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During breaks, it turns out, the brain works overtime. New research illuminates what kinds of breaks benefit learners the most.

For a deeper dive into the research cited in this video, see the following:

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During breaks, it turns out, the brain works overtime. New research illuminates what kinds of breaks benefit learners the most.

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During breaks, it turns out, the brain works overtime. New research illuminates what kinds of breaks benefit learners the most.

For a deeper dive into the research cited in this video, see the following:

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During breaks, it turns out, the brain works overtime. New research illuminates what kinds of breaks benefit learners the most.

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Setting the Tone With a Get-to-Know-You Game

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Morning meeting becomes a place for kindness and gratitude with a simple but powerful community-building game.

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Early Childhood Education

Games that combine spelling with physical activity can make it easier for young students to learn new words.

Rawpixel.com / Shutterstock

Hamlet's advice to the players, "Suit the action to the word, the word to the action," is a great tip, not just for performing, but also for the task of memorizing. Studies have shown that recall is easier when memorization is connected with movement. Many actors find it helpful to use physicality to retain their lines, connecting them with gestures and staging.

Like actors, students are often tasked with memorization. Although education has evolved to incorporate project-based learning and guided play, there's no getting around the necessity of knowing the multiplication tables, capital cities, and correct spelling.

The following are movement-based games that build students' abilities to retain spelling words specifically. Ideally, these exercises support them academically as well as socially. Research shows that learning through play promotes listening, focus, empathy, and self-awareness -benefits that build students' social and emotional learning skills.

4 Games to Improve Students' Spelling

1. Body Language: In this game, students work with a partner to embody different letters of the alphabet, ultimately spelling an entire word. Start by having two students make a single letter together. For example, they can make the letter M by holding hands and bending down toward the center of their feet. Whisper or show a letter to a team without the rest of the class seeing it. The pair comes up with the way they want to represent it (standing, sitting, joining feet, etc.). Then, the rest of the class guesses the letter that the students have physicalized.

Once the students are familiar with making letters with their bodies, give each team an entire word to spell. Add an extra level of challenge by having the class watch in silence, writing down each letter, until the word is complete.

Not only is this helpful for spelling, but it is a valuable collaborative exercise. In Theater Games for the Classroom, Viola Spolin wrote, "Responsiveness, interaction, attention, observation, physical and vocal expression, narrative skills, sensory agility, emotional awareness, and more will develop more swiftly when students become part of a whole." In the game Body Language, they must support one another and work as a team in order to spell their word. As they do, they are learning how to contribute meaningfully to a group.

2. Spelling Relay: This game gets kids literally racing each other to spell a word, best done in a gym or movement room. Start by dividing the class into teams. The game can be played with two to three teams at a time. The number of players on each team should be the same as the number of letters in the words you want them to spell. The teams stay intact and spell one word (Team 1: W-H-I-C-H, Team 2: F-L-O-U-R, Team 3: C-L-E-A-R for a class of 15, for example).

Print or write each of the letters on a separate piece of paper. Jumble the letters and place them at one end of the room; the team sits directly opposite the papers at the other end. As in a relay race, at the command "3-2-1-Spell!," one student from each team runs across the room to retrieve a letter from the pile, runs back to the group, and tags the next student, who runs to get the next letter. Once the teammates have come back with the letters, they work as a group to unscramble them. The team that successfully spells their word first wins the relay race.

You can give this game more drama by pretending to be a sportscaster and narrating the action. For example: "And over in the right lane we have Jamir, racing with a W, to get back to his teammates! The handoff was successful, and he has tagged Emi. Look at her go! What letter will she pick up, and what will the team ultimately spell?" To give the race epic importance, play a musical score in the background, like the theme from Chariots of Fire or John Williams's "Olympic Fanfare."

