Brain Break Ideas for High School Students

Everyone can use a little break sometimes. It may be because students have been studying diligently or working on challenging concepts, or perhaps a holiday is approaching or one has just wrapped up. Of course, it’s also possible that students simply need a quick break from the norm to refocus and be productive. Whatever the reason, having a stock of fun brain break ideas on hand can be a lifesaver.

High school brains work overtime - whether writing an essay or solving multi-step equations, they need a moment to hit the pause button. That’s where brain breaks for high school come in. Ditch the yawns and glazed-over stares with quick and fun brain breaks perfect for snapping students back into the lesson. Teens need to move - it’s not just an elementary need! High schoolers benefit just as much (if not more!) from adding a bit of movement into their daily lessons.

Brain breaks are short, intentional activities that are designed to engage different networks of the brain and prevent cognitive fatigue. In the classroom, they offer a quick reset in the middle of a lesson. Brain breaks for students provide an opportunity to step away from academic pressures and participate in activities that promote relaxation and well-being. Successfully implementing mental breaks in the secondary classroom requires thoughtful planning and a strategic approach to maximize their benefits for your students. Brain breaks are typically between 1 and 5 minutes. Remember, the goal is to provide a quick reset without disrupting the flow of the lesson. Increase student agency by involving them in choosing or leading activities with the class. By implementing a variety of engaging mind breaks, you can create a more supportive learning environment for your students.

And hey, these brain breaks benefit teachers, too! It’s wonderful to forego your regular routines once in a while and prioritize fun.

Let’s review some brain breaks that you can use in your class so your students can feel re-energized and ready to go.

The Science Behind Brain Breaks

Kids, like adults, cycle through periods of attention and inattention-though the duration of the interval changes with age and is variable across individuals. By high school, according to neurologist and classroom teacher Judy Willis, concentrated study of “20 to 30 minutes for middle and high school students calls for a three-to-five-minute break.”

Regardless of attention spans, brain breaks can prevent older students from feeling overwhelmed and provide space for reflection, joy, and connection during a packed school day. They’re also a crucial part of the learning process.

“According to one popular school of thought, it’s the active, repeated manipulation of material that lays the neural foundations for skill development,” writes Youki Terada, Edutopia’s research editor. But breaks are often misconstrued as a pause in the active learning process, instead of “the period when our brains compress and consolidate memories of what we just practiced,” neuroscientist Leonardo Cohen and his team explain in a June 2021 study. In fact, Cohen continues, incorporating breaks into learning “plays just as important a role as practice in learning a new skill.”

In a 2012 study, Mary Helen Immordino-Yang and her colleagues at USC and MIT used an fMRI scanner to examine neural activity during the brain’s state of rest. Referred to as the “default mode,” this state is typically associated with taking a break or letting our minds wander. An additional study done by the National Institute of Health demonstrated the importance of wakeful rest in consolidating memories. According to the leader of the study, Dr. According to Judy Willis, neurologist and educator, “For students to learn at their highest potential, their brains need to send signals efficiently from the sensory receptors (what they hear, see, touch, read, imagine, and experience) to memory storage regions of the brain.

Benefits of Brain Breaks

Brain “breaks” can take many different forms inside of the classroom, depending on the aim. To boost students’ mood, Willis suggests activities that increase restorative neurotransmitters like dopamine: anything that involves “laughing, moving, listening to music, and interacting with peers.” Likewise, brain breaks that incorporate physical activity not only provide a moment of stress relief for students but also increase the blood flow and oxygen supply to the brain-stimulating brain activity and helping students regain focus in the face of fatigue.

Read also: Engaging All Brain Parts

Here are some more benefits of brain breaks:

Improved focus and concentration.
Enhanced skill retention.
Reduced stress and anxiety. When we’re overwhelmed, our amygdala goes into overdrive and prevents new learning from entering memory.
Increased motivation and engagement.
Improved classroom community.

