime, anywhere, and with any skill.

Drum Sticks
Materials: paper towel cardboard rollers, markers, music

Directions: Let children decorate the paper towel rollers with markers. Play some popular music and invite children to keep time to the beat. They can tap on their desk, on their knees, on their shoulders, and other parts of their bodies.

*Cross and tap with the drum sticks.

Variations: You can also use pencils, craft sticks, or plastic cups for making music.

Streamers
Materials: surveying tape or ribbon, or pieces of toilet paper

Directions: Cut surveying tape or ribbon in 2’ sections. Pass these out to students and have them follow along as you make different motions to the music.

*Play follow the leader as different students make motions for friends to follow along.

*Use streamers for “invisible writing” as you practice making shapes, numbers, letters, and words.

Variations: Use strips of toilet paper for streamers.

*Tie several ribbons to craft sticks to make magic wands.


Paper Plates
Materials: inexpensive paper plates, catchy music

Directions: Give each child two paper plates and have them follow along as you clap in front of you, behind you, and make other movements.

*Place plates on the floor and put one foot on each plate. Shuffle feet and pretend to skate around the room on the plates.

*Sit on the plate and spin around.

Variations: Give children plastic spoons to tap on the plates.


Juggling
Materials: juggling scarves or scrap paper wadded into balls

Directions: Pass out one scarf or a paper ball to each child.

*Begin with one ball or scarf and have the children toss and catch it. Can they toss it, clap one time, and catch it? Can they toss it, turn around, and catch it?

*Can they count, rhyme, or sing the alphabet song as they juggle?

*Challenge children to toss and catch two objects at a time.

Noodles
Materials: swim noodles

Directions: Cut swim noodles into 8” - 9” sections. Pass these out to your students give them a few minutes to “mess around” and pretend they are Luke Skywalker. Explain that whenever you say “Statue of Liberty” they have to freeze and hold their noodle up like a torch.

*Follow the Leader – Play some music and have the students follow along with you as you cross the midline and make other movements with the noodle.

*Air Writing – Use noodles to practice pre-writing strokes, letters, shapes, numerals, and so forth in the air with big movements.

*Massage – Brush noodles down arms or legs. Place the noodle on the floor and roll on it to give yourself a massage.


Therapy Bands
Materials: therapy bands

Directions: Purchase a large roll of exercise resistance bands and cut it into 18” sections. Cut these in half horizontally and give one to each child.

*Children can stretch the bands as they extend sounds in a word.

*Exercise with the bands as you count, say the ABC’s, read word wall words, spell, and so forth.

*Stretch above your head, behind you, vertically, etc.

Variations: Use a dishtowel to make the movements.

EYE-HAND BRAIN EXERCISES

These are quick ways to engage children’s eyes, hands, and brains when you have a few extra minutes.

Make Rain
Hold up palm as you say, “Let’s make rain. Do what I do.”
Tap pointer finger on palm for several seconds.
Tap pointer finger and middle finger.
Tap pointer, middle, and ring finger.
Tap pointer, middle, ring, and pinky on palm.
Clap hands together loudly, then reverse movements.
Tap pointer, middle, ring, and pinky on palm.
Tap pointer, middle, and ring finger.
Tap pointer and middle finger.
Tap pointer finger on palm.
Slowly bring palms together and put in your lap.

Twiddle Your Thumbs
Can you twiddle your thumbs?
Can you unwind them?
Can you twiddle your thumbs with the other thumb on top?

See Saw
Palms together. Push your right hand against the left and then push the left hand against the right.

*Do the same thing with your thumbs, index fingers, middle finger, ring, and pinky fingers.


Beehive
Cross fingers to make a beehive. Wiggle each bee/finger starting with thumbs as you count from one to ten. Reverse as you count backwards. Cross fingers with the opposite thumb in front and then wiggle each finger.


Spider
Open hands and touch fingertips. Bend in and out. Tap thumbs. Then tap index fingers, middle fingers, ring, and pinky fingers. Reverse. Roll each leg/finger forward and then backwards.

Here's a video where you can see some of these demonstrated:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sB4lXUhRfMU


Palm Pilot Writing 

Hold up one palm. Write on it with the index finger from the other hand. Children can make shapes, write letters or numbers, words, and so forth.

“Eye” Exercise
Demonstrate how to hold your two index fingers a few inches from your eyes on either side of your head. Look at the right index finger with both eyes and then look at the left index finger.

