Brain Breaks

for the Classroom

65+ Brain Breaks

With Instructions
c. 2014 Stephanie Van Horn @
www.3rdGradeThoughts.com
Directions:

• http://3rd.gr/bb_assembly
• Cut out each circle and mount onto construction paper (or print onto
cardstock)
• Laminate
• Hot glue to a popsicle stick with the direction circle on the back
• Attach the large label to the outside of a container (I used a small bucket
from Target’s dollar section) with clear packing tape

Use these Brain Breaks whenever your kids need a break in the action. This can
include:
• Transitions Brain
breaks
• After a long work time
• Before a long work time
• Before a test
• After a test
• After recess to calm down
• When the class needs a pick-me-up
• As a class reward
• To mix things up during a content lesson
• Wait time before a presentation, speaker, etc. See my blog for more information:
• And more!!

3rd Grade Thoughts

www.3rdGradeThoughts.com

All items are copyright protected and for single

classroom use only. Thanks!
Jumping Downward
Jacks Tree Pose Dog

c. 2014 Stephanie Van Horn @ www.3rdGradeThoughts.com

Triangle Lion Empty
Pose Breath Breath

Dance Air
Ear Rub
Off Band
Criss-Cross Mirror
Sit Ups
Simon Says Partners

Partner

c. 2014 Stephanie Van Horn @ www.3rdGradeThoughts.com

Push Ups Stretch Sit & Stand
It Out

Chair Animal
Crab Walk
Balance Action
 Skiing Plank Pretzel

Book

c. 2014 Stephanie Van Horn @ www.3rdGradeThoughts.com

Superman Balance Swimming

Focus Head
Ball X&O
Roll
 Eye Hand Pitch
Roll Washing Perfect

c. 2014 Stephanie Van Horn @ www.3rdGradeThoughts.com

Isosceles Belly
Windmills Triangle Breathing

Dribble,
Swinging Shoot &
Samurai Duck Walk Score!
Greet & Test, Class
Meet Test Wave

c. 2014 Stephanie Van Horn @ www.3rdGradeThoughts.com

High Rainstorm Frankenstein
Cincos

Pharaoh Penguin
Waddle Moonwalk
Walk
 Marching Up, Down
Sign Time & Around
Band

c. 2014 Stephanie Van Horn @ www.3rdGradeThoughts.com

Waiter
Hand Jive Macarena
Walk

Skips &
Tin Man Scarecrow Clicks
 Frog
I’m Melting! Hand Knot
Jumps

c. 2014 Stephanie Van Horn @ www.3rdGradeThoughts.com

Mountain Human Zoo
Climber Knot Freeze

Watch & Eat

GoNoodle
Wiggle Healthy!
 Cowboy
Yee Haw
Pose
Lotus
Dog
Upward

c. 2014 Stephanie Van Horn @ www.3rdGradeThoughts.com

Jumping Jacks: For Tree Pose: Have
added math kids stand on one Downward Dog:
practice, decide how foot and bring the Make an upside-
you want the kids to other foot up to down V with your
count (by touch the inside of body like the
1,2,5,10,etc.) and tell their calf or thigh. picture. Hold for 10
them a number to Repeat on the other seconds.
stop on. side.

Triangle Pose: Like

Lion Breath: Inhale
the picture, spread
through nose, exhale with Empty Breath:
your legs, lean to
a loud breath, sticking Exhale all of the air
one side and twist
out your tongue and in your lungs, then
your body while
looking up toward the inhale deeply.

c. 2014 Stephanie Van Horn @ www.3rdGradeThoughts.com

opening up your
ceiling (no voices, just Repeat 3-4 times.
arms. Repeat on
breath noise).
the other side.

Ear Rub: Rub the Dance Off: Put on

lobes of your ear. your favorite song Air Band: Put on
Repeat by crossing or music on the music or a favorite
your arms in front radio and dance! song and have kids
and rubbing the Great way to work “play” an instrument
opposite ears. Good off energy at the of their choice.
calming strategy. end of the day!
 Criss-Cross Simon Mirror Partners:
Sit Ups: Have
Says: Just like the Find a partner, face
students count by
Simon Says game, them, and pretend
1,2,5,10,etc. and give
but have kids cross- like you are their
them a number to
lateral movement mirrored reflection-
stop on. Great for
(ex: right hand everything they do
added math
touch left knee). you mirror back to
practice!
them.

