The Teacher chooses or allows a student to decide on a topic. The students then come up with objects/places/things that fit into this category. If someone repeats or pauses for too long, they are "out." This energizer helps students get their brains moving and utilize listening skills, as well as connect their background knowledge. This energizer can be used across grade levels, with modifications made for older or younger students. 

Ma-Zinga! starts with all of the students standing or sitting in a circle. All students have their hands out in the middle of the circle, with their fingers wiggling and while saying "maaaaaaaa" until one chosen student suddenly pulls their arms back to their sides. The other students are supposed to react quickly and follow the chosen student. As all the students pull their arms back in, they exclaim "ZINGA!" This energizer helps students with reaction time and listening skills and is a fun and silly way to channel energy in the classroom. This energizer can be used across grade levels, but more practicing and/or modeling may be necessary for younger students.

Human Protractor starts with the teacher at the front of the room. The students use their arms to represent the "degrees" on a protractor. For example, the teacher may say "if the protractor goes from 1-20, show me 12 degrees," and students would place their arms accordingly. The teacher can even make addition, subtraction, multiplication and/or division problems out of the commands. This energizer helps review math skills, build listening skills, and practice self-control. Therefore, human protractor can be used by most grade levels, especially around 3rd-5th, with appropriate modifications for the respective grade. 

This energizer resembles the TV singing competition show, The Voice. One student is chosen as the "guesser," and is then sent out of the room so they have no idea who will be chosen to be "the voice." Then, one of the students in the room is chosen to be "the voice." When the guesser comes back in the room, the students are spread all around the room to challenge the guesser. When prompted by the teacher, the student chosen to be "the voice" either sings a song, chant or makes an animal or other type of noise. The guesser has three tries to guess which student is
"the voice." This energizer helps students get to know each other, and work on listening skills, and self-control. This energizer is recommended for grades 3 and up with modifications where applicable.  

First, one student is chosen to be the "guesser," and then asked to wait outside the room. Then, the other students sit in a circle on the floor of the classroom, and the teacher chooses a "leader." The leader starts the motions (clapping, patting knees, etc.) that the rest of the circle follows. When the guesser reenters the classroom, their job is to guess who the leader is as the circle of students changes from one motion to another, following the leader.  This energizer helps students work on paying close attention, self-control, and reaction time. "Follow the Leader" can be used with many different grade levels, and rules can be modified to level of the students playing. 

This is a fun chant with matching arm movements to get students singing and dancing. Students pretend they are the banana, and peel themselves along with the song. This energizer supports rhyming, oral language, rhythm, self-control, left and right, and creativity. This chant is appropriate for grades K-3, with extra practice/modeling time needed for younger students. 

First, students need enough space so that they have room to move freely. The teacher will yell out a sports motion (shooting a jumpshot/throwing a football) for students to copy for 10-15 seconds. This energizer is appropriate for grades 2-5, and supports listening skills and self-control. 

The energizer begins with students in groups of three. Two students stand back to back so that they cannot see each other. One of the standing students chooses a pose to stand in. The third student directs the student not yet posing to match the posing student. This energizer emphasizes listening skills, self-control, and team work. This would be best for second grade and up.

Standing at their desks, the teacher will call out activities for students to perform (jogging in place, jumping jacks, knee lifts, etc.). The students will do these movements for 30 seconds or until the teacher calls out a vocabulary word at which point the students freeze. The teacher calls on a student to use the vocabulary word correctly in a sentence, and then the teacher will call out a new movement. This energizer emphasizes listening skills, self-control, and vocabulary practices. Different variations include naming synonyms and antonyms, spelling the word, etc. This energizer would work best for grades three and up.