Brain Breaks for Kids: Mindfulness Activity
This session introduces brain breaks for kids, helping students take a short pause so their brains feel ready to focus again. They explore two kinds of breaks, energizing ones that get the body moving and calming ones like box breathing that focus on one thing at a time. Through a discussion and a quick game where they choose a break that fits the moment, students practice noticing when their brains feel tired and picking a strategy that helps.
Extension activity
- Skill
- Self-Regulation
- Goal
- Being Mindful
- Grade level
- Elementary School
Get everything you need to teach the skill
These materials are part of a no-prep session designed by our clinical team, with all the structure, scaffolding, and support you need to teach included.
Engaging materials
Video lessonBrain Break
Today we are going to learn how to take a Brain Break. Why might we need to give our brains a break sometimes?
- Extension activity
Taking a Brain Break Discuss
In this turn-and-talk activity, students share their favorite type of brain break with a partner, practicing how to name a strategy that helps them reset during the day.
Plus everything you need to teach them
Warm-up
- Video: Hot Cocoa Breathing2:05
- Video: Daily Intention2:59
- Video: Body Squeeze2:12
Session Opener
Guiding Question: What does a Brain Break do?
Practice
- Discussion Question
- Role-Play Activity
- Mini Game
How to use it with your students
- 1Watch Play the video lesson so students see the skill in action.
- 2Practice Try the skill together with a discussion prompt, role-play, or mini game.
- 3Extend Use the extension activity to help students carry the skill further.
What's Covered
In this lesson, students learned that a brain break can help them refocus when they feel tired, bored, or restless. They learned about energizing breaks that get the body moving and calming breaks that focus the mind on one thing. They practiced a few quiet options, including stretching tall and slow breathing.
Key Terms
- Brain Break
- A short pause where you move your body or focus on one calm thing to wake up a tired brain or settle a busy one. It helps you get your focus back so you can pay attention again.
- Box Breathing
- A calming breath you do by tracing a box and counting to four for each side: breathe in, hold, breathe out, hold. You use it to help your brain feel calm again when you have big worries, anger, or fear.
Sample IEP Goal This Session Supports
-
Mindfulness
Learner will independently initiate a mindfulness practice (e.g., breathing exercise, movement break, body scan) when noticing a need to reset, and engage with the practice for its full duration, in 4 out of 5 opportunities independently/given X prompt(s).
Send this tip home to support generalization
At home or in the classroom, when a student seems restless or tired, try offering a quick brain break, like "Want to stretch your arms up high and take one slow breath?" Letting them pick the break helps them notice what their body needs.
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Frequently asked questions
Is this intervention free?
Yes, this ready-to-teach session on Mindfulness Activity is free. You can access this intervention free for 14 days through the Everyday Speech Session Library. Every user gets three free sessions, but you can get more or extend your access by sharing the Session Library with friends and colleagues.
What ages is this for?
These materials are designed for elementary school students.
What's included?
You'll get access to your choice of warm-up videos, a session opener, a core material on Brain Break, three practice prompts, and an extension activity, Taking a Brain Break Discuss.
What skill does this intervention teach?
This ready-to-teach session is on self-regulation - more specifically, being mindful.
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