Partner Sit &

Push Ups: Have
Stand: Have
students count by Stretch It Out: See
partners sit on the
1,2,5,10,etc. and give how far you can
ground, back to
them a number to reach up, down, to the
back, arms linked.
stop on. Great for sides, etc. Repeat 3-4

c. 2014 Stephanie Van Horn @ www.3rdGradeThoughts.com

At your signal, have
added math times.
them try to stand
practice!
up.

Chair Balance: Go on
Crab Walk: Kids
tip toes, using back of Animal Action:
start seated on the
chair to help balance, “Walk” around the
floor, then lift up
practice bending room like an
their bottoms, using
knees, lifting up one animal- they choose
their hands and
foot, then the other, or you say.
feet to walk around
lifting up one arm,
the room.
etc.
 Skiing: Like jump Plank: Have kids get Pretzel: Sit on the
rope, but without the ready as if they were ground, crossing
rope. Have kids hold going to go into a right leg over left
their “ski poles” and push-up (like the (criss-cross) and
go left & right like picture shown), but crossing arms, right
they were turning, hold in this position over left, with palms
jumping the whole for 10 seconds. touching. Repeat
time to stay active! Repeat 2-3 times. with left over right.

Superman: Laying on Swimming: Laying on

your stomach, legs your stomach, arms out
Book Balance:
together and arms in front and legs
Students will balance a
extended out in extended, begin lifting
book on their heads
front, lift right arm left arm and right leg
as they walk around
and left leg, then left

c. 2014 Stephanie Van Horn @ www.3rdGradeThoughts.com

together, then right arm
the classroom.
arm and right leg, and left leg together,
then both arms and like you are swimming.
both legs.

Focus Ball: Bring X & O: Sitting on a

Head Roll: Roll head
finger tips together in chair, cross feet and
to the right, to the
front of your chest to arms and bring
back, to the left
make a “ball” shape in shoulders to knees,
and to the front.
between them. Lift completely crunched
Repeat in the
arms toward the sky, up, Then spread out
opposite direction.
still holding the ball, and stretch out all
Do this several
breathing slowly. limbs, breathing
times.
deeply.
Eye Roll: Roll eyes up Hand Washing: Pitch Perfect:
and down, then side Pretend to wash Practice pitching a
to side, moving slowly hands and forearms- baseball or softball.
and deliberately. can be soft or Repeat several
Repeat several times vigorous, or a times, and
in all directions. End mixture of both. encourage both left
with eyes closed for Great for pre- and right-handed
several breaths. writing! practices.

Isosceles Triangle: Belly Breathing: With

Windmills: Roll arms Kids are on their hands on their belly,
in small and large knees on the floor, breathe in deeply and
circles like a windmill. backs straight (like an feel the belly go out.
Repeat in the L-shape). At your Then, exhale and feel

c. 2014 Stephanie Van Horn @ www.3rdGradeThoughts.com

opposite direction. signal, they try to the belly go back in.
jump to standing. Repeat 4-5 times.

Dribble, Shoot &

Swinging Samurai: Duck Walk: Score!: Pretend you
Pretending they have Crouching down, kids are dribbling a
a sword, they swing will waddle like a duck soccer ball between
right to left, taking around the room. your feet, shoot
long strides across the Quacking is optional towards a “goal”
room.  and then celebrate
for making it!
Greet & Meet: Have Test, Test: Repetition Class Wave: Start
kids introduce game- can be done at one side of the
themselves and shake with words or room and have kids
hands with at least motions- where do a standing or
four people in the teacher says/does sitting wave with
room. Works great and students repeat. their arms. Go
first thing in the Great for around a few times,
morning! vocabulary! then reverse it!

