Brain Breaks are short activities, often only 1-3 minutes long, that help kids get ready to learn or refocus on the task at hand. They often involve physical activity and movement though relaxing activities can also boost mental brain power.
So in addition to encouraging your kids to participate in these fun breaks, join the kiddos and have some refreshing, stress-free fun yourself, too!
Supplies Needed:
None
Here’s what you do:
Recite the rhyme and suit actions to words.
Wiggle, wiggle here,
And wiggle, wiggle there.
Wiggle your hands up in the air.
Wiggle your shoulders.
Wiggle your hips.
Wiggle your knees.
And wiggle your lips.
Wiggle, wiggle, wiggle.
Wiggle some more.
Turn around once
And sit back on the floor.
Activity Extensions:
Repeat and speed up the rhyme. How fast can you go before you fall over laughing?
Rewrite the rhyme adding toes, ankles, wrists, and ears.
Check out our Storytime Handouts for lots of fun rhymes, songs, and book ideas on your favorite storytime topics.
“The Why” behind the Activity:
Action rhymes are super fun and engaging to do with kids, but they’re also great for developing hand-eye coordination, listening skills, following directions, creativity, vocabulary building, and self-confidence. Add some action rhymes to your children’s daily routine and watch them grow while enjoying in each other’s company and strengthening your parent-child bond.
Check out these books for more Action Rhyme fun!
Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes: and Other Action Rhymes by Zita Newcome
Bountiful Earth: 25 Songs and Over 300 Activities for Young Children by Pam Schiller
Diez Deditos = Ten Little Fingers: & Other Play Rhymes and Action Songs from Latin America selected, arranged, and translated by Jose-Luis Orozco