3. Word Machine: In the classic theater game Machine, players contribute a sound and a movement to build a creation. Possibilities abound: You can make a machine to build ice cream sundaes or to spot a UFO. Regardless of what the machine is, the idea is that each student adds both a gesture and a noise, interconnecting like cogs. They repeat their sound and movement, and you can conduct the machine to go faster, go slower, or even break down (which is part of the fun!). Once the students are familiar with how to play, the game can be used as a tool to help spelling. Here's how:

Propose a word to spell-for example, cat. Then call on three students, each to say one of the letters in the word, combining it with any gesture they like. They contribute their letter and gesture in the correct order that the word is spelled. Then the cycle starts again. This repetition facilitates memorization and reinforces the learning. The key executive function skills of listening and turn-taking are also being practiced through play, since each student's letter needs to be said in the right sequence in order for the "machine" to run properly.

4. H-O-R-S-E: The game H-O-R-S-E is usually played with a basketball and a hoop; you can fashion something similar in your classroom or bring this outside to the schoolyard. The first player comes up with a unique way to shoot the ball. If they make the basket, the next player has to mimic the previous player's shot. But if they miss it, they get the letter ( H) in the word H-O-R-S-E. Players are eliminated if they spell the whole word. Adapt this for your classroom, using the premise of the game to spell new words.

Eric Jensen, researcher and author of Teaching With the Brain in Mind, says, "We have discovered that exercise is strongly correlated with increased brain mass, better cognition, mood regulation, and new cell growth." As students exercise while spelling, they get the benefit of improved retention and also better brain health.

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Movement-Based Games That Help Students With Spelling

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Games that combine spelling with physical activity can make it easier for young students to learn new words.

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STEM teacher Kyley Longo-McGarvey loved the idea of creating a sensory path at her school, Myers Elementary-but what makes this path extra-special is that her students designed it, in collaboration with their peers in special education. Because of the pandemic, notes occupational therapist Wendy Bush, "We're seeing more dysregulation in the kids." So, not only will Myers's sensory path be used for kids with sensory needs; it's a place where any kid can blow off some steam.

If you'd rather purchase predesigned sensory path decals for your school, TheSensoryPath.com is a great resource.

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Fostering Inclusion With a Student-Designed Sensory Path

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STEM teacher Kyley Longo-McGarvey loved the idea of creating a sensory path at her school, Myers Elementary-but what makes this path extra-special is that her students designed it, in collaboration with their peers in special education. Because of the pandemic, notes occupational therapist Wendy Bush, "We're seeing more dysregulation in the kids."

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Get up and Move! 9 Movement Activities to Try With Your Students - Studies Weekly

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We all know children have an innate need to move. Moving helps them learn, grow, regulate, laugh, connect, and feel happy! Here are 9 simple movement activities

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Building Bridges: The Power of Parent-Teacher Collaboration to Strengthen Social-Emotional Learning

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Discover how parent-teacher collaboration enhances students’ social-emotional learning through effective communication, shared goal-setting, and inclusive environments.

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How to Build Students' Sense of Belonging at School

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Enhance students' sense of belonging at school with SEL, inclusive curricula, and fostering self-identity, leading to better engagement and academic outcomes.

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Incorporating movement activities into your elementary kids' daily routines is a great way to enhance learning. Young children (and older kids) need movement brain breaks and gross motor activities to improve their ability to focus. There are different ways to embed movement games and activities into daily learning tasks - in the classroom or during homeschooling.
What Part of the Brain do Movement Activities Stimulate?

Movement activities stimulate the vestibular system in the brain. The vestibular system is one of the most important sensory systems that serves as the foundation for learning (click to check out the sensory pyramid of learning.)

It is the director of the nervous system. The conductor. It's in charge and it guides ALL the other sensory systems in the brain.

The vestibular system gives us movement and balance information. Receptors deep in the inner ear detect movement. Fluid stimulates small hairs inside semi-circular canals as we move.

When children process movement well, they move smoothly and efficiently. Their bodies feel safe and secure. They're able to move around and maintain balance positions without falling.

Movement input for young and older kids supports physical development, gross motor skills, and fine motor skills.

The movement / balance centers in the brain also help support visual development and hand-eye coordination.

