Move Your Body, Build Your Brain!
A List of Activities for Movement to Support Learning
Casey Osmundson
Wilmington University
Wilmington University
Role Play!
Have students create a skit that reviews key concepts, or create a commercial advertising upcoming or past topics of study.
Play charades where students act out a vocabulary term, character from a story, or key concept & the rest of the class has to guess what it is.
Play charades where students act out a vocabulary term, character from a story, or key concept & the rest of the class has to guess what it is.
Energize!
Play a game of Simon Says that reviews skills. "Simon says make a right angle with your arms."
Have students organize concepts in order by arranging themselves with giant posters along a timeline.
Have students organize concepts in order by arranging themselves with giant posters along a timeline.
Quick Games
Toss a ball around the classroom. Whoever catches it has to ask/answer a question or share a story that relates to the topic.
Plan a verbal debate between pairs or small groups, then follow the debate with a game of tug-of-war.
Have groups of students work together to rewrite popular song lyrics to review content & perform a "music video" with choreography.
Plan a verbal debate between pairs or small groups, then follow the debate with a game of tug-of-war.
Have groups of students work together to rewrite popular song lyrics to review content & perform a "music video" with choreography.
Cross-Laterals & Stretching
Take "brain breaks" that involve light activity and incorporate both hemispheres of the brain. Pat your head & rub your tummy. Touch your opposite elbow or heel. March in place while patting the opposite knee.
Stretch! Have students take turns leading the class in a slow stretching routine.
Stretch! Have students take turns leading the class in a slow stretching routine.
References
AlbertHerring. (2013, October 29). Tug o' war. [Image file]. Retrieved from https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Tug_o_war_%285798655016%29_%282%29.jpg
Infoisinfo Australia. (2016, January 18). Playground in Sydney - Wannabees Family Playtown - InfoIsInfo. [Image file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hXbvYp6IApM
Jensen, E. (2005). Teaching with the brain in mind. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.
Pixabay. (2012, February 29). Sport. [Image file]. Retrieved from https://pixabay.com/en/back-bend-bridge-exercise-female-18713/
Infoisinfo Australia. (2016, January 18). Playground in Sydney - Wannabees Family Playtown - InfoIsInfo. [Image file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hXbvYp6IApM
Jensen, E. (2005). Teaching with the brain in mind. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.
Pixabay. (2012, February 29). Sport. [Image file]. Retrieved from https://pixabay.com/en/back-bend-bridge-exercise-female-18713/