Play-Doh Brain Break

It seems like everybody loves Play-Doh. 

PLAY-DOH BRAIN BREAK (time 4 minutes)
Have students work with a partner.
1.  The person on the left should come up to the front and get a small Play-Doh can.
2.  Go back to your desk and you have 1 minute (the teacher will announce the time) to make an animal (or some other category like a vegetable, or fruit)
3.  Your partner will only get three guesses for what the animal is.   You don't have to show them what you are doing until the minute is up.

4.  Switch and the person on the right gets to make a different animal.
5.  Use your guesses wisely because you only get three.
Hints are allowed.
6.  The person on the left will close the lid and take the Play-Doh back up to the front of the room.

Wonderful Cat in 1 minute

Nice Alligator

I got this fantastic idea from Kathleen Williams @1kjwilliams and Marissa Early @mearlynnhs who are math teachers at Naperville North High School.  Thanks for sharing.



I bought the 15 pack for $6 at a local store.  I noticed that they are on Amazon for around $10

Pen Flipping Brain Break

Brain Breaks are simple 1-2 minute mind and body challenges.  They are excellent for regaining focus in a meeting or a class.  Your students will love you for them.

This one you will take these steps

1.  Stand Up.

2.  Take a pen and flip it ONE REVOLUTION.  (Imagine a piece of tape on one end of the pen, then throw the pen from the tape side.  Have the pen go one full turn around to get to the tape side again) 

3.  Now do the same thing with your other hand.  

4.  Now get a pen for both hands and try to do both pens at the same time.  

5.  If you really are good at that, then try to throw the pens up into the air and catch them in opposite hands.  This is tough.  

 

Hands Brain Break

Brain Breaks are simple 1-2 minute mind and body challenges.  They are excellent for regaining focus in a meeting or a class.  Your students or audience will love you for them.

This Brain Break seems simple.  However, you will find out soon that you will have a hard time mastering it.  

1.  Stand Up.

2.  Start by waving your right hand in front of you left to right.  Your palm should be facing away from you while keeping your hand with your fingers pointing up. 

3.  Now stop that hand and have your left hand in front of you waving it up and down.  

4.  Now practice moving them at the SAME TIME.  Do not move your hands going diagonally.  

5.  Now switch to have your right hand up and down and your left hand left and right.  Do this faster and switch often to make it more difficult.

6.  Lastly, to increase the difficulty, have your arms crossed while doing this. 

Snap-Wink from Energizing Brain Breaks 2 Book

Snap Wink is an awesome brain break.  You can use it as a teacher or a student.  If you are a student and need a quick pick me up in a class, all you have to do is go through these couple steps.  If you are a teacher, this is a sure bet Brain Break.  I've used it many times with great success.  It is from the ENERGIZING BRAIN BREAKS 2 BOOK.  See it at www.engagedteaching.com .  Scott Miller has 50 great ideas for Brain Breaks that you can use right away.  He also has them available in SMARTBoard or PowerPoint slides.

This brain break is directly from the book page 14.  

Remember it is so important to give your students a little break in the middle of class.  Get them up and moving with this easy Brain Break.  You might be saying I don't have enough in my schedule to take out 2 minutes each day.  I would say you can't afford not to have your student be active for at least 2 minutes each day.  Their efficiency will sharpen immediately. 

Two other awesome brain breaks  from Scott's book that I use all the time are "I'm OK" and "I'm OK, You're OK" page 9 and page 10

Follow Scott Miller on twitter @smiller229

Thumb War or Peace: Energizing Brain Breaks

Brain Breaks are helpful in the middle of class to help get students refocused and energized.  They are great when they break up an hour long class right in the middle.  They are excellent breaks in a meeting or presentation.


Thumb War or Peace is a brain break done with a partner.

1.  Thumb War is easy:  Simply lock fingers together and then tap alternately with your thumbs to the chant:  "One, two, three, four, I declare a thumb war".  Then you can get started with the war.  The first person to pin the others thumb down for three seconds so they can't move it is declared the winner.

2.  Thumb Peace:  Lock your fingers together.  You will try to work together to outline the numbers 0-9 with your thumbs one at a time.  Your thumbs will need to work together while making each number.  So You will have to decide who will be writing the number forwards and who will write it backwards.

