Sensory Break Ideas for Kids: My Body Feels Different Today
This session shares sensory break ideas, helping students notice when their body feels fast and full of energy or slow and heavy. Through a short video, a discussion about naming those body clues, and a movement game where they decide if a statement is true or false and share why, they practice spotting sensory changes early and choosing a strategy that helps them feel comfortable and focused.
Extension activity
- Skill
- Self-Regulation
- Goal
- Using Your Self-Controller
- 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 modeling lessonMy Body Feels Different Today
In this video lesson, students learn how to notice when their body feels different and understand what it might need. Learners practice noticing sensory changes, naming feelings, and making a plan to feel more comfortable, focused, and ready to learn.
- Extension activity
What Does My Body Need?
This matching activity helps students build body awareness and self-regulation skills by connecting common body clues to appropriate plans.
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: When and where does your body feel most comfortable?
Practice
- Discussion Question
- Role-Play Activity
- Mini Game
How to use it with your students
- 1Watch Play the video modeling 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 how to notice when their body feels different and figure out what it might need. They practiced naming what they were feeling and making a plan to feel more comfortable and ready.
Key Terms
- Sensory System
- Your body's way of collecting information all day, like how bright the lights are, how loud a sound is, or how fast your heart is beating. When your body feels different, that's your sensory system signaling what it needs.
- Body Clues
- Body clues are signals you notice inside your body, like a fast heartbeat, a hot face, or tense muscles, that tell you a feeling is starting. Noticing them early can help you figure out what your body needs.
Sample IEP Goal This Session Supports
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Using Your Self-Controller
Learner will use their Self-Controller to manage stress responses when triggers arise (e.g., unexpected changes, transitions away from preferred activities) by recognizing stress signals and applying a self-selected strategy before reacting in 4 out of 5 opportunities independently/given X prompt(s).
Send this tip home to support generalization
At home, when your child seems restless, try asking how their body feels. Then help them choose something that might help, like movement or a break. Naming the feeling makes it easier to know what they need.
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More Self-Regulation Activities
Frequently asked questions
Is this intervention free?
Yes, this ready-to-teach session on My Body Feels Different Today 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 My Body Feels Different Today, three practice prompts, and an extension activity, What Does My Body Need?.
What skill does this intervention teach?
This ready-to-teach session is on self-regulation - more specifically, using your self-controller.
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