Movement sensory input can be given in various directions and at various speeds. It can be provided through outdoor play, an indoor obstacle course, or simple movement breaks during the school day.

The movement system can also be stimulated through simple balance activities. Movement is an easy way to support overall development and cognitive skills.

Even more, regular physical activity supports emotional well being - which is so important for kids now!

The program Fluency and Fitness has videos that incorporates reading and math into their movement exercises.

Why are Movement Activities Important for Elementary Students When Learning?

Kids NEED to move! Gross motor and movement activities provide foundational sensory input for children. Vestibular and movement input is important for child development.

Babies, toddlers, preschoolers, school-age students and teenagers all need movement. It's been a routine part of my occupational therapy sessions when working with children.

Vestibular input through movement or balancing wakes up the brain and provides so much fun for kids at school!

Movement input is a great way to stimulate the nervous system to help your students. It's a powerful way to improve attention for learning. Movement increases blood flow in the body and brain.

Many kids spend more time indoors than they used to. Sedentary play has increased. Screen use has sadly increased.

The pandemic caused many kids to decrease regular physical activity and outdoor play. Kids are having a really hard time remaining engaged in daily tasks. Their bodies are not meant to be still for long periods of time.

All of these factors makes it even more necessary for you as an educator to incorporate movement brain breaks into learning routines. You can also encourage parents to do the same with your students at home during play activities.

Benefits of movement in young children and older kids:

Organizes the nervous system

Increases alertness and the ability to focus

Gives info on position in space

Improves muscle tone (especially core strength and postural stability)

Increases bone density

Supports gross motor skills and physical development

Contributes to fine motor skills

Improves control of the eye muscles (see Visual Skills for Reading post)

Enhances emotional well being

Improves social interaction

Makes learning fun!

Movement Activities and Movement Games - Enhance Learning in Young Children

Movement games and activities are a great way to improve attention and focus for learning in young children. The fun activities listed below are organized by space and location to make it easier for you to plug them into your school day! They're also great for a rainy day or indoor recess.

When kids are sitting at a desk or table area, perform these easy indoor movement activities as quick brain breaks. Pick a movement exercise and make it a fun game for kids during learning. They can perform the balance or movement activity as they count, spell, repeat a fact, work on math skills, etc:

Stand on each leg

Spin around

Windmills

Toe touches

Jump in place

Squat to the floor and jump up quickly

Hop on one foot

Yoga tree pose

Jumping jacks

March in place

Jog in place

Dance to fun music or a beat or rhythm

Movement games and gross motor activities to practice around the entire classroom:

Scavenger hunt games (to find and copy math problems, sight words, rhyming words, definitions, etc)

March back and forth or around the perimeter of the room

Create a taped area for a balance beam - walk back and forth to match learning activities (rhyming words, math problems / answers, sight words, etc)

Toe walk around the room or on the taped balance beam

Create a pacing lane for students to walk back and forth in while reading or listening

Use balance spotters to walk, jump or hop on (on the way out the door to the bathroom or back and forth for a learning activity)

Balance boards

Animal walks (duck, bear, crab, elephant, inchworm)

Activities that offer a lot of movement, in the hallway or in a large open room:

Cartwheels

Somersaults

Log rolls

Relay races

Hopscotch

Scooter board activities

Jump rope

Hip-hop balls with handles

Obstacle courses

Spinning games

Additional Tips for Incorporating Simple Movement Activities in Your Classroom

When working in the schools, I've made some tools for teachers to help incorporate movement brain breaks. Teachers have also created their own home-made tools. Making it more of a fun game makes it more engaging for the students.