ENERGIZING BRAIN BREAKS
Get the book with all 50 Brain Breaks.  Also, you get all the 50 Videos as well as a PowerPoint Digital Copy and a Smart Notebook Digital Copy.  A Book Published by Corwin
Energizing Brain Breaks by David Sladkey    Click here to get the Book NOW

Energizing Brain Breaks on the iPad

Energizing Brain Breaks are short 1-2 minute refreshers for your students or audience.  They are helpful for students because they provide a short break in their work and are fun.  They get your body up and moving so that you can then continue to work and be efficient.  Now you can access them through your iPad. 



Get started with 1-2 minute Brain Breaks in your class TODAY!

Now you can use your iPad to view Energizing Brain Breaks!  You can present the Brain Break to your students.  You could have your students access the brain break on their own.  It is very easy.  With the Energizing Brain Breaks site license anyone in your school could access the brain break on their iPpad including your students.  Check out the easy steps below.

1.  Get Energizing Brain Breaks PowerPoint Edition.  Download it to your computer

2.  If you have Box, Dropbox or Google Drive then store the file there.  Sign up for DropBox if you don't have any of these.  It is extremely easy and it has terrific educational uses.  I wrote a blog entry on this called I Love the DropBox File Sharing System.  Each of these systems has a free storage amount.  If you need more storage then you would pay for it each month.  I haven't reached the limit yet.

3.  Download CloudOn for your iPad.  It is a wonderful free application that you will be able to access any of your Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint files from.  Set up CloudOn with your Box, DropBox or Google Drive accounts and away you go. 

4.  Anytime you want a Energizing Brain Break then you can just open up your iPad and away you go.



Energizing Brain Breaks PowerPoint using the iPad screen shot

Core Strength Brain Breaks

Here are some great ideas for CORE STRENGTH BRAIN BREAKS.  They are easy to implement and most have you stand on one leg. 
They are done by Dave Racey from Naperville North High School in Naperville IL.  Thanks Dave!

FORWARD and BACKWARD CIRCLES
1.  Point your arms toward the ceiling.
2.  Keep your elbow straight and move your right arm forward creating a large circle.   Continue making forward circles with this arm.  Now do the same with your other arm except go  BACKWARD.  Continue with both arms moving at the same time. Make sure you have this pattern working before you continue.
3.  While both arms continue to move, lift your right foot off the ground and make a ninety degree angle with your knee.  Hold this for a few seconds.
4.  Now extend your right knee out to make your leg parallel to the ground.  Hold for a few seconds.
5.  Stop.
6.  Repeat the same process again with your left leg.

AIRPLANE
1.  Point your arms toward the ceiling.
2.  Lift your right leg and put it behind you.  Try to keep your knee straight.
3.  Lean forward with your body.  Try to make your body, arms and leg parallel with the ground.  Hold for 10 seconds.
4.  Now try the same sequence with your left leg behind you. 

DON'T FALL
1.  Point your arms toward the ceiling.
2.  Lift your right leg and put it to the side of you.  Try to keep it straight.
3.  Point your body in the opposite direction.  Try to make your body, arms and leg parallel with the ground.  Hold for 15 seconds. 
4.  Now try the same sequence with your left leg to the side. 

Energizing Brain Breaks PowerPoint Edition Giveaway.

With over 10,000 books sold we thought you might be interested in some of the comments we have received about Energizing Brain Breaks.

"Students focus better. Enjoyment of the movement break. They love the challenge of the movements."        Illinois

"Gets kids interested in class again, able to focus longer. Puts a little laughter in the day"    Michigan

"Gets students excited, engaged, motivated"   Maine

"Energizing/wake them up! break during long classes with lots of notes"  Maryland

"Re-engage, reinforce basic math skills, wake-up in the morning"  Illinois

Submit your name and email for a chance to get a free copy of the Energizing Brain Breaks PowerPoint Edition a $14.95 value.  We will be giving away 10 copies on November 30, 2011, randomly to all who enter.  Thanks for your interest in Energizing Brain Breaks! 
SUBMIT YOUR NAME HERE

If you have any questions regarding Energizing Brain Breaks please see our website at http://www.energizingbrainbreaks.com/ 

Here is a short video showing the PowerPoint Edition. 



