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- Brain Breaks
Resources
Brain Breaks
Brain Breaks are a practical application of research findings demonstrating that cognitive function can improve through movement, regardless of whether the movement is related to the academic subject matter. Brain Breaks are activities that can be implemented throughout the day as a transition from one lesson to another, or to break a lesson up when children start getting fidgety.
Essentially, Brain Breaks are activities that are:
- Less than 5 minutes
- Easy to implement with minimal set up or materials
- Require children to get out of their seats to move
- Involve every child
Some examples of brain breaks include stretching, cross-laterals, music and movement, quick games such as rock, paper, scissors, etc.
Check out the following examples of Brain Breaks:
Jiggle your Scarf (2-3 years old)
Objectives:
- Space / Relationship Awareness
- Moving On Different Levels
- Use Of Personal / General Space
- Relating Parts Of The Body
How to Play:
- Children to take one scarf each
- Move their scarves along to the music played or the song they choose to sing!
- Make it fun by waving their scarf at low, medium and high level e.g. knee, waist and over head
Materials:
- Scarf
- Music
- Speaker
Other Information:
Teachers to vary and modify accordingly e.g. Incorporate skills such as jumping/hopping to the rhythm, increase difficulty levels by increasing tempo.
*This content, including photos and videos, is provided and published with permission by Little Footprints Preschool Pte Ltd @ Woodlands Blk 551, for preschools’ general information and reference only.
Colour Picker
Objectives:
- Space / Relationship Awareness
- Moving On Different Paths
- Use Of Personal / General Space
- Relating To People And Objects
How to Play:
- Teacher or child volunteer to pick any color
- The other children must find as many objects around the room that match this color
Materials:
- Nil
Other Information:
Teachers to vary and modify accordingly e.g. Option for activity to be done while staying seated, select items from around the classroom or at a certain corner. Teachers can incorporate movement skills e.g. crawling, tiptoeing while children are doing the activity
Reference Materials:
*This content, including photos and videos, is provided and published with permission by Little Footprints Preschool Pte Ltd @ Woodlands Blk 551, for preschools’ general information and reference only.
Stir the Pot (2-6 years old)
Objectives:
- Twisting
- Stretching
- Twisting
- Curling
How to Play:
- Children to imagine that they are standing in front of an enormous pot filled with caramel
- Stretch both their arms out and up and pretend to take hold of a ‘giant stirrer’
- Swing down both their arms in front of them to plunge it to the bottom of the pot
- Slowly begin to stir the pot in a clockwise direction, moving their hands, wrist and shoulders
- Stir in the opposite direction
Materials:
- Nil
Other Information:
Teachers to vary and modify accordingly e.g. Incorporate storylines e.g. Santa elves bending down to make soup, Option to stir fast or slow
*This content, including photos and videos, is provided and published with permission by Little Footprints Preschool Pte Ltd @ Woodlands Blk 551, for preschools’ general information and reference only.
Guess the Animal (3-6 years old)
Objectives:
- Locomotor, Object Control, Stability Skills
- Underarm Throw
- Catching
- Jumping
- Balancing
How to Play:
- Toss the ball to a child who will toss the ball back to the teacher. The child will have to act out his/her animal of choice.
- The other children will have to mimic the movement and try to guess the animal
- The first child to guess the correct answer will take over
- Repeat steps 1-3
Materials:
- Ball
Other Information:
Teachers to vary and modify accordingly e.g. Use other objects to toss/catch such as beanbags or crushed paper balls.
Reference Materials:
*This content, including photos and videos, is provided and published with permission by Little Footprints Preschool Pte Ltd @ Woodlands Blk 551, for preschools’ general information and reference only.
Silly Synchronisations
Objectives:
- Stretching
- Use Of Personal / General Space
- Relating Parts Of The Body
How to Play:
- Children to touch their left ears with their right hands and, at the same time, touch their noses with their left hands.
- Switch hands and touch their right ears with their left hands and their noses with their right hand!
Materials:
- Nil
Other Information:
Teachers to vary and modify accordingly e.g. Make use of other body parts e.g. Children to put one hand on their tummies, the other on their backs. Switch hands. Teachers to incorporate other movements such as jumping
Reference Materials:
*This content, including photos and videos, is provided and published with permission by Little Footprints Preschool Pte Ltd @ Woodlands Blk 551, for preschools’ general information and reference only.
