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

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

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