Brain Breaks Teaching Resources
Do you need new brain break ideas and activities for your elementary classroom? Welcome to brain break central at Teach Starter!
This collection of teacher-created brain break activities and printables for kindergarten through middle school includes active games to get students up and out of their chairs, would you rather brain breaks, whole class escape games, creativity challenges and a whole lot more.
New to brain breaks? Take a peek at a primer from the teachers on the Teach Starter team!
What Is a Brain Break?
Not sure what qualifies as a brain break? A brain break is a short mental break incorporated into classroom instruction to provide literally what the name implies — a break for that hard-working brain.
Brain breaks can be done in the middle of a lesson or during a transition from one lesson to another, and the goal is to help the brain refocus so students can dive back into learning refreshed and ready to absorb the material.
Most brain breaks only last a few minutes. They're a break, after all! Teachers can add as many or as few of these breaks into the school day as necessary. Younger children such as a classroom full of kindergartners may require more brain breaks than older kids in middle or high school.
Why Are Brain Breaks Important?
Wondering how brain breaks help students? There is plenty of research on brain breaks for kids, and it all points to the importance of taking short breaks to help students succeed in the classroom.
For example, studies show that elementary students often lose focus and become inattentive during lessons that drag on. Something as simple as a brain break in the middle of a lesson, however, gives students the redirection they need to get back on the attention train and absorb the information.
Brain breaks are also helpful in reducing student stress and increasing overall productivity, with research showing that students get a boost in their reading comprehension and divergent thinking skills when they get breaks in the school day.
How Often Should You Use Brain Breaks?
Frequency — and length — of brain breaks for your students will vary depending on the age and abilities of your students.
You know your students best, and you'll be best able to tell when they need a break. But if you're looking for a good rule of thumb for elementary school, consider adding a break for students at least every 15 to 20 minutes for students to refocus their attention.
The later in the school day, the more important experts say it becomes for you to incorporate these breaks. One study by Danish experts even deduced that the impact of just an hour of learning without a break is equivalent to losing 10 school days’ worth of learning!
Fun Brain Breaks Students Love (And So Do Teachers)
Looking for fun brain breaks to get you started with this collection? Our teacher team designed every break in this resource collection to be fun, but here are a few favorites to add to the list!
- Hand Hockey — Have students stand in a circle with their feet touching, leaving a space on either side of the circle for goals. Toss a soft ball in the center, and tell your students they can only use their non-dominant hand to try to score a goal.
- Rock, Paper, Scissors — Take the popular rock, paper, scissors game up a notch with different versions. For example, you can challenge students to play using only their feet!
- Silent Ball — Challenge students to throw a ball around a circle for 5 minutes without making a sound.
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How to Make a Paper Football — Origami Instruction Sheet
Free printable brain break alert! Teach kids how to make a paper football with these step-by-step instructions.
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Make Your Own Paper Fortune Teller Template
Make paper fortune tellers with this multi-use template for teachers and students.
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Winter Logic Puzzles
Engage critical thinking skills with these winter logic puzzles that challenge students to use reasoning and deduction to solve fun, seasonal mysteries.
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Spring Coloring Sheets
Give your students a refreshing spring-inspired brain break with our printable Spring Coloring Sheets.
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Drama Game Task Cards
A set of 17 activity cards with instructions for drama games.
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100th Day of School - Would You Rather? Game
Engage your students in thought-provoking discussions on the 100th day of school with a fun game of Would You Rather?
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Easter Egg Coloring Sheet Pack
Give your students an ‘egg-cellent’ brain break with a printable Easter Egg Coloring Sheet pack.
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Music Coloring Sheets - Instruments
Encourage mindfulness with a set of printable music coloring sheets.
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Name 5 Things - Calming Strategy Task Cards
Use the ‘Name 5 Things’ Calming Strategy in your classroom to help students regain self-control with printable calming activity task cards.
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Last One Standing Active Game
An active game that allows students to build their vocabulary knowledge.
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Spring Has Sprung Word Search Puzzles
Slide into a Spring with a pair of differentiated ‘Spring Has Sprung’ Word Search Puzzles.
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Winter Puzzles Activity Book
Bring learning and seasonal fun together with this winter puzzles activity book to keep students engaged during the colder months.
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Four Corners Icebreaker - Back to School Game
Get moving with this engaging All About Me Four Corners Icebreaker game for the beginning of a school year.
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Calm Down Corner Classroom Decor Pack
Create a classroom calm-down corner with a printable Calming Corner Decor Pack.
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National Dot Day Coloring Sheets - Kandinsky Circles
Introduce your students to the circle art style of Wassily Kandinsky with a set of fun National Dot Day Coloring Sheets.
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100 Action Verbs
Practice counting to 100 by 1’s and 10’s with this set of 24 action cards that get students moving, reading, and writing.
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What Are You Doing? Active Game
A whole class active game that encourages communication skills.
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Stand Up, Sit Down Game - 'Sit Down If' Icebreaker
Have your students giggling on day 1 with this Stand Up, Sit Down Game as a classroom icebreaker.
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Species Survival! Science Coloring Pages
Explore the importance of environmental conservation with a set of three inspirational quotes colouring pages.
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Animal Classification Word Search Pack - Lower Grades
Introduce your students to the six animal types/classes with a pack of printable animal word search worksheets.
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Christmas Collaborative Art Project - Coloring Mural
Create a beautiful whole class holiday bulletin board with this collaborative Christmas-themed classroom mural.
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Kids Christmas Trivia Game
Host a Kids Christmas trivia game show with an interactive advent calendar-inspired trivia game.
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Would You Rather? International Women's Day Active Game
Engage your students in thought-provoking discussions with this set of International Women’s Day-themed "Would You Rather" questions.
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"Simon Says" Commands - Card Deck
A set of 24 instruction cards to use when playing "Simon Says."
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Would You Rather? Read Across America Game
Engage your students in thought-provoking discussions and fun exercises on Read Across America with a fun game of Would You Rather?
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Curious Creature – Whole-Class Art Activity
A collaborative whole-class art activity to create a curious creature.
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Catch the Ball - Theater Improvisation Game
Don’t drop the imaginative ball with this warm-up game for students.
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Around in Circles Active Game
An active game to use when reviewing any type of content with your students.
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Tricks in 60 Ticks Task Cards
A collection of 10 active games that take 60 seconds each!
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Brain Break Activity Cards
Give your students a quick brain break with this set of 19 whole-class brain break activity cards.
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If You're Something and You Know It Active Game
A whole class active game that encourages observation skills, focus, and creativity.
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Chicken Evolution Active Game
A whole class active game that encourages cognitive processing skills, physical activity, and social skills.