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 following tongue twisters aloud. Can you say them?
Peter Piper
A peck of pickled peppers Peter Piper picked. If Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers, where’s the peck of pickled peppers Peter Piper picked?
Mumbling Mice
Many mumbling mice are making merry music in the moonlight.
Skunk on a Stump
A skunk sat on a stump and thunk the stump stunk, but the stump thunk the skunk stunk.
Betty Bought Butter
Betty bought butter but the butter was bitter, so Betty bought better butter to make the bitter butter better.
Activity Extensions:
- Repeat and speed up the tongue twister. How fast can you go before you fall over laughing?
- Count how many times you can say the tongue twister before messing it up.
- Try saying the tongue twister with a straight face. No laughing allowed!
- Try playing telephone with a tongue twister at the family dinner table. Quietly whisper the tongue twister to the person sitting next to you. Each successive person whispers to the next person at the table. Have the final person recite the tongue twister out loud. Has the tongue twister changed from the original version?
- Find lots more tongue twister ideas online.
- Try writing your own tongue twister!
“The Why” behind the Activity:
Tongue twisters have been around for a long time and are a fun way to challenge your kids and yourself simply to see if you can say them! Tongue twisters can help strengthen and stretch the muscles involved in speech, as well as help identify which sounds are difficult for your child and be a sign to focus speech practice on that sound. As your kids learn the tongue twister, watch their excitement grow too as they show off their tongue twister mastery to family and friends!
Check out these books for more Tongue Twister fun!
Tongue Twisters compiled by Pam Rosenberg; illustrated by Patrick Girouard
She Sells Seashells and Other Tricky Tongue Twisters by Nancy Loewen; illustrated by Donald Wu
Garfield’s® Tongue Twisters by Scott Nickel, Mark Acey