Simon Says
Objectives:
- Short movement activities in between lessons
How to Play:
- Children will take turns being “Simon” who will give directions for children to perform a physical action starting with “Simon says…”If the child leaves out “Simon says” before giving directions, anyone who performed the activity will be out of the game!
Reference Materials:
*This content, including photos and videos, is provided and published with permission by The Schoolhouse by Busy Bees (Lakeside) for preschools’ general information and reference only.
Move and Freeze
Objectives:
- Short movement activities in between lessons
How to Play:
- Show children simple freeze actions which they can do. Play music and when the music stops, children should stop moving and show the freeze actions.
Reference Materials:
*This content, including photos and videos, is provided and published with permission by The Schoolhouse by Busy Bees (Lakeside) for preschools’ general information and reference only.
Mingle, Mingle, Group!
Objectives:
- Short movement activities in between lessons
How to Play:
- Say out a number and invite children to get into the groups based on the number called out.
*This content, including photos and videos, is provided and published with permission by The Schoolhouse by Busy Bees (Lakeside) for preschools’ general information and reference only.
Walking in the Jungle
Objectives:
- Short movement activities in between lessons
How to Play:
- Invite one child to be the leader. The leader will imitate an animal movement to move around while the other children will follow.
Reference Materials:
*This content, including photos and videos, is provided and published with permission by The Schoolhouse by Busy Bees (Lakeside) for preschools’ general information and reference only.
Ball Toss
Objectives:
- Short movement activities in between lessons
How to Play:
- Invite one child to catch a ball before answering a question and throw the ball to another child after they are done.
*This content, including photos and videos, is provided and published with permission by The Schoolhouse by Busy Bees (Lakeside) for preschools’ general information and reference only.
Blow Wind Blow
Objectives:
- To get preschoolers active and moving.
How to Play:
- The EC educator will say "Blow, wind, blow".
- The preschoolers will ask "Blow, what?"
- The EC educator will reply "Blow all those wearing glasses."
- The preschoolers who are wearing glasses will need to exchange seats.
- The EC educator will then repeat for other characteristics of the preschoolers.
Reference Materials:
*This content is provided and published with permission by MOE Kindergarten @ Fernvale.
Popcorn
Objectives:
- To get preschoolers active and moving.
How to Play:
- The EC educator will start the game by saying, “Let’s pop those popcorns.”. Preschoolers will then take turns to stand as they say “Pop!”
- Preschoolers will need to say "Pop!" one at a time.
- If two or more children say "Pop!" at the same time, the game starts over.
Reference Materials:
*This content is provided and published with permission by MOE Kindergarten @ Fernvale.
Boom Chika Boom
Objectives:
- To get preschoolers active and moving.
How to Play:
- Preschoolers will repeat each line after the EC educator use different speaking styles. They can change the lyrics to fit the styles.
The lyrics are as follows:
I said a Boom ChickaBoom
I said a Boom ChickaBoom
I said a BoomChickaRockaChickaRockaChickaBoom
Uh uh
Oh yeah
One more time ______ style.
Janitor Style:
I said a Broom Sweep-a Broom
I said a Broom Sweep-a Broom
I said a Broom Sweep-a Mop-a Sweep-a Mop-a Sweep-a Broom
Barnyard Style:
I said a Moo Chick-a Moo
I said a Moo Chick-a Moo
I said a Moo Chick-a watch your step,
don't track it in the room.
Reference Materials:
EC educators can refer to this video tutorial here.
*This content is provided and published with permission by MOE Kindergarten @ Fernvale.
Follow Me
Objectives:
- To get preschoolers active and moving.
How to Play:
- The EC educator will appoint a preschooler to be the leader. The leader will then do an action and the other preschoolers will follow.
Materials Needed:
- Picture Cards of Animals (Optional)
- Upbeat Music
Reference Materials:
*This content is provided and published with permission by PCF Sparkletots @ Bukit Panjang Blk 226
Numbered Move
Objectives:
- To get preschoolers active and moving.