Pick your favorite movement exercises and write them:

1. On popsicle sticks in a cup / mug

2. On a large beach ball - toss it to a student, when the student catches the ball, they choose the exercise "closest to their right thumb"

3. Onto an empty tissue box covered with paper - roll like dice, or toss to catch and choose the... "exercise facing you"

4. On cards - place holes in the corner and place on a ring to hang somewhere in the room

5. On a numbered list in the front of the room (to use with dice or a single die)

Roll a small die to match the number of the exercise on the list

Make a large die out of an empty tissue box with dots on it

6. On a large pinwheel with an arrow (to spin with the arrow pointing to the exercises)

Use poster board to make a circle

Punch a small hole in the center

Cut out an arrow and attach to the center with a fastener, spin the arrow

Or, stabilize the back of the fastener to another layer of poster board the wall and spin the large circle

7. Using a wheel of names app and adding the exercises to the spinning wheel. You can add as many as you like!

For a specialized brain break exercise program, check out:

Additional Considerations with Movement Activities

Make sure your students have core exercises embedded into their day. Kids need strong cores in order to move effectively. Check out 40 Fun Core Exercises for Kids.

Most children process movement input well if given the appropriate opportunities during infancy, toddlerhood and into preschool. They need daily movement experiences to help with balance to improve visual skills for learning.

You may come across kids who have difficulty with balancing tasks. But, with time and practice... they improve. Overall, they can go about their daily routines without difficulty.

You may have a group of kiddos - small or large... depending on your year 😉 - who really need the movement to help them focus.

In addition to frequent gross motor brain breaks, recess is a great time to encourage movement (and to work on social skills.) Be sure that you don't withhold recess for kids who are misbehaving at school. Oftentimes, they're the students who NEED RECESS THE MOST so that they can behave better!

For these kids who need more movement than you can plug into your routines, meet with your team and find safe ways to add more intense movement during the day. I knew of a student who frequently took breaks from the classroom. Her principal, teacher and parents allowed her to do cartwheels in the empty hallway when she needed the extra input to focus!

It helped her to tremendously throughout her third grade year!

On the other hand, some kiddos can be a little sensitive to movement. A sensitive child can become overstimulated from spinning or upside down motions. However, they're more likely to become overexcited with too much time on a tire swing or a merry-go-round, not these simple activities.

You'll likely be notified by parents or administrators if a specific child has these sensory processing challenges. If so, you may want to keep an eye on them. Or consult with your school's occupational therapist.

For More Information on Movement Activities for Elementary Kids:

Gross Motor Outdoor Games for Kids at School - Add some fun skill building gross motor activities during recess.

Flexible Seating in the Classroom - Check out these cool seating options that give movement input.

For a FREE printable, check out: Best Brain Break Exercises - Use a specific exercise sequence to activate all parts of the brain for learning or before a test! Brain Gym Exercises are included in this series.

Free Printable: 25 Brain Breaks for Kids: Improve Focus and Attention - Use proprioceptive input to organize the brain and prep a child for learning activities or tests.

Leave a comment below to share your favorite movement break with kids.

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30 Fun Movement Activities and Ideas for Elementary Kids - DEVELOP LEARN GROW

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Kids need movement to improve their ability to focus. Easily use these movement activities as part of your daily learning routine.

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An active math warm-up that is inclusive and fun puts students in a positive frame of mind—and gets them ready to learn.

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Early Childhood Education

Theater games make fun brain breaks that also foster valuable executive function skills.

Picture this: You are transitioning to a new lesson, and suddenly your class is full of bouncing legs and restless bodies. Chatter abounds, and fidget toys appear from nowhere. It's time to take a brain break.

However, finding the ideal activity that's simple and hits the reset button can be a challenge. For some variety, you may want to consider theater games. There are a slew of exercises that actors use to refocus, build community, and stimulate their energy that work well during transitions or whenever kids need to refocus.

While they can certainly help students concentrate, there are other benefits to these exercises: mindfulness, executive function skills, growth mindset, social and emotional learning, and especially fun, depending on the game. Gholdy Muhammad, professor and author of Unearthing Joy, notes that we can find joy in the classroom "when we create learning experiences that encourage students to have fun and problem solve, with their voices (and perspectives) centered." These brain breaks provide just such an opportunity.

