Blog Post #7 - Brain Breaks

What are brain breaks? A brain break, also known as a brain reenergizer, is a time that students are able to take a step back from their studies to rest their minds and/or activate their bodies. This is classroom time that we encourage everyone to move away from their desk to reset. By doing this, students are able to refocus, develop social skills, and increase their overall activity level. Brain breaks can be an activity, game, video, discussion, or anything else that interests the students. The entire classroom community experiences benefits from this moment away from the academic content. Why do we need brain breaks? A child’s attention span, on average, is his/her age multiplied by 2-3 minutes (Brain Balance Achievement Center). So, a 5 year-old child, for example, would be able to focus for approximately 10-15 consecutive minutes. Once exceeding this time block, the student becomes antsy, distracted, unmotivated, and mentally fatigued. Therefore, class time instruction should be tailored to the students’ needs. Giving the children the opportunity to do something different and take a break from their learning will allow them to mentally relax. They are more likely to return to their educational instruction with motivation and eagerness to attack the new information. As a result, self-esteem and self-confidence among the students will rise and their stress and anxiety levels will lower.

How do I incorporate brain breaks? You may be wondering how to fit time into your day to step away from teaching when there are so many learning objectives to cover. However, it is as simple as a 2-5 minute intermission. One option would be to have multiple short lessons divided with brain breaks in between. The students would be more apt to retain the skills/content taught with a short lesson. Another option would be to follow up one lesson with a brain break before starting the next lesson. By include this break as a transition the students will be more ready to focus on the next lesson. Brain breaks can be adapted to fit the environment. Linked below I have examples of the various forms of brain breaks I have found in my research, such as 3 minute quick activities, socially distanced breaks, seasonal brain breaks, and more; however, this is only the beginning. There are endless opportunities to create a fun, energized place of learning. Resources:

1. 50 Educational Brain Breaks

2. 3 Minute Brain Breaks

3. Socially Distanced Brain Breaks

4. Seasonal Brain Breaks