How to Play:
- Preschoolers will roll both dice and look at the action they need to carry out and the number of times to perform (I.e. Jump 2 times).
Materials Needed:
- 2 Jumbo Dice (Numbers & Actions)
Reference Materials:
*This content is provided and published with permission by PCF Sparkletots @ Bukit Panjang Blk 226.
Numeracy Game
Objectives:
- To get preschoolers active and moving.
How to Play:
- Preschoolers will start counting but instead of saying a certain number, they will need to do an action instead.
For example:
Clapping on even numbers
(i.e. 1, clap, 3, clap, 5)
Jumping to multiples of 5
(i.e. 1, 2, 3, 4, jump, 6, 7, 8, 9, jump)
Reference Materials:
*This content is provided and published with permission by MOE Kindergarten @ Fernvale.
Act Like…
Objectives:
- To get preschoolers active and moving.
How to Play:
- The EC educator will say "Act like a ballet dancer". The preschoolers will carry out the action that fits the act. (i.e. Balance on tip toe, twirling)
- Repeat step 1 with another act. Preschoolers can also try creating the sentence as well.
Reference Materials:
*This content is provided and published with permission by MOE Kindergarten @ Fernvale.
Rub your head, Pat your belly
Objectives:
- To get preschoolers active and moving.
How to Play:
- The EC educator will get the preschoolers to rub their heads. Then, add on a pat to their belly.
- After a few rubs and pats, the EC educator will ask the preschoolers to pat their heads and rub their belly.
- Repeat steps 1 - 2.
Reference Materials:
*This content is provided and published with permission by MOE Kindergarten @ Fernvale.
Air Drawing
Objectives:
- To get preschoolers active and moving.
How to Play:
- Preschoolers and EC educators will take turns saying the name of a shape. Everyone will use their index finger/scarves/ribbon sticks to draw the shape in the air.
Materials Needed:
- Scarves or Ribbon sticks (Optional)
Reference Materials:
*This content is provided and published with permission by PCF Sparkletots @ Bukit Panjang Blk 226.
My Body
Objectives:
- To get preschoolers active and moving.
How to Play:
- The EC Educator will sing a song that mentions parts of the body. Preschooler will listen and touch the body parts according to the lyrics.
Materials Needed:
- EC Educators can complement this activity with this song here.
Reference Materials:
*This content is provided and published with permission by PCF Sparkletots @ Bukit Panjang Blk 226.
10 Days Fitness Challenge
Objectives:
- To get preschoolers active and moving.
How to Play:
- Preschoolers are encouraged to plan and discuss different types of body movement actions as a class and do it throughout the 10 days challenge.
Materials Needed:
- Paper
- Pencil/ Markers
- Colour Pencils
Other information:
EC educators can consider
- Creating the template (10 template table)
- Encouraging the preschoolers to draw the actions. (i.e. For the hopping action, preschoolers may draw a bunny hopping)
Reference Materials:
*This content is provided and published with permission by E-Bridge Pre-School 178A Rivervale Crescent
Yoga Poses
Objectives:
- To get preschoolers active and moving.
How to Play:
- Preschoolers will follow the EC educator's yoga poses and then take turns to think of a yoga pose for everyone to try.
Reference Materials:
*This content is provided and published with permission by MOE Kindergarten @ Fernvale.
I Spy
Objectives:
- To get preschoolers active and moving.
How to Play:
- Preschoolers will take turns to be the spy and will say “I spy ____”. The other preschoolers will point towards the mentioned object. (i.e. “I spy something rectangle/books/ window/ tables etc)
Reference Materials:
*This content is provided and published with permission by PCF Sparkletots @ Bukit Panjang Blk 226.
Jelly Beans
Objectives:
- To get preschoolers active and moving.
How to Play:
- The EC educator will ask the preschoolers to pretend they are beans.
- The EC educator will say "Stretch like a long bean." and the preschoolers will stretch their hands up high to touch the sky.
- The EC educator will say "Curl like a pea." and the preschoolers will curl accordingly.
- The EC educator will then repeat for other beans.
Reference Materials:
*This content is provided and published with permission by MOE Kindergarten @ Fernvale.
If your preschool is keen to contribute your activity ideas and resources to this website, please reach out to us here.