12 Easy & Fun Brain Break Activities for Kids
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Whether kids are attending school online or taking classes in-person, scheduled break times are essential for their well-being and their success in school. Kids need the opportunity to reset their energy levels and refocus—this helps with productivity levels in the classroom and at home.
Why are brain breaks important?
In the past, we covered the topic of attention span limitations for different age groups. We know that kids have a time limit when it comes to being able to focus on a task and that this time limit expands as children grow older. But did you know that research also shows that regular breaks throughout a child’s day can increase their productivity? Teachers who implement short breaks in between their lessons have shown to help students focus better in class, be less distracted and stay on task.
Further research on the brain shows that our brains are not doing nothing when we are resting or daydreaming. In fact, during this state of resting, the brain is activating different regions that help consolidate memories and generate and process ideas. Not only does this keep your child’s brain healthy, but it is extremely essential to their learning.
What exactly is a brain break?
You can probably guess, but we like the way Edutopia defines it.
“A brain break is a short period of time when we change up the dull routine of incoming information that arrives via predictable, tedious, well-worn roadways.”
As humans, our brains thrive off of novelty. And as we implement these breaks, we are creating an opportunity for something novel so that we can enter into a different space to process and consolidate learned information.
So the next time you think you may be wasting time taking a break, just remember our brains are not actually “on a break”, rather, they are in a high state of productivity.
Brain breaks
Now that we understand the positive impact of taking frequent brain breaks, let’s dive into some of the different ways to incorporate them at home.
Data shows that movement like exercise and stretching can boost brain health and decrease stress. Longer breaks that incorporate social activities like recess also help kids develop fundamental behavioral and emotional skills. Unstructured free play allows for little brains to build creativity and divergent thinking. Utilizing these three components into brain break ideas will not only boost brain development, but can be fun too.
Brain breaks only need to last a few minutes. Remember, it’s a brief opportunity to focus on something new and enjoyable.
Let’s look at some brain break activities to do at home:
Dance. Free dance and moving to your child’s favorite songs is a great way to let loose and get their wiggles out.
Action Dance. Songs that provide instruction, like the hokey pokey or freeze dance songs can be fun for kids to follow along with.
Trashketball. Ask a set of fun questions (trivia, family history, animal facts, etc). Each time your child gets a question right they get to shoot a crumpled up paper into the trash can.
Exercise Ball. An easy way for kids to get some energy out is bouncing on a yoga ball or medicine ball.
Stretching and Breathing. Stretching the body and practicing breathing exercises can be grounding and help relieve any built up tension in your child’s body.
Coloring. Free drawing or sketching for older children provides a great creative outlet.
Drawing games. Change things up and play a drawing game with your child. You can have them do a quick round of pictionary or have them draw something with their non-dominant hand in 1 minute and let you guess what it is.
Activity pages. Younger kids may enjoy easy activity sheets like crossword puzzles, mazes, and coloring pages.
Sensory objects. Playdough, silly puddy, or textured objects can help kids de-stress as they squeeze and create molds. For younger children, sensory bins filled with dry rice, beans, water beads or even kinetic sand and miscellaneous objects can be a quiet activity they can explore independently.
Singing. Name that tune is an interactive game where kids can sing a song and have you guess what the name of the song is or vice versa.
Puzzles. Jigsaw puzzles, Rubik’s cube, or tangrams bring a lot of satisfaction when the end result is achieved. For jigsaw puzzles, choose something that is just slightly difficult so they can chip away at the puzzle a little at a time, but not get too frustrated.
Math Puzzles. Quick math puzzles like sudoku or dominoes are calming ways to exercise your child’s brain.
We hope that integrating brain breaks into your child’s routine at home can help them refocus and re-energize for a productive and positive study time.