Exercise Precedes Learning CBS Chicago News Story

Mary Kay Kleist from Channel 2 News Chicago did a story on Naperville Central High School's"Morning Exercise Gets Kids' Brains Fired Up for Class"  It is a great 3 minute story detailing the program that Naperville Central Offers.  When students get their heart rate up before their math and English classes their scores are higher.  The story discusses Moving and Learning.  It also discusses using Brain Breaks in the middle of class.  Check out the short video.   http://chicago.cbslocal.com/2011/08/24/morning-exercise-gets-kids-brains-fired-up-for-class/

Give them a BRAKE ... or is it ...Give them a Break!

Have you ever seen this sign in the road?  GIVE EM A BRAKE.  Every time I see it I think of the fact that we as teachers need to give our students a break.  We teachers often feel like we can't afford to give our students a break.  WE NEED TO GET THROUGH THE MATERIAL.  How many times have you said this?  As a student my brain has never picked up things in long drawn out segments.  My brain picks things up in bursts.  That is why I think it is so important to give our students a break when we are teaching longer segments..  If our activity does not give a break within itself, we should create a break for our students.  It should be a short break.  Probably 1-2 minutes at most.  This creates a refreshing outlook once the break is done.  The break should include standing up and some time of movement and stimulating brain activity.  I have been giving Energizing Brain Breaks in my class for a number of years now.  I believe that it gives students a break in the midst of concentrating intently which will help boost their efficiency.  Not only this, but it will also give them something to look forward to everyday as well as help them to laugh and smile in class.  Have you ever heard the expression "one step back and two steps forward"?  Well, brain breaks are exactly that.  It feels like you are not making progress in your class by giving them a break.  But really, you are helping them to move FORWARD faster, because they are refreshed and energized. 

So you are wondering what exactly is a brain break?  There are many examples in this blog that you can go to.  I will list a few that are fun to see.
Thumb and Pinkie Energizing Brain Break
Elbow to Knee Energizing Brain Break
Hand Shake Number 1 Partner Brain Break

GET THE BOOK

 www.energizingbrainbreaks.com

www.engagedteaching.com

Standardized Tests and Brain Breaks are a GREAT Combination

Its that time of year again. It's standardized testing time. It's the time of year students are to be sitting most of the day without any activity. It is a very stressful time for students. I hope you consider my suggestions for your standardized tests this year. Here are my 4 suggestions that are detailed below:

1. Be active before the test.

2. Eat before the test.

3. Give a Brain Break between segments of the test.

4. Offer manipulatives for your fidgety hand students during the test.

1. In preparation for the standardized test encourage your students to walk around the building before they go to class. Some schools actually have a school wide march around the outside of the school for 15 minutes. If the weather doesn't permit you to do this then have your march inside. Get the blood flowing for the students.

2. Encourage students to eat BEFORE the test. Some schools provide breakfasts for the students. Last year I acquired (through my daughters college Ultimate Frisbee team) a boxful of at least 100 bananas. I thought I would see if any of my students would eat a banana. It was unbelievable. In one class there was 80% of the class that took a banana. I asked them right away how many of them had any breakfast that morning and almost 50% said they had nothing to eat yet. Encourage your students to eat. I'm sure the administration could provide some funds for a banana or apple to each student on standardized test days.

3. Give students a BRAIN BREAK after segments of the test. Brain Breaks are short 1-2 minute brain and body challenges that help student to refocus. They get students up out of their seats and crossing the mid-line of their bodies and gets the blood flowing. If you would like more information on Brain Breaks go to www.energizingbrainbreaks.com . Here are two easy ones to use between segments of your standardized test.

ELBOW TO KNEE ENERGIZING BRAIN BREAK VIDEO AND EXPLANATION
CHOIR DIRECTOR (LAZY 8) ENERGIZING BRAIN BREAK VIDEO AND EXPLANATION

GET THE BOOK! There are 50 activities all ready to go for you. Each book costs $14.95 plus shipping. Go to http://www.energizingbrainbreaks.com/ for more information.

.

4. Give your students the opportunity to do something while they take the test. Fidgety students love to keep themselves moving. We can relieve this tension for them by giving them something to work with in their hands while they take the test at their seat. Here are some examples.
a. Pipe Cleaners (Get them at the dollar store)
b. Koosh or Nerf ball
c. Rubber hand strengtheners.
d. Kneadable eraser.
e. Silly Putty
f. Paper Clip.
g. Rubber bands

GIVE THESE A TRY AND LET ME KNOW HOW IT GOES!

