Brain Breaks! They’re Great for the Whole Family. Give These a Try!

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Raise your hand if… your child got frustrated with you and whined because they had to finish a task. And then YOU became frustrated as you had to coax, convince, coerce… “just a few more minutes,” “you’re almost done…”  Why not say, “Let’s stop and take a brain break!”  

Get Up and MOVE!

Brain Breaks! They're Great for the Whole Family. Give These a Try! Tonya Harbour Contributor Miami Moms Blog

Brain breaks are 3-5 minute short energizing bursts of activity that boost blood flow and send oxygen to the brain. Mental breaks are designed to help increase focus, reduce stress, energize, give us time to process what we’ve been doing, better retain information and calm our mind. And usually, giggle.  Try our preschool favorite, Dancing Star – Jack Hartmann.

For the Littles & the Bigs

Raise your hand if… YOU have sat for an hour plugging away at piles of paperwork, and then you just keep going!   

According to educator David Wood, “Brain breaks aren’t just for kids. Studies show that sitting for long periods of time is very bad for your health, and increases your risks of all kinds of dangerous diseases. If anything, this is truer later in life than it is for kids. Sure, maybe you can concentrate and sit at a desk all day while you learn because you have more concentration than you did when you were younger, but that doesn’t mean that you should. Here are some ideas for adult brain breaks in a classroom setting.”

During our stressful days and nights, whether in preschool, high school or parenthood – we find ourselves on overload and we hit a brick wall. We can ALL use a Brain Break to rejuvenate, refocus and strengthen our mind and body. Everyone has different attention spans, so it’s important to be sensitive to both your child’s and your needs. Pay close attention to when it’s time to give the mind and body time to chill, recharge, and reflect!

So why not introduce this as a family time activity – after school, take a break from homework when the kids cannot sit still; or the opposite: dealing with boredom, paying bills, or just for fun!  

As I’ve shared in previous posts, my new motto for so many situations in life is, “Set yourself up for success,” and “set your children/students up for success!” In doing this we are not DIScouraging ourselves or children/students, BUT ENcouraging them to succeed and work harder.  Below are some helpful resources I’ve found, that I’d like to share with you!

The Pinky-Thumb Flip

On one hand stick out your thumb, On the other hand, stick our your pinky.  Then, switch back and forth.

Opposite Sides – 

Blink your right eye while snapping fingers on your left hand. Then switch to blinking your left eye and snapping the fingers on your right hand.

Great Brain Breaks for Kids

Crossover – Jack Hartmann

Stir it Up – The Learning Station

Get Funky – The Learning Station

Brain Breaks with Dr. Jean

Brain Breaks for Elementary & Up

Two Minute Brain Break – (starts at 3:00 minutes) – Super Cool Kids J

Move and Freeze, The Learning Station

The Pen Flip

Brain Breaks for Adults

Brain Gym

Brain Breaks for Adults

Give these a try, and let us know which ones worked for you!