Think of brain breaks like rest periods at the gym. Just as your muscles need time to recover, your brain needs quick breaks to refocus and recharge. Recent research shows that even a one-minute break gives the brain time to refocus. Movement brain breaks, like a quick stretch or jog in place, get the blood flowing and increase alertness. Need a quick way to boost energy and focus in your high school classroom? Brain breaks are the perfect solution! They get students moving, laughing, and recharged, whether you use them as a bell ringer, mid-lesson refresher, or a fun exit ticket.

Brain Break Activities for High School Students

Here are some brain break activities that you can use in your class so your students can feel re-energized and ready to go.

Movement-Based Brain Breaks

5, 4, 3, 2, 1: To keep kids alert during a long lesson, have them spend a couple of minutes stretching and moving around the room. Consider creating a short sequence of exercises that students can all do together to get their blood flowing-such as five high knees, four jumping jacks, three push-ups, two deep breaths, and one squat. Offering students the option to stand and do the sequence or alternatively sit and stretch in whatever way they choose ensures that this activity is inclusive and considers everyone in your classroom. Sourced from We Are Teachers.
Pound out the stress: Using hands, feet, pencils, pens, etc., have students follow a beat you create.
Follow the leader: Designate someone in the class as the leader, or even yourself.
Pass the ball: Have students silently sit in a circle or on their desks.
Walk the line: Engage their love of music by designating a different genre of music to each side of the room.
Create a human GIF: Allow students to break up a long lesson by pausing to have them morph into a human GIF.
Play the floor is lava: It’s an oldie but a goodie.
Pick and move: Create different cards with movements on them. Students get in a circle, and you throw out the cards.
Dance up a storm: Freeze dance is a popular classroom game. Play a catchy tune and let students freely dance (or call out instructions to dance in particular ways, such as “Dance as if you have a sore foot” or, “Dance as if you just woke up”). Every so often, pause the music and have students freeze in place, likely in comical poses!
Keep It Up: After blowing up a balloon, have students stand in a circle together and hold hands. When everyone is in position, toss the balloon up into the air, and as a group, students have to keep the balloon in the air using anything but their hands-including their heads, feet, shoulders, and elbows. You could also try breaking the class into teams and seeing which group can keep the balloon in the air for the longest time. Sourced from X.
Fly away your stress: Have students write down one thing that is stressing them out or causing them to worry for the day.
Birthday line-up: Another super-quiet classroom brain break game is the birthday line-up (variations are endless here, too). Students must silently line up in the order of their birthdays. They can use gestures and hold up their fingers to denote numbers but cannot say a word. It’s awesome to see the ingenuity students use to achieve this! At the end, walk down the line and have each student say their birthday aloud to see if they were successful.
The atom game: There are many variations of this game. One of them is to call out ways for students to move around the room (or outdoor space, gymnasium, etc.). Tell them to move around like cats, dinosaurs, astronauts, or movie stars. You get the idea! Then, call out a number with the word ‘atom’ (e.g., “Atom three!”). Students must then form groups of three. Think of it like musical chairs-any stray ‘atoms’ are out of the game until there are two players left.