All the best,

Dave

Energizing Brain Breaks in Spanish....Descanso Cerebral Energizante

Energizing Brain Breaks in Spanish

Descanso Cerebral Energizante

Get your copy today! Go to www.energizingbrainbreaks.com


Saltos de cerebro son actividades rápidas de 1-2 minutos que le ayudarán a volver a estar reorientados y re-energizados. Es como pulsar el botón de actualización muy propio. Cada una de las 50 actividades pondrá a prueba tu cerebro mientras que al mismo tiempo consigue usted mover su cuerpo. Esta combinación le refrescará. El Descanso Cerebral Energizante puede utilizarse en casa, en la Oficina, en un aula o mientras viaja. Se puede utilizar en casi cualquier tipo de grupo. Por ejemplo, un profesor podría dar un recreo de cerebro a su clase para la transición de una actividad a otra. También se puede utilizar para cualquier persona haciendo una presentación para ayudar a su audiencia a permanecer fresco con su tema. Usted puede tomar un recreo de cerebro en la Oficina para mejorar su nivel de productividad. Hay 25 recreos de cerebro que puede hacerse de forma individual. Hay 18 Recreos de Cerebro en parejas que se realizan con otra persona. Incluyen actividades competitivas y no competitivas. Hay 7 Recreos de Cerebro para actividades de grupos que trabajan en la construcción de equipo y requieren un número de personas a participar.

Toe Tapping Energizing Brain Break

Toe Tapping

1. Stand Up.
2. Face your partner.
3. Both you and your partner put out your right leg and tap your right feet together 1 time and say "1" out loud.
4. Tap your left feet together 3 times and say "3" out loud.
5. Tap your right feet together 2 times and say "2" out loud.
6. Continue the 1,3,2 toe tapping pattern alternating feet.
7. See how fast you can go.

Goto http://www.energizingbrainbreaks.com/ to get the book.

WHAT ARE ENERGIZING BRAIN BREAKS? Energizing Brain Breaks are quick 1-2 minute activities for your classroom. They take virtually no preparation and no extra materials to perform. Students of all ages love them. Why do they love them? Because they are fun and make you laugh. They also challenge your brain. Energizing Brain Breaks help you to cross the mid-line of your body which helps both sides of your brain engage. It is suggested to use an Energizing Brain Break every 30 minutes with your class. They are terrific during exams and standardized tests. Just give an Energizing Brain Break between sections of tests or even right in the middle of the test. If you would like to see some in action, go to www.energizingbrainbreaks.com. The Energizing Brain Breaks book is laminated; spiral bound, and has 50 activities on card stock paper. The ISBN number is 978-0-578-05058-4 and is a $14.95 value.

Energizing Brain Breaks DVD is HERE!

Each DVD comes in a shrinkwrapped protective DVD case.

Energizing Brain Breaks DVD is a collection of 50 quick activities that you can see in action. The DVD has videos that match the book "Energizing Brain Breaks" page for page. They are 1-2 minute brain and body challenges that are fun and help you regain your efficiency. The collection includes individual, partner and group activities. Both the book and the DVD have sample pages at the site

Go to energizingbrainbreaks.com

What are Energizing Brain Breaks?

Purchasing the Book/DVD

Sample Pages from the Book

Sample Videos from the DVD

Multiple Book/DVD Ordering

You can get the book alone, or with the DVD. If you get both the DVD and the book the price is reduced.

If you have a large order for a school or an organization, then you can go to our multiple order page to check out the possibilities. If you have any questions please email energizingbrainbreaks@gmail.com

ITSY BITSY SPIDER Energizing Brain Break for Students

ITSY BITSY SPIDER Energizing Brain Break for Students

You know the old rhyme that goes "The itsy bitsy spider went up the water spout..."

1. Stand up.

2. Put your hands out in front of you.

3. Take your right hand thumb and touch it to your left hand index finger.

4. Now take your right hand index finger and touch it to your left hand thumb.

5. Rotate both hands to move upward so that you can now reach your right hand thumb to your left hand index finger. Then keep rotating your fingers and thumbs so that you are "walking up the water spout"

6. Now do this behind your back. Try going "down the spout" as well.

7. Once you've mastered this, then do the same process with your index finger and your pinkie. This is tough.

I have not done this one yet with my students, so once I have, I will video-tape it and post it.

There is a Brain Break Book available. It has 50 activities that incorporate movement, crossing the mid-line, and brain challenges. Click here for more information. Also, 50% of the profits from this book go to great causes like building schools in Angola or also giving away books to underprivileged schools.

