Teacher’s Brain

4 Engaging Brain Break Activities Your Students Will Love

Wondering if you should be adding in more brain breaks to your days with your students?

Think of brain breaks as super important timeouts for our little ones in elementary school. They’re not just about taking a break – they’re like power-ups for our students! 

brain breaks for kids

These short breaks do more than give a breather from lessons; they actually help our kids think better, feel happier, and make the whole classroom experience way more awesome. 

In elementary, every day is a mix of excitement and learning, throwing in brain breaks is like adding a secret ingredient to help our little learners grow and have a blast.

What is a brain break? 

Brain Breaks are short activities that help energize your students. They last about 1 to 5 minutes. They require no or little prep and help send oxygen to the brain to help students retain information.

Looking for brain break activities? I have you covered! 

There are many things you can do like getting some physical activity, watching a short video on YouTube, taking a dance break, playing a game, or making a craft. One of my favorite brain break activities is coloring! 

If you are looking for some high-quality coloring sheets that will keep your students occupied, these are perfect for you. 

Dinosaur Coloring Pages

brain break coloring pages for kids

These dino coloring pages make great discussion starters and writing prompts!

Unicorn Coloring Pages

unicorn coloring pages for kids brain breaks

These unicorn coloring pages are the perfect magical break from learning. 

Winter Coloring Pages

winter coloring pages

These help keep students and you calm and make great wall decorations!

For even more brain break fun, you can check out this brain break activity resource! 

brain breaks for kids

This is my favorite collection of 48 different Brain Breaks. These task cards can be used as transitions, breaks during an activity, something to raise or lower the energy of the group, team-building activities, and so much more!

What’s included?

• 48 Printable Task Cards in Black and White (4 per page) PDF

• 48 Printable Task Cards in Color (4 per page) PDF

• 48 Printable 8×10 Cards in Color (1 per page) PDF

• 48 Goofle Slides in Color for Digital Displays or Sharing at a Distance

• 2 Editable Slides to Create Your Own Brain Breaks (Google link digital option provided in the PDF)

Place them on a ring, on popsicle sticks, or in a crayon box for easy storage!

Use the Google Slides in presentation mode to randomly pick a brain break.
Looking for more classroom management tips, check out my post here!

3 Delightful Gingerbread Man Activities This Holiday Season


It’s officially time to get excited for the holidays! As the festive season approaches, there’s an undeniable air of excitement and joy in our classrooms. The fun holiday crafts lining the halls and the anticipation of holiday fun make this time of year truly magical for our little learners.

gingerbread man activities for kids

What are some popular Christmas activities? 

There are many ways that you can bring holiday cheer to your classroom, but I wanted to share a unique spin- gingerbread-themed activities! 

In the spirit of spreading holiday cheer, I’m thrilled to share some gingerbread-themed activities that will make your classroom feel like a winter wonderland. If you’re looking for Christmas activities for students or Gingerbread Man activities, you’re in the right place! 

Here are my top 3 Gingerbread Man activities for kindergarten or early elementary students! 

Gingerbread Man Craft and Writing Activities

gingerbread man activities

Let your students turn into the gingerbread man (or girl) this holiday season! This is a fun headband or writing topper that comes with bonus writing prompts. Students will color, cut, and glue the parts together to turn themselves into a gingerbread cookie!

Build a Gingerbread House or Man Writing Activity

gingerbread man activities writing activities

Are you looking for a great way to do an engaging virtual OR in-person Holiday writing lesson with students with a gingerbread theme?  I have you covered with these interactive, editable Google Slides to easily have students copy and paste movable parts to design their own gingerbread house or person.  Then, they will write a narrative, persuasive, or opinion paper about the decorated gingerbread. You can even have a virtual contest!

Gingerbread Man Craft Bulletin Board Set 

gingerbread man activities creativity

Are you looking for a great way to get students to sequence events with a gingerbread man theme or maybe an interactive decorative classroom bulletin board for your classroom? This download includes different pull waffle books to use with the story, a pocket to hold the characters for students to reenact the story, and BLANK waffle books to create your own story! Just add a bow and a folded lunch bag to create a keepsake for students to give to others or use on the bulletin board.

I hope these printable Gingerbread Man activities and digital activities bring a smile to your students’ faces this year. 


If you want more Christmas activities for the classroom, check out my post here!

Jingle All the Way to Learning: 5 Enchanting Christmas Activities for the Classroom

It’s the most wonderful time of the year, and it’s time to sprinkle a bit of holiday magic into your classroom with some Christmas activities for kids or holiday activities for elementary. 

Christmas and the winter holidays are just around the corner, and I want to share some festive resources and activities that will turn your classroom into a winter wonderland of learning and joy! 

christmas activities

If you are looking for Christmas activities for elementary students, you’re in the right place!

Teaching during the holiday season is a special opportunity to infuse the spirit of Christmas into your lessons while keeping the focus on education. Here are some of my favorite Christmas activities for kids!

