Brain breaks are a great classroom management tool to use regularly in your classroom. Brain breaks are short, 1 to 2 minute, activities that can give students a break from school work. Brain breaks give students a chance to get up and move around. Brain breaks can even happen in the middle of a lesson.

I love to use brain breaks as a way to break up the subjects. I had planned brain breaks between each subject I taught. I also used them occasionally during lessons if I noticed students were not engaged.

This is a list of my favorite 15 brainbreaks. I wrote the brainbreaks on popsicle sticks and kept them in a cup on my desk. Whenever it was time for a brain break, I would take the cup to a student to pick a stick out and that would be the brain break. This was a great way to keep the brain breaks random and always have a brain break when needed.

I hope you enjoy this list of my favorite brain breaks!

1. Would You Rather 

Choose 2 options. Students go to the sides of the room for choice.

This was my fourth grade students’ favorite brain break. I would read a choice with 2 options, like “would you rather be a fish or a bird.” Then I would point out which side of the room was each choice. Students would go to the side of the room for their choice.

Sometimes, I would make up the choices. Other times, I would print out seasonal or holiday would you rather’s for kids and use a few from the list each time we did the brain break.

2. Categories

Pick a category. Go around the room, students will add an item to the category.

This is a really simple brain break. You could even tie this one to the subject you are teaching. Just pick a broad category, or even let a student pick a category. Then students will name something that goes in the category. For example, the category is “camping” and students could add tents, trees, fire, s’mores, etc.

Another spin to this brain break is to make it a game. The person who picks the category doesn’t say it just names one thing in the category. Then every student will add something and the original person will say a yes or no whether it belongs or not. Then when everyone has added something, you can have the students guess what the category is.

3. 20 Jumping Jacks 

This is a really easy and fast brain break but it allows the students to get up and move. I usually tell the students to spread out around the room and do 20 jumping jacks. Then, as soon as they are done, they need to go back and sit in their seat.

4. Squat Clap

Students pair up, clap hands above heads, then squat and clap hands below knees.

This is a favorite of students. They like the physical exercise but that they can also have a partner. I normally give them a certain amount of squat claps to do with their partner.

5. 10 Push Ups

This is another one of those super simple and fast brain breaks. You could increase or decrease the number of push ups based on the age level of the students.

6. Telephone 

Classic telephone game. Play at table.

This is another favorite of my students. One person starts by whispering a word or phrase in the ear of the person beside them. Then, this word or phrase is passed along the circle until it gets back to the starter. The person will say allowed what they heard and compare it to what was originally said.

You can play this at tables with a group of 4-5 students. Or you could have all students stand up in a circle around the classroom.

7. 10 Cherry Pickers

1. Jump up to the ceiling 2. Jump down into a push up position. 3. Jump into a frog position. That’s 1.

This is more of a challenging physical exercise but students do think it is fun. I normally tell students if they are having a hard time they only have to do five. This one needs plenty of space so make sure students are spread out around the room.

8. Spin x3

Stand up, spin around 3 times, sit back down.

This is a super fast brain break. This gives the students a little bit of quick movement. I will sometimes use this as a super quick way to get students focused during a lesson since it is so quick.

9. Rainstorm

Tap 1 finger on desk, then 2, … , tap whole hand, a little harder, then do it backward.

This isn’t a lot of movement, but students do like this. This really does sound like a rain storm when doing it with a whole class. Students also love that they can make noise just with their fingers. I model this one before we do it, so students know exactly what is appropriate behavior.

10. 5-4-3-2-1

Pick an action for each number. 5 jumping jacks, 4 spins, 3 hops, 2 high 5’s, 1 time around the room.

This is an easy one to constantly change up. These 5 actions above are my go to, but you can put in any action. Include pushups, cherry pickers, hand shakes. The possibilities are endless.

11. Mirror-Mirror

Have students pair up and mirror the actions of their partner. Then switch.

This one always makes students laugh and have a good time. Basically the person that is mirroring has to do everything the other person does. Students may dance, move body parts, do yoga poses, anything. I model this one and give directions so it doesn’t get too crazy. I make sure students don’t talk during it and they they stay in one place. I usually let the students go for 30 seconds then call switch, and the person doing the mirroring will switch to the person being mirrored. 

12. Trading Places

Stand behind desks. Call out a trait and everyone who’s has it must change places.

This can be as short or long as you want. This also always students to move around the room. I tell them that if the trait applies to them, that they have to move. Call traits like boy/girl, color of hair, eyes, or clothes, types of shoes, etc. Students really like this one and they learn about classmates that are similar and different.

13. Get in Order

Say an order to line up (height, Birthday, ABC first or last names, etc.)

This is one of my personal favorites because it requires a little bit of work and patience. I will tell the students that they need to get in order and I will tell them exactly where the line needs to start and finish in the classroom. Sometimes, I will make it even more challenging by telling the students they can’t talk. You could even tie this to content and give out numbers or fraction cards and have them put the cards in order. This is a fun and versatile brain break.

14. Shoulder to Shoulder 

Say 2 body parts, students find a partner and put those body parts together.

This another fun brain break that students love. Whatever two body parts I say, they need to put that body part together with a partner. I tell them each time they need to find a new partner. You can use shoulders, feet, hands, fingers, elbows, wrists, legs, etc. Students should be moving around the room and finding new partners each time so it will be more movement.

15. Jump Rope

Pretend to jump rope for 30 seconds.

This is another simple and fast brain break. I tell students to spread out around the room and they need to pretend to jump rope. I will tell them to start and then to stop. This is another you may want to model correct behavior with. It may be simple, but students like it to just get up and move for a little bit. 

I hope you found some brain breaks you can use in your classroom. If you have any other favorites, share them in the comments below for everyone else.

I usually keep this cup of brain breaks on my desk. Click here to read about my 7 essentials for an organized teacher desk!

This is Part 1, if you want to check out Part 2 with 16 more brain breaks, click here!

Thank you for Continually Learning with us!

Kyle and Sarah