Movement and Learning = Jean Blaydes Madigan

Movement and Learning are equivalent to Jean Blaydes Madigan. If you haven't been to her website, you are in for a treat. Just go to Action Based Learning for an outstanding resource. She does workshops and teacher training. Her website is full of excellent resources. I have her book "Thinking on Your Feet". She is the heart and soul of getting students to move in the classroom. When she came to Naperville Central High School a few years back, she changed our world. She introduced us to Brain Breaks. Since then, we have really taken off on the idea of taking Brain Breaks in the classroom. They serve a few excellent purposes. First, they get the students out of their seats. Second, they usually get the students to cross the mid-line of their body which helps both sides of their brain to engage. Thirdly, they are fun challenges which students usually are smiling and laughing with. This is a an excellent thing to happen in your classroom. Unbelievably, student settle down very fast after a Brain Break. I think it is because they had some built up tension that has been released. They are ready to get back to work.

So Jean Blaydes inspired me to write a book of Brain Breaks called Energizing Brain Breaks. She has given her blessing to me by letting me use a couple of her activities. There are 50 activities in all. The other activities have come from my own work with Brain Breaks and many others have come from colleagues. Here is what Jean Blaydes Madigan has to say about the book:

"Energizing Brain Breaks is an excellent resource for quick simple challenging activities that students can do to activate their brain for more optimal learning. Many of the activities were developed by students and for students and really engage the adolescent brain. This is the resource that teachers need to get their students moving in learning."
Jean Blaydes Madigan

Teachers from all around the country are very excited about this book. Whole school districts are buying the book for all their teachers (900 books to one district) Whole schools are buying the book for their teachers. Books are going out to schools in Alaska, Hawaii, Canada, Denmark, and all over the continental USA. If you know of an administrator or wellness director that would be interested in this book please their send their email address to energizingbrainbreaksbook@gmail.com for more information. If you are interested in purchasing the book please click below. If you are interested in knowing the prices for orders of 20 or more books just email energizingbrainbreaksbook@blogspot.com .

The Waiter Brain Break

This brain break will see how agile your arm is. Brain Breaks are refreshing and help to get your productivity back up to par. This brain break is from a colleague Randy Smith. Back in the day Randy was a waiter. He imagines himself with a load of dishes in his hand. Thanks Randy for the idea.
You might want to go straight to the video because it is hard to describe with words.

1. Stand up
2. Lay a piece of paper or a spiral notebook on the top of your right hand without grabbing it.
3. While balancing the spiral on your hand, tuck it between your right arm and waist so that the spiral will now be behind you.
4. Flair your arm out away from you. Again, keep the spiral balanced on top of your hand.
5. Keep turning your arm so that the spiral will get back to the original spot.
6. If you have mastered this, try your other hand.

Many people ask me about getting the students settled after the brain break. This is a no brainer. Sorry about the pun. Just watch in the video how fast the students settle back to work.

This brain break is not in the book. The book actually has 50 activities in it that are similar to this. They challenge the brain and the body for a short period of time. They are excellent for those times in your class where you see your students getting a little glassy eyed. I actually plan for them in my lesson. Click here for more information on the book.

Figure Eight Brain Break

Brain Breaks are excellent for students to get re-focused. We should get our students up and moving every 25 minutes. Here is a brain break that your student can do with a simple spiral notebook. Take the spiral notebook and move it in a figure eight motion weaving through the legs. Of course, you want to do it as fast as possible. Also, when you get fast, you can try the opposite direction.
See the 50 second video.

Thumb and Pinkie Brain Break

Brain Breaks are great to take every 25 minutes in class.

This one is great for getting students to "think" about their movement.
Take your left hand and have your fingers in, and your thumb up.
Then take your right hand and put your thumb in and all your fingers in except your pinkie.
So in other words, your thumb up and pinkie out.
Now switch the roles of your hands.

See the 50 second video for how this actually looks.

Happy Brain Breaks,
Dave

Rocks, Paper, Scissors, MATH

Brain Break: Rocks, Paper, Scissors, Math
•You can only use the numbers 1,2,3 or 4
•You can’t use your thumb as a number
•You must hold your hand flat
•The first person to add the numbers together wins that round.
•Have students play the best of 5 rounds.

•Variations are that one person is negative, both are negative, or multiply the numbers.