12/31/2023 0 Comments List of brain gym exercises![]() When you really need to take the energy in your room down a notch, turn off the lights, set a timer, and put on a calming video. Take a few breaths, and uncross and cross the opposite way for a few more breaths. Clasp their hands and curl their arms into their chest. Now have them cross their arms over each other at the wrists. ![]() Have kids stand tall and cross one leg in front of the other while pressing the outsides of their feet together. Perfect for moments when you need to bring down the energy in the room.īuy it: Mindfulness Cards for Kids at Amazon 10. Each card will give a prompt for kids to try that will let them refocus and recharge. Stash a pack in your desk and pull them out whenever you need them. Mindfulness activity cards provide great educational brain breaks. Tell them to breathe slowly and deeply as they focus on the sound. Have them listen carefully to the chime, feeling the vibration in their body as the sound reverberates and then slowly fades. Have kids sit quietly with their eyes closed. Have them take a deep breath then slowly roll back up. Then stand tall and slowly roll down one vertebra at a time until their hands reach the floor (or at least their shins). Lean to the left and stretch their arm as far as they can to the left. Put their left hand on their hip and raise their right hand overhead. Have them stand with their feet shoulder-distance apart. Allow kids to take a break and bring some flexibility back into their spines. It’s never a good idea to spend too much time sitting in one position. The sequence on each card is designed to take only a few minutes. And don’t worry, it’s not a huge time commitment. Each page includes a picture and description of the pose, and each page includes poses of increasing difficulty from level 1 to level 5. These printable yoga cards make it easy to incorporate yoga into your educational brain breaks. Inspire kids to move, stretch, and practice mindfulness with yoga. Then have them close their eyes, take a deep breath, and blow it all out. Then have them switch their hands and touch their right ear with their left hand and their nose with their right hand. Instruct kids to touch their left ear with their right hand and at the same time touch their nose with their left hand. This is a quick and easy challenge to reset the brain. (Repeat these instructions for 60 seconds). Now close your eyes and as you breathe in, inflate your ball, and as you breathe out, flatten the ball by pushing your palms together. Press your fingertips together until you feel the muscles in your hands and arms activating. ![]() Keep your fingertips touching as you pull your palms apart, forming a ball with your fingers. Bring your palms together in front of your chest. Walk your kids through the following exercise: Stand or sit with legs and feet together. Catch your breath with any of these 20 guided video meditations. These guided meditations are educational and are perfect to use as brain breaks whenever you and your students just need to breathe. ![]() The snake breath involves hissing while slithering from side to side, while the whale breath has students pretend to breathe out through a blowhole! Tap into creativity by picking other interesting animals and acting them out through breath. This video shows students how to pretend to breath like some of their favorite animals. Mental health check-ins can help students get in touch with their emotions, refresh and recharge, acknowledge and cope with negative thoughts and overwhelming feelings, and be more focused throughout the day. That’s why using transition time for mental health check-ins is such a game changer. It’s hard not to feel like that’s lost time. When I first started teaching 19 years ago, I was surprised by just how much time it takes to get ready for specials or to bring students back from centers. Transitions are a big part of the elementary school day. Use transition times for mental check-ins ![]() Here are my favorite educational brain breaks that are sure to increase productivity and give your kids a much-needed way to unwind before the next lesson. The activities I use have helped me throughout my lifetime, so I love sharing them with my students. These breaks include all types of movement, yoga and breathing exercises, as well as jokes, quick videos, and more. I find it super-beneficial to incorporate quick mindful, physical, and mental check-ins with my students as a regular part of my classroom routine. Educational brain breaks are the perfect way to help your students redirect their energy and focus when they start to fade. If you can relate, just imagine how your students must feel when they’ve been sitting for too long. I don’t know about you, but when I sit through a faculty meeting or professional development session of any sort, I start getting antsy by the 30-minute mark. ![]()
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