8 Fun Brain Breaks to Help Students Focus

1. Silent circles of sameness. In this activity, students stand at the perimeter of the room, and you pose a statement to the class. Students who agree with the statement move to the center, while the rest stay at the edges. Debate topics such as "Zoos should not exist" or "Unicorns are superior to dragons" work well. You can also tie in themes from books ("Wilbur is brave." "Wonka is kind.").

Or use it as a way for the class to get to know each other ("I have a sibling." "I speak more than one language."). For extra movement, start your statements with " Jump into the circle if..." and keep changing up the verb (Spin! Hop! Run! Wiggle!). This activity gets kids connecting with each other, fostering fun and community in the classroom.

2. Mirror game. The mirror game is a classic acting exercise developed by the pioneer of theater games, Viola Spolin. Working in pairs, one student is the leader, who initiates movements, and the other is the reflection, who copies their motions. The moves could be abstract and dancelike or realistic, such as brushing teeth or making breakfast. The leader keeps their movements slow so as to not leave their reflection behind.

Additionally, students can make facial expressions showing emotions like anger, fear, and joy. The partners can switch roles after about a minute. Scientists have studied the mirror neurons in the brain and regard them as the seat of empathy. As students see their own selves reflected, it brings increased feelings of connectedness and belonging.

3. Laugh like a ___. Brainstorm a list of animals, creatures, or characters. Cue this game with a phrase like "Drop everything and laugh like a ___." It can be fun to do a few in rapid succession (for example, "Drop everything and laugh like a monkey... like a whale... like a giraffe"). Science shows that laughter releases endorphins in the brain, so what better way to reset than that?

4. Feather balance. Ask students to balance a feather on the palm of their hand. This helps them practice mindfulness as they focus on the feather, moving to keep it upright. Growth mindset is also at work in this game.

Carol Dweck, author of the book Mindset: The New Psychology of Success, says, "No matter what your ability is, effort is what ignites that ability and turns it into accomplishment." While some students might say, "I can't do it!" you can introduce the magic word yet into the conversation and then apply it to more academic topics later.

5. Boom chicka boom. This vibrant chant can get repeated in any style imaginable. Play around with different themes from books: "Big Bad Wolf style" or "Lorax style." You can also tie in units of study, using animals or professions in the community. To get the body involved, encourage gestures that get repeated too. Model a few versions, and then pass the baton for the students to lead.

6. Human knot. Students circle up and hold the hand of someone next to them, and then with their other hand take the hand of someone who is not next to them. They then have to untangle themselves without letting go of anyone's hand and find their way back into a big circle. This full-body exercise builds teamwork and trust. Encourage "voices off" for an extra challenge.

7. "Down by the Bay." The classic song by singer Raffi is a lovely way to get music, rhyming, and even acting into the mix. You can sing it in its original form and then encourage new verses from your students. Ask students to fill in the blank for the lyric "Did you ever see a ___" and then come up with a new rhyme to finish the verse.

This game benefits early readers, since studies show that rhyming builds literacy skills. Students can embody the rhyme, moving across the room or in their seats, as if they were a "shark trying to visit a park" or a "T. rex escaping a hex!," which adds an imaginative and kinesthetic element to the brain booster.

8. Who started the motion? One student steps outside the room. Another is selected to be the motion captain; they start a repeatable gesture (like clapping and snapping in rhythm, tapping their head and then their feet, etc.) and then switch to another one. Meanwhile, the class copies these gestures. The other student comes back into the room and observes the motions, even as they change, and tries to guess who is the captain. In this exercise, students develop their power of observation and collaboration as they move in sync.

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8 Brain Breaks to Spark Joy and Help Young Students Concentrate

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When young students take a brain break, their focus improves, and these activities also foster valuable skills like executive function.

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A Letter from Leah Kuypers, Creator of The Zones of Regulation

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Leah Kuypers, the creator and author of The Zones of Regulation reminds us that The Zones should never be used as a behavioral or compliance model. It is designed and intended to offer positive and proactive instruction that helps people gain an understanding of their feelings and find adaptive tools and strategies for communication, coping, and wellness. She offers six points for guiding best practice when implementing and teaching The Zones of Regulation.