Stress Relief Games for Students
Do you want to create a more relaxed learning environment for your students? A great way to do this is by providing students with stress-relief games during class. These are brief yet powerful activities that give your students a chance to take a break, recharge from coursework, and relax for some time. When implemented correctly, these stress relief games for students can make all the difference in student engagement and productivity. Try these stress relief games for students a couple of times a week and add them to your routine.
WHY DO STUDENTS NEED STRESS RELIEF GAMES?
Students often find themselves in a state of stress from increased workloads to the pressure of tests and exams. It’s not always something teachers pay much attention to, but there are many negatives for students when they are stressed. Stress can lead to lower grades and mental health issues such as depression and anxiety. It is important for teachers to provide outlets for their students to relieve stress throughout the school day. Offering stress relief games during class is one excellent way to do this.
HOW DO YOU MAKE YOUR CLASSROOM ENVIRONMENT LESS STRESSFUL?
Students are often stressed as soon as they walk into a class because they know they have to learn and understand new concepts in order to be able to perform well. You can reduce student stress in the classroom in a variety of ways. A few simple tips include providing students with opportunities to move around during class, allowing breaks for stretching and breathing exercises, and introducing fun stress relief games that encourage collaboration.
You can also decorate your room in a calming, peaceful way. Bring in a bonsai tree, rock garden, or fish tank to provide students with something calming to focus on. Or hang some posters or photos of nature scenes that can help create a calmer atmosphere.
Mindfulness Activities for the Classroom Grade 3-5
FIDGET TOYS GAMES FOR STUDENTS
Fidget toys are a great way to help students release tension and stay focused. There are some awesome fidget toy games you can play. If you want to be creative, make your own homemade fidget toys to play with your class.
Rock, Paper, Scissors POP IT
This game is a variation of the classic Rock, Paper, Scissors game. So we all know the usual rules – Rock smashes Scissors – Scissors Cut Paper – Paper covers Rock. On the count of three, you put on your hand as a rock (fist), scissors (two fingers open) or paper (hand flat) and then determine a winner.
Once you determine a winner, start the pop-it toy game. Player one can choose to pop 1, 2 or 3 bubbles. Player two goes and chooses the same. The player that pops the last bubble is the winner! This is a great way for students to practice counting and strategy skills while having fun at the same time!
Fidget Spinner Bingo
Use a large spinner board, fidget spinners, and bingo cards. The bingo cards can be vocabulary words, answers to math problems, or even just numbers or letters. You can view an example of a Fidget Spinner workout here. The spinner board can be questions or just numbers or letters to match. Place the fidget spinner on the spinner board, and have a student spin. Students can mark off their bingo cards depending on where the fidget spinner lands. The first one to fill in a row is the winner!
Bubble Wrap Popping
This is a simple game that requires no preparation. Give each student a piece of bubble wrap and have them pop bubbles! Bubble wrap popping allows students to let go of their stress in an organized and fun way.
Mindfulness Middle School Workbook
MINDFULNESS STRESS RELIEF GAMES FOR STUDENTS
Mindfulness activities are a great way to help students relax and focus their minds. We all have our own personal zen we’d like to reach! Here are some mindfulness stress relief games for students that you can try in your classroom. If they work well, start building them into your daily routine.
Nature Walk Scavenger Hunt
Take your students outside on a nature walk scavenger hunt. Ask them to find items from nature — from stones and shells to leaves and flowers. Have them take a moment to observe each item they find and describe what they see, feel, and hear.
Guided Meditation
This game helps students to relax their minds by guiding them through an imaginary journey. Ask your students to close their eyes, breathe deeply, and imagine themselves in a peaceful place such as a beach or forest. Guide them through their imaginative journey and encourage them to use all of their senses to create a vivid image. Ask them to pay attention to their breathing pattern as they go through this journey.
Yoga
Yoga is an excellent way to help your students relax and let go of stress. Ask them to move through a few simple yoga poses such as the Cat/Cow pose, Tree pose, and Warrior pose. Make sure to remind them to keep their breath steady throughout the activity. Pretend you’re in a mystic garden and you can all find your inner zen mode!
Exercise Posters for Kids – Printed
PHYSICAL STRESS RELIEF GAMES FOR STUDENTS
Physical activities make some of the best stress relief games because they release tension and distract their minds from their studies. Here are some physical stress relief games for students that you can try in your classroom as a short break.
Balloon Volleyball
This game requires plastic balloons and two teams of four players each. Divide the class into two teams and have them stand at opposite sides of the room. One team will be hitting the balloon back and forth (volleyball-style) while the other team attempts to keep it in the air as long as possible. Add in physical activity with this balloon activity bat.
Chair Soccer
Divide the class into two teams and have them sit on chairs placed at opposite sides of the room. Each team will use their feet to hit the ball back and forth between their opponents. The first team to score five points wins!
Dance Party
Turn up the music and have a dance party! This is a great way to help students let go of their worries and just have fun. Ask them to dance however they feel like or come up with fun moves to do together. This will be sure to bring some smiles and laughter in your classroom!
CREATIVE STRESS RELIEF GAMES FOR STUDENTS
Creative activities are great for helping students express themselves and have fun at the same time. Here are some creative stress relief games for students that you can try in your classroom:
Writing Prompts
Writing prompts are a great way to help students relax and get their creative juices flowing. Ask them to come up with stories about a particular place, character, or topic. Encourage them to use their imagination and let the words flow freely onto the paper. Try these Emoji writing prompts.
Collage Making
Crafts like collages are fun to make as a stress reliever or students can pick it up as one of their hobbies. Ask your students to find images in the magazines that they like or that inspire them. Have them cut out each image and glue it onto a blank piece of paper. They can also add words to their collages if they wish. Consider adding other objects like buttons, fake coins, or beads.
Coloring
Students of all ages can enjoy coloring! Ask your students to grab some colored pencils, markers, or crayons and choose a picture from a coloring book that they would like to work on or look up some coloring pages online. Give students a range of colors to use. This activity will help them relax and focus their minds while having fun. Try this Love this Life coloring page.
Puzzles
Puzzles are a great way to help students practice problem-solving skills and take their minds off of stressful thoughts. Give your students a jigsaw puzzle, or brain teaser puzzle to work on. Or maybe anagrams or crosswords are more to their liking.
ONLINE STRESS RELIEF GAMES FOR STUDENTS
These days kids are very connected to technology. Whether they play games on an ipad, mobile phone, or laptop, students can often find a way to de-stress using mobile games. Many of them are free mobile apps on ios or android that students can use. Here are some online stress relief games for students that you can try in your classroom:
Word Games
Classic games such as Scrabble, Word Search, and Crossword Puzzles are a great way to help students get their minds off of stressful thoughts. Ask them to find words with specific letters. There is plenty of FREE word search printable puzzles here.
Do Nothing for Two Minutes
This is harder than you think but a great way to practice being in the moment. Check out Do Nothing for Two Minutes.
Breath Meditation
Try this breath meditation for stress relief for kids.
Stress relief games for students can be fun and beneficial if used correctly. By giving students the opportunity to take breaks from coursework, you can create an environment that is less stressful and more conducive to learning. These games can also help students when they’re having a tough day or dealing with painful emotions. With the right games, students can stay engaged and motivated while learning important skills such as counting, strategy, and mindfulness.
