Check out my new Brain Break Book (Print & eBook editions)!
A year and a half ago while working with my oldest on spelling dictation, he started to get restless and completely incapable of focusing on the work at hand. In frustration, I found myself launching into a long-winded lecture. Blah, blah, blah… As my monologue progressed, I noticed that he was zoning out even more. It was time for a change of tactics. I paused and in my very best army sergeant voice ordered my son to stand up and give me 10 jumping jacks. A look of surprise washed over his face.
He giggled. I gave my best over-the-top army sergeant glare and barked the order again, fighting back giggles of my own. He responded with a puny flailing armed set of jumping jacks. I mustered composure, told this ‘private’ that his performance was unacceptable and ordered two laps around the kitchen island before returning to spelling duty. He giggled again and complied.
Since then, I’ve introduced a number of fun little breaks that get pulled out at random times to wake up lethargic brains and bodies! We call them ‘brain breaks’. What I didn’t realize is that I had read about something similar years earlier in Smart Moves: Why Learning Is Not All In Your Head. This educational psychologist recommended short movement breaks as remedial exercises to help with bilateral integration in struggling students and eventually as break for the entire classroom. As I reread the book last year, I had an aha moment. What I was doing just to save our sanity was actually waking his brain up by activating the vestibular system, bilateral integration and giving the brain a fresh boost of oxygen!
So here is my little tip for the day! When you are doing some of the necessary seat work and you see that the lights are on, but nobody’s home, declare a ‘brain break’. A quick 2-5 minutes will work wonders to lighten the mood, get oxygen pumping and wake their brain up for diving back into the learning process! The key here is to make it light-hearted and fun!
Breaks like these work to wire the brain to learn, focus and perform better!
Want to learn more? Come check out my book:
The Ultimate Guide to Brain Breaks
Use the coupon code “move” to get a $2.00 off!
An extended version with 3x as many practical brain break ideas plus an extended guide on how to use them in your home, homeschool or even the classroom!
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A big thanks to MeinLilaPark for the beautiful graphic!
Day 1: Boosting Brain Power Starts with Food and Water
Day 2: How Sleep Makes Us Smarter
Day 3: Exercise Boosts Brain Power
Day 5: Active Play Boosts Brain Power
Day 6: How to Waste Brain Boosting Opportunity
Day 7: Brain Breaks: An Important Tool in Your Homeschool
Day 8: The Role Music Plays in Boosting Brain Power
Day 9: Engaging the Senses Boosts Brain Power
Day 10: How to Turn Passive Learning into Active Learning
I have teenaged (male) “students” and I can tell you–those brain breaks are just as necessary now as they were when they were younger. I still see the occasional glazed-over look and restlessness if I go “over the limit”.
Thanks for the reminder to take Brain breaks this term.
YES!!! We actually all benefit from utilizing them. I utilized them all the time through highschool and college. Even in the workplace, if I couldn’t focus, I’d take the opportunity to walk around the building or at the very least stand up and stretch!
After every 4 or 5 pages of schoolwork, my seven year old will run down the hall and back and around the dining room table several times. I thought he was just getting his energy out–I’m glad there is a good “brain” reason for this random exercise too! Maybe next time I have writer’s block, I’ll join him. 🙂
LOVE this post and the links to similar topics! Thanks so much! I found the post via pinterest and was hoping to print the original 30 *freebie* ideas to help me get started in my first grade classroom this year. Do you still have a link to the free set? Thanks for your help!!! I’m on a tight budget with start up funds! 🙂
Ana
I’m so sorry, but the free set is no longer available. There is currently a giveaway going on that you can go enter to win. She also has a special coupon code for 25% off. http://www.mercyisnew.com/2013/08/21/the-ultimate-guide-to-brain-breaks-review/ If you “like” the Ultimate Brain Breaks page on facebook, you’ll also be alerted to any giveaways or special offers that come up. https://www.facebook.com/UltimateBrainBreaks
Love this idea! We have a similar game called ‘fidget breaks’.
Wow, this post is sooo interesting. I had started giving these times of short creative breaks to my 5-year-old daughter when she practices violin simply b/c it seemed to help her focus. Now I know there’s a reason they work!
I love this idea and definitely want to try it. I keep trying to downlaod the file though and it says it’s damaged and cannot be repaired, is there any way you could repost another link?
I’ll have to look into that. For some reason the link is working just fine for me. I went ahead and emailed you the pdf download. Enjoy!
Fantastic! You also get the best mom award for laughing and making the day fun. Those 90 seconds of silliness make the day so much smoother, don’t they? Why do we often resist them? They are our secret weapon.
hahaha… Somedays it’s either laugh or cry. Laughing certainly is more fun. 🙂 And yes, they do make for smoother days. I’ve even done some of them when I start to get frazzled or run into a mental block.
Love this! I had been doing this during reading time. I like the additional variety you have on you print out 🙂 Going to get these made up for school tomorrow!
Variety is the spice of life! 🙂
I love, love, love this! Printing now!
This is golden! Thanks!