Rainstorm: Kids start

High Cincos: Give by tapping their
high fives to five fingertips on their Frankenstein: Walk
people, then sit back desks, then using all 5 around the classroom
down. Great for a fingers, then moving with arms extended in

c. 2014 Stephanie Van Horn @ www.3rdGradeThoughts.com

quick break or on to hands, stomping front and knees locked.
transition. feet, then back down
to fingers, and tips.

Penguin Waddle:
Moonwalk: 2
Pharaoh Walk: Walk Keep arms to your
choices: Either like
like the dance move side and legs as close
Michael Jackson
“Egyptian”- you can together as possible,
(yay!) or you could
even play the music in moving only your
have them walk how
the background for feet and ankles as
an astronaut would
fun! you walk around the
walk on the moon.
room.
 Sign Time: Begin by Up, Down &
Marching Band:
familiarizing you kids Around: Have kids
Have someone be
with the sign language reach high to the
the conductor and
alphabet. Then, have sky, down to the
each student "play"
them practice a floor, then spin
an instrument, then
word/name/vocab around and sit back
lead the class around
word to classmates down. Quick &
the room.
around the room. easy!

Waiter Walk: Hand Jive: From the

Carry a movie Grease! Clap your Macarena: Remember
notebook/book/etc. thighs twice, clap twice, this dance? It’s still on
like a waiter would shuffle your hands over YouTube, although the
carry a tray full of and under each other video is not the best,

c. 2014 Stephanie Van Horn @ www.3rdGradeThoughts.com

food around the twice, then hitchhike over but you can just play it
classroom. Great for each shoulder twice. Play for the music!
transitions! the song as you go!

Scarecrow: Pretend
Skips & Clicks:
Tin Man: Pretend you you are the
Pretend you are in
are the Tin Man from Scarecrow from the
the Wizard of Oz
the Wizard of Oz- Wizard of Oz- you
and skip 3 times,
walk with straight have no bones and
then stop and click
arms and legs around are only made of
your heels together
the room. hay as you try to
3 times. Repeat 3
walk around the class.
times!
 Frog Jump: Acting
I’m Melting: Pretend Hand Knot: This requires
like a frog, start
you are the Wicked 2+ people to face each
from a crouched
Witch from the other and grab each
position, then jump
Wizard of Oz and other’s wrists. Then, start
2-3 times into the
slowly melt into the with one person squeezing
air (around the
ground until you are a wrist, who then passes it
room or in place).
fully lying down. on by squeezing another
Ribbit is optional 
wrist and so on.

Mountain Climber: Human Knot: This Zoo Freeze: Call out a

Jog in place and lift requires small groups of name of an animal and
one arm high up in 3+ people. Reach into the the kids act it out. Say
the air, then the group and grab a hand “Freeze!” and choose the
other, alternating as that’s not yours. Now, try best impression. He/she

c. 2014 Stephanie Van Horn @ www.3rdGradeThoughts.com

you jog. High to untangle the knot is the new leader who
energy-booster!! without letting go of any calls out a new animal
hands! and is the new judge.

Eat Healthy:
Watch & Wiggle: GoNoodle: Watch
Pretend to eat
Watch any fun Brain any fun and engaging
fruits and veggies
Break video on video on
that the teacher (or
YouTube to get the GoNoodle.com. Loads
student leader) calls
wiggles out. to choose from!
out.
 Upward Dog: Lie on
Yee Haw Cowboy: Lotus Pose: Sit cross-
your belly, Keep your
Have kids pretend to legged and rest palms on
legs straight and lift
lasso, ride a bull, walk knees. Make sure your
your chest off of the
like a cowboy, ride a back is very straight.
ground, stretching
galloping horse, etc. Practice breathing in and
your arms straight like
Loads of possibilities out and close your eyes
the picture, Look
and so much fun! to relax.
forward and breathe.

c. 2014 Stephanie Van Horn @ www.3rdGradeThoughts.com

 Thank you
for your purchase!
For easy assembly instructions, read my post: http://3rd.gr/bb_assembly

For more of my best-selling Brain Breaks, visit my TpT Store!

 Credits &
Contact:
I used clip art and fonts from the following artists:

**This packet for single classroom use only, please**

c. 2014
Stephanie Van Horn @ 3rd Grade Thoughts
www.3rdgradethoughts.com