Energizing brain breaks for small spaces
Twelve movements that wake a sleepy room up without anyone running, jumping or leaving their spot. Use these in the afternoon slump, on a rainy day when recess is indoors, or between two quiet tasks. Everything happens inside a student's own bubble of space.
Ready for a break?
12 cards in this deck. Press Draw, or the N key. Everyone does the move together.
Cards are drawn from a shuffled deck, so none repeats until all have been used.
Keys: N or → draw the next break · Space start or pause · R reset · M chime · F full screen
All 12 cards
Parade march
March in place with your knees up and your arms swinging, as if you are in a parade. Keep your feet on your own square of floor.
Standing: March in place on your own spot. Keep your knees as high as feels good.
Seated: Lift your knees one at a time from your seat, or pump your arms as if you are marching.
Thigh drumroll
Pat your thighs faster and faster like a drumroll, then slow all the way down and finish with one big clap.
Standing: Pat your thighs with both hands while you stand with soft knees.
Seated: Pat your lap or the armrests of your chair. Tap the desk lightly if that is easier to reach.
Small freeze dance
Dance in your own spot while the teacher counts slowly. When the teacher says freeze, stop like a statue until you hear go. Keep your dancing small and your feet in place.
Standing: Dance in your own spot with your feet planted or only shuffling a little.
Seated: Dance from your chair with your arms, shoulders and head, and freeze when you hear the word.
Rock climb
Reach one hand up and then the other, as if you are climbing a tall rock wall. Pull yourself up higher and higher, then climb slowly back down.
Standing: Lift each knee a little as you climb, keeping your feet near your own spot.
Seated: Climb with your arms while your feet stay on the floor.
Row the boat
Pretend to row a boat with big, slow pulls: reach forward, pull back. Row faster for a while, then slow down again.
Standing: Bend your knees a little and row with both arms, keeping your elbows in front of your body.
Seated: Sit tall, reach forward and pull back, leaning back slightly as you pull.
Swim across the lake
Swim across a lake with your arms: front crawl, then breaststroke, then backstroke. Keep your arms close so you do not touch anyone.
Standing: Keep your feet planted and make smaller, slower strokes if there is not much room.
Seated: Swim with your arms from your chair, or with just one arm.
Mirror the leader
One leader makes slow, simple movements and everyone copies them, like a mirror. Switch leaders every twenty seconds. Leaders choose moves that can be done sitting or standing.
Standing: Copy the leader's moves inside your own space.
Seated: Copy the leader's moves from your seat. Use the arms, head or shoulders if the legs are not part of it.
Clap, snap, pat
The leader makes a short pattern such as clap, clap, pat. Everyone repeats it. Each time, the pattern gets one beat longer.
Standing: Clap and pat your thighs. Snap if you can.
Seated: Pat the desk or your lap instead of your thighs, and tap a finger if snapping is hard.
Heel-toe taps
Tap your heels, then your toes, on the floor to a steady beat. Speed up for a while, then slow down.
Standing: Hold the back of a chair or the edge of your desk for balance.
Seated: Tap from your chair, or tap your fingers on the desk to the same beat.
Ski down the mountain
Swing your arms from side to side as if you are skiing down a mountain. Lean left, lean right, and slow to a stop at the bottom.
Standing: Bend your knees a little and sway from your hips while your feet stay put.
Seated: Swing your arms and lean side to side in your chair.
Jellyfish arms
Float your arms up and ripple them like jellyfish. Wiggle faster as the current pulls, then go slow again.
Standing: Keep your arms in front of you and above your head, away from your neighbors.
Seated: Ripple your arms from your seat, or your fingers if that is easier.
Count and march
March in place while the class counts together in indoor voices: by twos to twenty, then by fives to fifty.
Standing: March on your own spot and count along.
Seated: Lift your knees or pump your arms from your seat as you count.
How to use it
- Press Draw a break (or N). Each card is a small-space movement with a standing version and a seated version.
- Read the card, remind the class to stay inside their own bubble of space, and press Start timer.
- Press Next break if the room needs another, or Print to put the twelve movement cards in a jar for indoor-recess days.
Ideas for class
- Reach for a get-moving card in the middle of the afternoon, when a room tends to slump.
- Keep three of these ready for indoor-recess days, when there's no room to run.
- Use “Mirror the leader” with a student as the leader, and ask them to pick moves everyone can do sitting or standing.
- Use “Count and march” for skip counting practice, and “Clap, snap, pat” to build a pattern one beat at a time.
- Follow an energizing card with a calming one, so students can settle before the next task.
Related
Questions
Why is there no jumping or running?
In a crowded room those are how people get hurt. Every energizing card is a movement that fits inside the space of a desk and doesn't need anyone to leave their spot.
Which of these make noise?
Parade march, Thigh drumroll, Small freeze dance, Clap snap pat, Heel-toe taps and Count and march make some sound. Switch on “Silent breaks only” to leave them out.
Can students who don't use their legs join in?
Yes. Each card has a seated version using arms, shoulders or head, and “Mirror the leader” and “Jellyfish arms” work with any part of the body that moves.
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