Brain Breaks for Upper Elementary
By Marissa Despins, Amber Dial, Vanessa Mejia, Tammy DeShaw, and Chrissy Beltran – Updated February 21, 2024
Brain Breaks for Upper Elementary
Are you noticing more glazed-over eyes than usual in your classroom? Maybe it’s time to shake things up with some brain breaks for upper elementary students! We all know that keeping students engaged and focused can sometimes be a Herculean task, especially as the complexity of their studies increases. That’s where the magical power of brain breaks comes in, offering a much-needed pause and refresh for young minds.
In today’s post, I team up with some of favorite teacher authors to share brain breaks for upper elementary learners. These activities are not only super fun but also incredibly effective at recharging those brain batteries, encouraging creativity, and fostering a sense of community in your classroom.
Whether you have five minutes or fifteen, we’ve got you covered with ideas that will get your students moving, thinking creatively, and most importantly, laughing together.
Take them Outside
Taking learning outdoors is not just a breath of fresh air for students but also a brilliant way to weave brain breaks into academic subjects like math, art, and writing.
Imagine transforming a math lesson into an outdoor scavenger hunt where students solve problems to find their next clue hidden beneath the leaves or alongside a schoolyard tree. Art classes can draw inspiration from nature, with students creating leaf rubbings, sketching landscapes, or assembling natural materials into temporary sculptures. Writing sessions become adventures as students use the sights, sounds, and smells of the outdoors to craft vivid stories or poems.
These brain breaks for upper elementary not only serve as delightful pauses in the routine but also enrich students’ understanding by connecting abstract concepts to the tangible world around them. Engaging with subjects in this dynamic environment encourages creativity, deepens learning, and, most importantly, allows students to wiggle, giggle, and reset their brains, ready to tackle new challenges.
Read more about outdoor learning activities on the Creative Classroom Core blog by clicking on the image or button below.
Looking for some print and go outdoor learning activities to engage your learners? Download this giant bundle of outdoor writing, math, and art activities from my TPT shop by clicking on the image or button below!
Interested in reading more about Outdoor Learning? Check out our place based learning guide!
Consider a Wide Variety of Options
According to Amber from TGIF, a teacher of 21 years, brain breaks for upper elementary are not just fun, they are necessary! Having a variety of brain breaks that appeal to all of your students ensures everyone gets a break they enjoy. Exercise or dance parties are often what we think of when referring to brain breaks, but puzzles, art activities, and building blocks are also great options!
Host a Fun Friday
As an upper elementary teacher, Vanessa from Longwing shares that making emojis is one of her favorite brain breaks for upper elementary. Fridays in her classroom are dedicated to Fun Fridays, where she rewards the class with engaging activities during the last hour of the day. Her students have a blast creating their emojis, providing a creative outlet that many of them need by the end of the week. When looking for an online website for kids to make their emojis, she highly recommends it to be kid-friendly, have no login requirement, be free of ads, and entirely free. To learn more about this Fun Friday activity, head over to the blog by clicking on the button below. Making emojis is a time-efficient and enjoyable activity that offers a quick break in the classroom.
Make time for Rest
f you’re anything like Tammy at The Owl Teacher, then you have a very work-oriented mindset. Even during breaks, it’s hard to relax without feeling like you should be getting work done! Regardless, it’s incredibly important to give yourself ample break time; after all, running a classroom is seriously stressful! In fact, learning is stressful, too, and your upper elementary students deserve just as much R&R from time to time.
To help your kiddos unwind and destress, Tammy recommends practicing mindfulness in the classroom. One of her favorite brain break activities centered around mindfulness is taking students on a walk! It may seem simple, but having that time to simply relax, move around, and focus on that movement does wonders for kids who spend way too much time seated at their desks.
Another mindful brain break activity is free journaling—and no, not the science review kind! Tammy recommends journaling on Monday mornings to give students an opportunity to reflect, particularly since weekend life outside of school can affect students’ abilities to be present in the classroom. Of course, let your kiddos know that journaling is a safe, private experience; for the most part, they should never feel obligated to share their personal reflections!
There are plenty of other ways to practice mindfulness through brain breaks in the classroom, too, such as yoga and deep breathing. You can check them out over on her blog!
Incorporate Writing
Would you rather be a superhero or have a robot to do whatever you want? Chrissy from Buzzing with Ms. B’s favorite brain break for upper elementary students is Would You Rather Questions! Studies show those few minutes we spend engaging kids in something different actually increase their attention and focus during focused learning times! Would You Rather Questions are perfect for taking a break from the massive mental load of learning because they’re engaging, fun, and they give kids the opportunity to share their opinions or chat with their table or partner about their preferences! Plus they’re no prep and a great way for Chrissy to share her opinions with her class, too, and get to know each other. You can use gestures or add movement (move to one side of the room or another to vote) to get kids excited! No prep brain breaks are the best! Get the Would You Rather Question Slides here and have your next brain breaks ready to go! You can also learn about four other ways to use Would You Rather Questions in your classroom here!
Looking for more brain breaks to engage your upper Elementary Learners?
Check out the blog posts below!
6 Ways to Boost Engagement in Upper Elementary
Outdoor Learning Activities for Upper Elementary – Place Based Education
10 Books for Launching Writing
Thrilling Activities for Adding and Subtracting Decimals
Easy Spring Activities for the Classroom
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