Brain Breaks in the Classroom!

Let's me just start off by saying, currently brain breaks are currently keeping me sane! We still have nine more days of school left, but my kids have checked out already! I am trying to keep them entertained by doing book clubs on their DRA levels, creative research projects and STEM projects, but what really gets us through the day is constant brain breaks! They get the extra energy out the of kids and helps them refocus! 

I have been using brain breaks since I started and they were a nice break during the day. I have my students do one in the middle of the day, between our Social Studies/Science time and the start of our Math Block. They really help get them refocused. We typically do two songs/videos and the break is never more then a total of 10 minutes.

Most of my brain breaks come from Go Noodle but I have found a few on Youtube that my kids love! We are big fans of Zumba Videos! To pick what videos we are going to do that day, I currently have the names of the videos my kids love and put them on sticks! This summer one of my projects though is to put together cards with QR codes and bit links to our favorites to put in a box and let a kid pick them out each day! Next year I also am planning on creating a reward coupon where the kids can pay in Gems to pick their favorite brain break! I will be posting the cards in my store sometime this summer!

Now I am going to share my top five favorite brain breaks to do with my kids! I hope some of these will be helpful for you next year in your classrooms!

1. Uptown Funk Zumba for Kids Video

This is one of my favorites and for the kids too! It is a fun high energy dance, that really gets the kids moving. We do this at least once a week. This channel also has a really fun video for Cheerleader and Bang Bang!

2. Watch Me Exercise Video

This video was created by a Gym teacher and incorporates a workout routine with the Watch Me Dance moves! It is a really cute video and my kids are moving the entire time! It exhausts them! I love doing this on the days we don't have PE to still keep them exercising a little!

3. Shut Up and Dance Just Dance Video

I didn't realize that Just Dance videos were on youtube and one day one of my kids told me to put one on for a brain break! These work great because a lot of my kids have the game and know all of the moves and want to teach the other kids who don't have the game. You can find almost any current song in a Just Dance Video! My favorite song is Shut Up and Dance which is why I am sharing that one!

4. Pop See Ko 2.0

This is probably the weirdest song that I have ever seen but my kids are obbssed with it! It is on Go Noodle and features alot of the different performers on the site! My kids go crazy for this song! They would do this song every day if I let them! Beware-the song gets stuck in your head really fast and it won't ever go away!

5. The Maxarena

This is exactly what it sounds like! It is Go Noodle's Macarena! It is the original song, but with one of the Go Noodle's character doing the dance! I had played this song for my kids just on Youtube right after I started with them and they had no interest at all in it! As soon as it made it's way to Go Noodle, they thought it was the greatest song and dance ever! 

I have many other favorites too, but these are just a few of my current favorites!

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