BRAIN BREAKS Enable learners to: Brain breaks are a quick and effective way of changing or focusing the physical and mental state of the learners in your group. They are also useful tools for students to use in their own revision to help activate, energize and stimulate their brains. Brain breaks ideally should be interspersed throughout the training program for full effect. We should get our students up and moving every 25 minutes. Use movement to stimulate neurological pathways and help both sides of the brain work together. Prepare for learning. Improve concentration. Become calm, alert and ready for learning. Improve co-ordination.
Brain breaks are a quick and effective way of changing or focusing the physical and mental state of the learners in your group. They are also useful tools for students to use in their own revision to help activate, energize and stimulate their brains. Brain breaks ideally should be interspersed throughout the training program for full effect. We should get our students up and moving every 25 minutes.
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BRAIN BREAKS Enable learners to:
Brain breaks are a quick and effective way of changing or focusing the physical and mental state of the
learners in your group. They are also useful tools for students to use in their own revision to help activate,
energize and stimulate their brains. Brain breaks ideally should be interspersed throughout the training
program for full effect. We should get our students up and moving every 25 minutes.
Use movement to stimulate
neurological pathways and
help both sides of the brain
work together.
Prepare for learning.
Improve concentration.
Become calm, alert
and ready for
learning.
Improve co-ordination.
Arm Activation
Stretch one arm above head, grasp elbow of this arm with other arm.
Stretch arm away from head, forward, backward and then towards ear.
Exhale and hold for 8 counts.
Good for handwriting, spelling and writing.
Variations: standing, arm straight ahead, next to hip, behind waist.
All in a Spin
• Get group to sit on chairs in a circle with one less chair than size of group
• A group member stands in centre & says I am [states their own name] and this
is [pointing to and naming another group member]
• The person standing in the middle then swops places with that person who in
turn names another person and swops places with them
Alphabet Edit Alphabet Edit is a challenge. It is a very useful activity for clearing the
mind of any baggage brought to the classroom that may be getting in the
way of learning. It can be used for practising spelling and for learning the
alphabet:
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
L T R R T R L L R T T R L L R T L R T R R T L L L R
Alphabet Edit involves reading the letters of the alphabet (have the alphabet
written around the room with letters L, R or T under each) aloud as a class
or small group whilst completing the accompanying action.
L is a left arm raise
R is a right arm raise
T is both arms together.
A variation would be to say a vocabulary word (that deals with your subject) and
read it a letter at a time. Students then have to to look at the chart and move
their body parts according to the letter under the alphabet letter.
A further variation (and complication) is to accompany the arm raise with
an opposite leg raise! You can make it as fast or as slow as you like or do
the alphabet backwards! Alphabet edit helps hand-eye co-ordination and improve
visual, auditory and kinaesthetic ability.
Brain buttons
Make a U-shape with the thumb and index finger of one hand and place in the
center of your chest just below the collarbone. Gently rub this acupressure point
for 20 to 30 seconds while placing your other hand over the navel. Then change
hands and repeat. Helps with clear thinking, keeping pace while reading,
handwriting, reading and focus. Variations include: Do 8s with nose while holding
points, massage to left and right of navel.
Calf Pump
Place hands on back of chair
Place one leg behind, keep it straight and lean forward.
Lift back heel off floor and put weight on forward leg.
Shift weight to back leg, press heel down and exhale.
Good for listening, reading and writing.
COLOUR CHANT
• Look at the chart and say the COLOUR not the word:
YELLOW BLUE ORANGE
BLACK RED GREEN
PURPLE YELLOW RED
ORANGE GREEN BLACK
BLUE RED PURPLE
GREEN BLUE ORANGE
Left – Right brain conflict: Your right brain tries to say the colour and your left
brain insists on saying the word.
Cross crawl
From standing, begin to march in time. As you raise your knees touch them with the
opposite elbow. Helps with reading, writing, listening, spelling, memory and
coordination. Variations: hand to opposite knee, slow motion and eyes closed.
Different Directions
Have your students spin their right arm in a forward circle with their arm parallel
to the ground. Now have them take their left hand and make a backward circle
overlapping their right hand. Their hands should overlap each other but never
touch. When they have done this, tell them to start their left hand spinning and
their right hand overlap the left. It is really difficult to do. Most will be able to do
one or the other. You can also have the speeds change.
Double Doodle
Take a large sheet of paper or use a board and chalk to draw large continuous and
overlapping mirrors shapes using both hands at the same time. Begin with large
circles, eights, squares or triangles. Be aware of mirrored movements and move on
to more detailed shapes. Helps connect the left and right sides of the brain and is
very relaxing.
DOUBLE DOODLES / PALM TO PALM
• Get students to doodle a shape in the air with one hand.
• Then get them to doodle in the air the same shape with both hands.
• Then get them to write a word in the air using one then both hands.
• Then get them to join hands with a partner, palm to palm.
• One student then writes their name in the air using their right hand which
results in their partner writing the name backwards. Partners then swap roles
• Then both students write their names simultaneously in the air palm to palm.