The Best Screen-Free Brain Breaks, According to Kids
With many school-aged children learning online for hours each day, the best types of brain breaks in today’s environment are those that leave screens out of the equation. There are so many fun and refreshing activities that can be done in a short five or 10 minutes – puzzles, art, dances, stretches, games, challenges and more – but which are the best of the best, according to kids? These are the top three favorites for our Malvern Virtual Partnership (MVP) Program students in Kindergarten through fourth grade at our locations in Washington Township and Blue Bell.
–Telling jokes
Our students LOVE telling jokes during brain breaks. Not only do they get a kick out of learning and practicing jokes, they really like challenging one another to come up with their own jokes to tell. It gets their creativity and laughter flowing, which can quickly lower stress and leave them ready to tackle their next lesson.
–Yoga challenge
Yoga is a great activity that can be done independently (especially if there are others learning or working nearby) or in a group setting. With a group, our students have a ball trying different yoga poses and seeing who can hold them the longest. There’s a lot to be said for getting your body moving and a bit of friendly competition!
–Would you rather?
Would you rather have super speed or be invisible; take a trip in a helicopter or a submarine; eat cake or ice cream? We assign different sides of the room to different answers as kids travel back and forth according to their preferences, and we get to see who goes where. This can be super silly and also open up some interesting conversations.
*Teacher tip for families whose kids are doing virtual learning at home: Get a jar and fill it with little pieces of paper that have ideas for different brain break activities that can be done independently. When it comes time for a break, have your child go to the jar and pick their own activity. This way they can spend their break time engaged in an appropriate activity, rather than figuring out what to do.
Aside from break time, if virtual learning at home isn’t going as well as it could be, we do have limited openings for our MVP program at select Malvern School locations. We can support you and your student(s) with:
- A full-day customized program that will support any district’s hybrid and/or full-time virtual learning
- Highly-qualified, certified lead teacher
- Small student-teacher ratio
- Socialization, physical activity and enrichment learning opportunities such as STEAM
- Personalized daily reporting
Find your Malvern School and connect with your local school director for more information.
We’re committed to helping families navigate this educational landscape, and we’re here for you if you need us.