BRAIN BREAKS

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZtLKKrJ4KSs

Brain breaks are short movement activities that help children focus and give them a positive outlet for energy and wiggles. Young children need brain breaks every 15-20 minutes to energize their brains and activate their senses. However, children tell you things by their behavior and they’ll let you know when it’s time to get up and move!



It’s important for the teacher to model brain breaks and participate with the students. These activities have an additional benefit by reducing stress and boredom – in adults and children!

Here are three pages of brain breaks that are quick, easy, and fun.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1QzLsIfxcCf8r9sGZ-VWeBP4TKwgKQhdv/view?usp=sharing


TIPS FOR TERRIFICT BRAIN BREAKS!

*The teacher adds the magic. You need to model these brain breaks and use them as an opportunity to smile and have fun with your students.

*Moving with a purpose. Explain to your students, parents, and administrators the importance of these brain breaks. Yes, we are having fun, but we are also exercising children’s brains and bodies.

*Introduce one brain break at a time and practice it for several days. Each class is different, so if your students like it keep on doing it. If they don’t like it move on to another one.

*Write titles of brain breaks your students enjoy on sentence strips and tape to a wall. Once you have introduced 5-10 you can let a student helper choose a brain break and lead the class.

*It’s all good! It doesn’t matter of your students do the movements perfectly or not. As long as they are watching you and trying to mimic your movements you know their brains are working.

*Don’t be surprised if it doesn’t work the first time. According to research, it takes 7-25 times for muscle memory to master a task. Try, try, and try again. You’ll be surprised how quickly you will see some improvement.

*These activities have an additional benefit by reducing stress – in adults and children! Instead of getting upset – take a brain break!

My suggestion would be to choose one at a time and practice it for several days. (Not all of these are going to work, so just throw the ones your students don’t like in the trash and move on to another one.) Glue popular activities to an index card or jumbo craft stick and save them in a bag. After a few weeks you’ll have a bag full of brain breaks.
*Older students will enjoy choosing a brain break and leading their classmates.

TURN ON YOUR BRAIN

It’s pretty amazing, but if you tell the brain to pay attention to something important it will! Here are a few ways to jump start your children’s brains each morning.

Turn on Your Brain
Start your day by having the children turn on their brains.
Turn on the left side of your brain. (Make a twisting motion on left.)
Turn on the right side of your brain. (Make a twisting motion on right.)
Turn on your left eye. (Pretend to twist left eye.)
Turn on your right eye. (Pretend to twist right eye.)
Turn on your left ear. (Pretend to twist left ear.)
Turn on your right ear. (Pretend to twist right ear.)
You don’t have to turn on your mouth because it stays on all the time.
Now you are ready to learn!!!

Rev Up Your Brain
Have the children hold up their thumbs. Go around, grab each child’s thumbs, and pretend to twist them as you say, “Rrrrrm! Rrrrrm! Now your brain revved up and ready to learn.”

Brain Sprinkles
Put a few spoonfuls of rice in a Pringle’s can and glue on the lid. Cover the can with sparkly paper. When it’s something important for the children to learn explain that you will put brain sprinkles on them. (Shake the can over their heads!)

Hocus Pocus!
Pretend to wave a magic wand as you say, “Hocus pocus!”
Put thumbs and pointers together to make circles and place around your eyes as you say, “Everybody focus!” Have the students leave on their focus goggles and look at the front of a book, a shape, a word, or whatever you want them to attend to.

Bzzzz!
Children stick out their index finger and tap a friend’s finger as they go, “Bzzzz!”

Thinking Caps
Goodness, this is old as the hills. Mrs. Meyers, my first teacher, used to say this to us. As ancient as it is, it’s still new to your little kiddos. Remind them that their thinking caps will help them remember and learn as you demonstrate putting an imaginary hat on your head.

Thinking Hands
Explain that when you cross your fingers and put your hands in your lap it helps your brain listen and learn.

Schema
Make circles with thumbs and index fingers and join them together to make a connection. Tell children as they listen to a book they can make this sign to let you know they are connecting what is in the book to what is in their brain.

Schema (Anne Evans)
Show students the symbol for join/connect in sign language. (Hook two index fingers together.)
Students put one hand on their head for what’s in their head.
They hold out the other hand for what’s in the book.
Join the fingers together to connect what’s in their head and what’s in the book to make a schema.

Magic Wand
Make a magic wand by covering a cardboard pants hanger with aluminum foil. Wave it over the children’s heads as you say, “Abracadabra! You are rabbits.” Children hop around like rabbits until you wave your wand and say, “STOP!” Continue calling out different animals and objects for the children to pantomime.