The Brain and the Nervous System
The Brain and the Nervous System
ACTIVITY
safe/unsafe
Show with your body what safety looks like.
Show with your body what unsafe looks like.
Teacher says
Like “simon says,” the leader will say, “teacher says touch your cortex/owl brain, Limbic system/dog brain, or brain stem/dog brain.” Students should touch the part of the brain referred to. If the leader makes the request without saying “teacher says” and a student touches that part, they are out. It is important to review the parts of the brain and talk about what it looks like to touch each part. An alternate way to play is to use only the formal words for the parts of the brain and have actions like Cortex/ flap your wings, Limbic system/get on all fours, brain stem/flick your tongue in and out.
Belly Breathe
Lay flat on the ground. Place a small safety object on your belly. Breathe in slowly, watching the object rise. Breathe out slowly, watching the object lower. Try for 10 breaths.
Mindful Minute
Close eyes and breathe for one minute - focus only on your breath.
Have students think of a calming picture in their heads (wind in the trees, their puppy, etc). Their job is to close their eyes and keep that picture in their mind for one minute.
Picture a dot. Students will imagine a dot. They choose the size and the color. They are to keep that dot in their mind for one minute.
Yoga Poses
https://www.kidsyogastories.com/kids-yoga/
Five Finger Breathing
Rainbow Breathe
Square Breathing
Pass the Cup
Students stand in a circle. Talk about how to focus their bodies, so that they can pass a cup full of water around the circle without spilling it. Let students know this is a team game and we have to work together. Students will need to breathe and move slowly. This is great mindful practice.
Balloon Arms
Students stand in a circle. Say, "when you fill a balloon with air (inflate it), it gets bigger, and when you let the air out of the balloon (deflate it) , it gets smaller. I'm going to move my hands up like a balloon filling with air and getting larger, then down like a balloon deflating and getting smaller". Demonstrate in any way you'd like, while synchronising your breath. Say, "now you try. synchronise your movements with mine. Pay close attention to the feeling in your arms, upper back and neck as you move.
What did I hear?
Have students sit in a circle with a straight back and relaxed body, resting their hands on their knees. Encourage them to close their eyes. Use a variety of objects to makes noise. Have students quietly raise their hands to guess what they heard. (pencils, marbles, a bell, candy wrapper, paper, tinfoil, rice in a jar, etc)
Stadium Wave
Participants should stand in a circle. Explain that they will be working together to create a stadium wave. Show students which direction the wave will move. Choose a student who will start the wave. Demonstrate how they will create the wave by crouching down with knees bent and hands touching the floor. When you stand up wave your hands up into the air. This passes the wave to the next person. "When I say go, start the wave." Try speeding up. Try moving in the opposite direction. Offer another student the opportunity to start.
Counting Breaths
Sit in a circle with a straight back, criss cross works well or sitting with knees bent, bottom resting on heels. Close eyes if you feel safe enough to do so. Breath in naturally and silently say "one" in your mind. Then, as you breathe out, relax your forehead. Breath in and say "two" in your mind. Then, relax your shoulders as you breath out. Again, say "three" silently. Relax your stomach. Again, say "four" silently. Relax your hips. "Now let's try it again. Slowly breath in and out counting as you go. We'll count to 10 silently to ourselves." Processing: How easy was it to focus only on your breathe? Often other thoughts come into our heads when we're practicing. This is normal. Just allow your brain to accept those thoughts and regain focus. Let's try again.
OBJECT SHARE
Share something that helps you feel safe.
Share an object that speeds up your nervous system.
Share an object that slows down your nervous system
QUESTIONS
Talk about one object or person in our classroom that helps you feel safe. Why?
Share about a time when you didn’t feel safe at home. What helped?
Share about a time when you felt safe at home. What does feeling safe at home look like?
Share a time when your nervous system was running fast. Often this happens when we’re nervous or afraid.
What makes your nervous system run fast during the school day? What do you do to calm it down?
When we feel nervous and scared, our bodies send us messages through our nervous system. What are the clues your body gives you when you’re feeling nervous or scared?
What is your biggest fear when you’re at home? Who might help you through that fear?
What is your biggest fear when you’re at school? Who might help you through that fear?