Christmas Math and Literacy Worksheets

Christmas activities for kids

Are you looking for some holiday worksheets for your K-1 students? I have you covered with over 100 various types of worksheets, games, and printables that cover many kindergarten and 1st grade skills. 

Holidays Around the World Escape Room

holiday activities

Looking for a GREAT activity for your students to help your students practice problem-solving and learn about different winter holidays with a focus on the main idea? Digital Escapes™ are a fun way to get students to learn without even realizing it. NO Printing and No Prep needed for this digital escape! Super EASY for in-person or Distance Learning. 

Students will click an audio button for a short story and directions to help with their first clue. During the escape, students will be tasked with solving 4 lock clues in order to escape the room and break the spell a bad elf placed on them. There is a PDF included in this download with directions, the link to the site, an answer key, and an optional note-taking worksheet for students. This activity takes about 20 to 30 minutes to complete.

Christmas Ornament Poem (FREEBIE!)

free Christmas activities for kids

Are you looking for a great poem to easily download, print, and add to an ornament filled with a ribbon the same size as the student? I have you covered. 🙂 These make perfect gifts for the family!

Christmas Door Decorations

Christmas classroom decorations Christmas activities for kids

Ready to have the cutest door at school for the holidays? This is a simple door or bulletin board you can create using these printables. Pair Santa’s Vacation display with student writing samples or have students add a personalized bulb to the palm tree.

Santa is gone to the beach!

Ugly Sweater Christmas Writing Activity

Christmas activities for kids writing activity ugly sweater

Are you looking for a great way to do an engaging virtual OR in-person Holiday WRITING lesson with students?  I have you covered with these interactive, editable Google Slides to easily have students copy and paste movable parts to DESIGN their own Ugly Sweater.  Then, they will write a narrative, persuasive, or opinion paper about ugly sweaters.

‘Tis the season to be jolly and learn together! I hope you and your students love these resources as much as I do. 

Looking for more Christmas fun? Check out my post here! 

Why Teachers Play an Important Role in Kids’ Eye Health

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Credit: Pexels

Vision problems among kids are more common than many people realize. According to the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness, around 450 million children globally have eye conditions that need treatment, while 90 million children are already living with some form of vision loss. While most believe that protecting children’s vision falls only under the responsibility of parents and healthcare workers, teachers actually play an important role in it as well. Below are the reasons why and several ways to do it.

Why students’ vision matters and the role teachers have in it

One of the most important reasons why eye health matters to young kids is its impact on their academic performance, learning, and overall development. These factors are extremely crucial at this stage in life, as young kids are still developing and growing. According to a UCLA study, 80% of a child’s learning occurs through visual means, whether it’s reading, writing, or using educational materials. As such, having good eye health enables children to explore the world around them, engage in physical activities, and develop their spatial awareness and hand-eye coordination.

Clear vision is also essential for a child’s social and emotional well-being. Kids with poor vision may struggle to recognize faces, make eye contact, or interpret facial expressions, which can hinder social interactions and the development of non-verbal and verbal communication skills.

One of the primary reasons why teachers play a role in keeping children’s vision safe is due to the fact that they are in a unique position to identify potential vision problems early on. As children spend a lot of their waking hours at school, teachers are able to interact with them on a daily basis and are able to observe their behavior and performance up close. This enables them to notice any signs of vision issues such as squinting, rubbing of eyes, or sitting too close to the board. By being vigilant and proactive in spotting these signs, teachers can help ensure that any vision problems are addressed promptly, preventing long-term damage to the children’s eyes.

How teachers can help protect kids’ vision

Collaborating with parents to enforce healthy eye habits

Besides educating their students, teachers can also educate parents regarding vision health and suggest how to reinforce healthy eye habits at home. They can provide parents with resources on how to protect children’s vision, like booking eye exams and procuring kids’ prescription glasses for those who need them. These types of glasses are just the same as prescription glasses for teens and adults. They can be customized with specific prescriptions, from single lenses to progressive lenses, and can be added with additional protective properties like anti-reflection and UV protection coatings.

Older elementary kids can also be introduced to disposable contact lenses, so long as they’re at least eight years old and have a guardian’s supervision. Since these can drastically improve social and cognitive development as fuss-free vision corrective options. Regardless, all these interventions can greatly improve student eye health and academic performance, especially if introduced early—hence, the value of being able to suggest them as soon as possible.

Making adjustments to create eye-friendly classrooms

Another way teachers can help protect kids’ vision is by taking proactive steps to create a classroom environment that supports good vision health. This can include ensuring that classroom lighting is adequate, minimizing glare from windows or electronic devices, making classroom materials like visual schedules big enough for easy reading, and arranging seating arrangements to accommodate kids with vision problems better.

Making use of classroom aids such as large-print books or handouts of lessons can also be less straining for kids’ eyes, while simultaneously helping increase their engagement and attention. By prioritizing optimal learning conditions, teachers are not only helping to prevent potential vision problems but are also promoting their overall well-being.