40 Brain Break Activities for Kids
One thing is for sure, distance learning and online school requirements have thrown those screen-time recommendations right out the window.
While some kids thrive in this digital landscape, others find the long hours of staring at a screen difficult and exhausting. For younger students especially, sitting for such long periods of time can start to negatively affect their mental and physical health. For older kids, the increase in independent homework and lack of social interaction can lead to serious burnout and frustration.
So, what can we do to help boost their movement, increase engagement and retention and encourage creativity? The answer is surprisingly simple: brain breaks!
What Are Brain Breaks?
Brain breaks are short, expected periods of time scheduled in between learning tasks that allow kids to engage in a different type of activity, from mild exercise to just relaxing. We know that resting your brain is important for adults, and it's just as important (if not more!) for kids.
In a physical classroom, these brain breaks fit more naturally into the day, with scheduled recesses, periods of waiting for their turn and necessary transitions between tasks that take longer with a large group of students. At home, students can be expected to move quickly from one task to the next without any opportunity to decompress.
According to Laney Kennedy at , these activities allow the neural activity to switch to a different network. The result is that their brains are essentially able to reset, so when they return to the learning tasks, they are better able to focus, engage and retain information.
