10 Simple Physical Activities in the Classroom

Movement breaks are a game-changer in the classroom. They give students a chance to release pent-up energy, refocus their minds, and improve their readiness to learn. Research shows that even short bursts of physical activity can boost concentration, reduce stress, and enhance overall classroom behavior. These breaks aren’t just about keeping kids active—they’re about helping them regulate their energy and emotions so they can be more engaged and productive. Whether you’re tackling challenging subjects or simply trying to manage transitions, movement breaks can make your day run smoother. You can download a PDF of these 10 physical activities for the classroom.

CREATE A ROUTINE TO HELP WITH BEHAVIOR MANAGEMENT

Teaching your students the value of movement breaks is an excellent way to support both their learning and their well-being. By making movement breaks part of your daily routine, you can help students recognize when they need a reset and how to prepare their minds and bodies to work effectively. By pairing movement with mindfulness, you’ll help your students feel refreshed, focused, and ready to learn.

To get the most out of these breaks, consider ending each one with a calming activity, such as:

• Humming breath: Ask students to inhale deeply and exhale while humming softly.
• Deep breathing exercises: Encourage them to take three slow, deep breaths, inhaling through the nose and exhaling through the mouth.
• Body scans: Lead a quick check-in where students notice how their bodies feel from head to toe.

10 SIMPLE PHYSICAL ACTIVITIES FOR THE CLASSROOM

1. Secret Password: Every day establish a secret password activity such as 5 jumping jacks, stand on one foot for 5 seconds, hop three times, etc. Then establish when the student needs to use the secret password – i.e. after a drink of water, before receiving a hand out, when entering the classroom, in between subjects, etc.

2. Walking Worksheets: Tape worksheets on wall, easel and chalkboard. Students move from worksheet to worksheet and answer the different questions.

3. Opposite Hunt: Divide the class in half. Half of the class write a word on an index card. The other half writes the definition. Shuffle the cards and hand one card to each student. The students must move around the classroom and match the word with the definition. For younger students match up sight words, letter or numbers. Try math problems and solutions.

4. Pencil Jumps: For a quick movement break in between lessons have each student place a pencil on the floor. Jump over the pencil a designated number of times.

5. Race in Place: When reviewing material, have the students stand up and run in place by their desks. On the teacher’s signal, student stops running in place, listens to question and writes down the answer on paper.

6. Daily Rule: Establish a new daily rule every day that includes physical activity. I.e. walk backwards to water fountain, tip toe to the bathroom, stretch before sitting in chair. See if you can catch the students forgetting the daily rule.

7. Shredder: Cut up worksheets in quarters. Students can help scatter the worksheets around the floor face down. On the teacher’s signal, the students can crawl around the floor, find the four quarters of the worksheet, complete the worksheet and give it to teacher.

8. Push Up Line Up: When the students line up against the wall to leave the classroom, have each student face the wall and perform 10 wall push ups. After all push ups completed
the class can walk in the line.

9.Mobile Math: Divide the class in half to review math problems. The students can stand at their desks (paper and pencil on desk). Call out a math problem such as 4+5=. One
half of the class jumps 4 times and the other half jumps five times. Each student writes down answer on paper. Continue with other math problems. Vary movements.

10. Q and A Stretching: Provide students with paper at desk. Students can stand or sit. Ask a question and student writes down the answer (very large) on one sheet of paper. Each
student holds paper up, with two hands overhead to stretch. Teacher checks answers. Multiple choice questions work best.

DOWNLOAD YOUR FREE PDF OF THESE ACTIVITIES HERE

Ready to bring these movement breaks into your classroom? I’ve created a free PDF with all 10 activities that you can download and use right away! Incorporating movement breaks into your classroom routine doesn’t have to be complicated, but the benefits can be huge. Try these ideas and watch how they transform your students’ focus and energy throughout the day!