Brain Breaks
The only thing preventing me from using brain breaks all the time in class is remembering all the different ones that I like and choosing between them. I’m hoping this page will make the whole process easier.
La Maestra Loca (Annabelle Williams) introduced me to quite a lot of them, so I’ve tried to reference her as much as I remember. Check out her website here to learn more.
3 Hands, 7 Fingers
Students put their hands behind their back and pick a number between 1-6 on their hands. The teacher picks a number between 1-5 behind theirs.
They show on the count of three and anyone who doesn’t add up to a combined 7 sits down.
30 Second Mime
Students get into pairs and have 30 seconds each to mime what they have done at school so far today.
Buzz
Students stand in a circle and count in Japanese, but choose a number and any multiple of that number to be replaced with the sound ‘buzz’. E.g. if you chose 3, it would work like this:
ichi, ni, buzz, yon, go, buzz, nana, hachi, buzz etc.
Complete the Drawing
The teacher distributes the same half drawn picture to all students. They have 2-3 minutes to complete the picture. Can be followed up in a later brain break with a picture talk.
Evolution
Jankenpon, except you start as an egg. When you beat an opponent you turn into a chicken, then a dragon, then finally a unicorn. If you lose you devolve.
Learned from Annabelle Williamson (la Maestra Loca)
Gokiburi
A student is chosen to hide a plastic cockroach somewhere in the classroom. The teacher is given 5 chances to guess where the cockroach is using prepositions in Japanese.
Learned from AnneMarie Chase.
Human wave
Do a ‘human wave’ by standing and raising your arms around the room.
Learned NSW Department of Education
Jankenpon
Rock, paper, scissors.
Can be followed up in subsequent breaks with more advanced rules, e.g. aiko desho, atchi muite hoi!, janken competitions/snakes etc.
Heads or Tails
Students put their hands on their head or hands on their hips. The teacher flips a coin - if students are right they stand up, if wrong they sit down. Repeat once more.
Kagami
Students get into pairs. One student is the mirror, the other is looking into it (it really doesn’t work in groups of 3).
The mirror copies the students actions for 30 seconds. Then flip roles.
Karada
Students get into pairs and the teacher calls out a body part in Japanese. Students have to touch the body the teacher called out against the same body part on their partner e.g. ashi, kata etc.
Make it Rain
Using one finger students are to assist the teacher in making it rain in the classroom. Following teacher direction in Japanese, students are to tap this finger against the desk to make a rain sound. The teacher is the ‘conductor’, dictating how heavy the rain is and how it progresses.
Mingle Mingle Mingle Group
Every time the teacher says ‘mingle’ students need to change their position in the room. The teacher then called out a group of people from 1-5 (or higher) in Japanese and holds up the corresponding number of fingers - futari, sannin etc.
Students need to get into a group of that many people. If they’re left out they sit down.
Mr Squiggle
Using pre-prepared pieces of paper with squiggles on them (see La Maestra Loca’s Doodle Dash resources). The squiggles are a quarter of an A4 piece of paper in size and I have a lot of different ones printed out and any point in time.
Give students a few minutes to make an image out of the squiggle, then collect them. I like to show them off in subsequent brain breaks then select a ‘winner’ to join the hall of fame/shame on the whiteboard for the term.
Pass the Clap
Get the class into a circle, then in the style of a ‘human wave’, pass a clap around the circle until it gets back to you. Then add variety: Make it a loud lap, golf clap, two claps, a clap in each direction etc. Directions given in Japanese.
Popcorn
Students need to say the word ‘popcorn’ (or ‘takoyaki’ if you want to try and keep things in Japanese) then stand up. The aim is to get the entire class standing up and sounding like popcorn in a machine. But if anyone says popcorn at the same time as anyone else, then everyone sits down. It is important that students can’t discuss or coordinate their efforts.
Can also be modified with counting numbers in Japanese. Also, if they manage to complete the task, you can challenge them to repeat the process to sit down.
Sensei Says
The teacher calls out a colour in Japanese and students have to touch something in the room of that colour. Can be replaced with body parts.
(I’m too lazy to do the whole ‘Simon says’ thing)
Snaps
Click 3 times with your left hand and have the students copy.
Then click 2 times with your right hand and copy.
Then stand back and let them try both (don’t attempt it yourself).
Learned from La Maestra Loca.
Splat
Students get into a circle. You point at one student and say ‘splat’.
That student has to duck to avoid your shot, if they don’t they’re out. Irrespective, the students on either side of that kid have to turn and have a shootout of their own.