Brain breaks are short, intentional breaks that allow students to pause from academic tasks and engage in activities that stimulate different areas of the brain. Here are some reasons why brain breaks are important in the classroom:
Improved Focus and Attention: Extended periods of focused attention can be mentally exhausting for students. Brain breaks provide an opportunity to recharge and rejuvenate their brains. By allowing students to briefly shift their attention to a different activity, brain breaks help prevent mental fatigue and increase their ability to sustain focus and attention during academic tasks.
Enhanced Cognitive Function: Research suggests that regular brain breaks positively impact cognitive function. When students engage in physical activity, creative tasks, or relaxation exercises during brain breaks, it stimulates different parts of the brain. This stimulation promotes neural connections, enhances cognitive flexibility, and supports overall cognitive functioning, leading to improved learning and memory retention.
Increased Productivity and Efficiency: Taking short breaks between learning sessions can actually improve productivity. When students return from a brain break, they are more alert, refreshed, and ready to engage in the next task. This renewed focus and energy result in increased productivity and more efficient use of classroom time.
Stress Reduction: Classroom environments can sometimes become stressful for students due to academic pressures or social interactions. Brain breaks offer a chance to release tension and reduce stress levels. Physical activities, deep breathing exercises, or mindfulness practices during brain breaks can help students relax, regulate their emotions, and improve their overall well-being.
Improved Classroom Climate: Incorporating brain breaks into the classroom routine promotes a positive and supportive learning environment. Students appreciate the opportunity to take short breaks, which shows that their well-being and mental health are valued. Brain breaks can also be collaborative, allowing students to interact, socialize, and build positive relationships with their peers.
Enhanced Creativity and Problem-Solving Skills: Brain breaks that involve creative activities, such as drawing, storytelling, or improvisation, stimulate the imagination and promote creative thinking. Engaging in different activities during brain breaks allows students to approach problem-solving from different angles, fostering innovation and out-of-the-box thinking.
Physical Health Benefits: Many brain breaks incorporate physical movement, which not only provides mental benefits but also contributes to students' physical health. Regular movement breaks can help combat sedentary behavior, improve blood circulation, boost energy levels, and promote overall physical well-being.
FAPs include breath, movement, rhythem, visualization, music, and imaginations to help students transition when in survival mode. They help us focus, pay attention, relieve stress and anxiety, and help the body when feeling dysregulated. For best results, build them into your day. Check out the free resources below.
This was a fun brain break activity that I utilized from social media. Brain breaks are crucial for students to reduce stress, anxiety, and stress. You can see in the video, that it also reduces teacher stress. Additionally, they are a great tool to teach kids self-regulation skills and to know when they need a break.
Below are two sets of pictures, one from the drawing described in the video and another from our second try on drawing flowers in the grass.
A house with driveway and car, tree on the other side of the driveway.
A house with driveway and car, tree on the other side of the driveway.
A grass field with 3 flowers, clouds and sun in the sky.
Sensory breaks happen in both whole group and individual settings in my classroom. Some kids need sensory breaks more often than others, but all can benefit from the short breaks. Some reasons to implement sensory breaks are but are not limited to: self-regulation, improved attention and focus, stress reduction, increased engagement, sensory integration (how the brain processes information and organizes it), and individualized student support.
I love having students help me carry tools and books. This also can help students calm and reach needed sensory input.
Most call it a calming corner. This area can have comfortable seating, fidgets, weighted items, etc.
Students can left themselves up with their hands on their chairs, utilize wall pushups, or squeeze their hands together to apply pressure.
Some of our most used breaks are old camp songs that I can lead from my time as a camp counselor, PE with Mr. G on YouTube, Just Dance and GoNoodle activities.
Depending on your student age group, these activities may look different. In my past 2-5th grade classrooms, our favorite tactile breaks included shaving cream (also a great desk wash) and Kinetic Sand.
This is my current Calming Room.