Brain Breaks

Brain breaks are great to re-energize the mind, set the tone for a class time, or help students relax for a moment before a test. If the class is "squirrely" these might help calm everyone done; however, beware that some can also endues a great deal of laughter.

Rub your Tummy & Pat your Head

This is an old standard. Have students stand up, see who can pat their head while rubbing their tummy. You can make it extra challenging by asking everyone to reverse the hands or reverse which direction they are rubbing their tummy.

Thumb & Pinky Switch

This is a fun way to challenge your brain, just a little different than an educational challenge. Have one hand hold up a thumb and the other hand hold up a pinky. Then reverse the thumb/pinky on each hand. Keep going, try to do it faster or to the beat of the music. This will probably entice some laughter from the students; it sounds simply, but is it?

Shaka & Peace

Tell the student which hand should have which symbol. Then change it up, keep mixing it up, and go faster.

For example:

R - Shaka, L - Peace
Both Shaka
L-Peace, R - Shaka
Both Peace
one each, then quicky reverse

Shaka Symbol

Peace Symbol

Arsenio & in Reverse

Watch the first 15-seconds to see the fist pump Arsenio Hall does to start his show.

Have the students do the Arsenio fist pump with one arm, and do it in the reverse direction with the other arm.

Strike a Pose

Have students select a pose, breath calmly, then have them hold that post for 30-seconds. Add a little calming music to really make it meaningful.

You could even have a student create a pose poster to use in your classroom.

Infinity Relaxation

Infinity Drawing - Ask the class to close their eyes. Either in the air or on their desk, have students move their hand in the pattern of the infinity symbol (it looks like the number 8 laying on its side). Tell students to concentrate on their slow breathing & hand movement. Do this for 30 seconds to 1-minute.

Start in the middle.
When your hand moves up, breath in.
When you hand moves down, breath out.

5-Finger Breathing

Tell the students to hold out their hand, spreading their fingers. Put the pointer finger from the other hand at the base of their out stretched thumb. They will begin to slowly start tracing their hand. Every time their pointer finger moves up, breath in. At the top of the finger, pause their breathing for a moment. When their pointer finger is moving down, they breath out. Repeat all the way around their hand. Once they are done tracing their hand, do it again. Have students trace their hand for 30 seconds - 1 minute.