Quiet and Reflective Brain Breaks

Rest and Reflect: Try turning off the classroom lights, setting a timer for three to five minutes, and playing some soft, calming background music. Students can close their eyes and breathe deeply while they briefly pause and allow their minds to clear, processing what they’ve just learned and preparing themselves for the next portion of class. Sourced from We Are Teachers.
Cool down: Sometimes, just stepping away from it all for a bit can be refreshing. If the weather allows, head outside for a class. Let students read in the schoolyard, have them hold group discussions under a tree, or just let them run around and burn off steam. If you want to do something similar indoors, you could have a ‘cool-off corner’ in the class: a designated space where students can unwind for a quick break as needed.
Mindfulness activities: Research has revealed the mental health benefits of coloring. Mindfulness offers benefits to students both in the classroom and beyond.
Tried-and-true activity pages: This idea is for individual students who’ve finished their work and are looking for a little break. Activities like crossword puzzles, word searches, Sudoku, and coloring are common in classrooms for a good reason. They keep students engaged and quiet while taking a mental break. Simply keep a small container filled with a stack of fun pages for students to access when needed. Note that coloring isn't just for your youngest students! There are detailed coloring pages that can serve as a relaxation experience for older students too.
Silent ball: There are a bunch of brain breaks for the classroom that challenge students to be quiet. This one is great because you can incorporate a little physical activity and coordination while maintaining an enviably silent room. Get a soft, medium-sized ball and let students grab a spot for themselves around the classroom. The goal: don't let the ball drop. Students must continuously pass the ball to each other without talking or making noises. This sounds a little easier than it actually is, as students have to remain focused and responsive to body language. Add in a rule that they can’t pass the ball back to the same person immediately- anything to keep the ball from staying with the same few students! Set a timer and have a five-minute round of silent ball. If students successfully keep the ball from dropping, give them a reward like 10 minutes of free time on a Friday.
Snowball Toss: This is a quick strategy to help students decompress and normalize productive conversations about stress and mental health. Have each student write down something they are stressed about on a piece of paper, which they then crumple up into a ball. Once you give the cue, all the kids throw their snowball across the room in a mock snowball fight. Lastly, kids pick up another snowball near them and read about something their classmates may be struggling with. Giving students the option to abstain ensures that everyone has agency and control in what they share or whether they share at all. Sourced from Urban Prep Charter Academy for Young Men-Englewood Campus.
Jigsaw Jumble: Looking for a brain break that will have your classroom silent for several minutes? Try providing small groups of students with a handful of puzzle pieces. The group must work to put the pieces together using only nonverbal communication. No talking allowed! Sourced from Student Centered World.

Creative and Engaging Brain Breaks

Thinking Outside the Box: On the board, provide students with the start of a doodle that they’ll have to creatively transform into something unexpected. This can be anything from two lines to a squiggle or a half circle. To add in some student voice and choice, have volunteers suggest what the initial drawing prompt should look like.
Fold and Fly: Dedicate a few minutes to a paper airplane challenge. After breaking students up into small groups, instruct each group to create one paper airplane that they will enter into a competition. Provide no instructions or templates so that students have to think on their feet and improvise. Each group of kids have to put their heads together to construct the best airplane, testing and refining their techniques until they find the ideal design. Next, each group competes to see which airplane flies the farthest from one side of the room to the other. Sourced from Student-Centered World.
Classwide Wordle: The word game that swept the nation is sure to keep your students on their toes. The tile color changes depending on how close the guess is: A green tile means the letter “is in the word and in the correct spot,” a yellow tile means the letter “is in the word but in the wrong spot,” and a gray tile means the letter is not in the word at all. Try playing together as a class, and have students shout out their suggestions, voting on which ideas they like best. Sourced from Kim West via X.
Odd One Out: This Google Arts & Culture game challenges you to “guess the AI-generated imposter” among the artworks. You’ll be presented with four images and have to guess which of the options was created by AI before time runs out. Compete all together as a class, or have students play together in small groups. This could inspire an interesting conversation around student perceptions and misconceptions of AI. Sourced from Tony Vincent via X.
Collaborative Class Story: Open up a fresh Google Doc and ask one student to start by sharing a sentence they’ve made up. You could also have ChatGPT create the first sentence-for example: “Amidst the chaos of the carnival, I found myself face-to-face with a llama.” Next, have each student add on a sentence until every person in class has contributed. If you’re running short on time, break students into mini-groups of two or three and have them quickly agree on their sentence. Lastly, read the story back to your students, and see what their final creation sounds like. Sourced from Dora Hartsell via X.
Invisible Pictures: In groups of two, have one student “draw a picture in the air while their partner guesses what it is,” writes assistant professor Lori Desautels. To give students a starting point, provide them with categories like foods, animals, or places, and then allow their creative minds to lead the way. For a bit of extra help, allow the guessing partner to ask one or two yes or no questions that will provide them with crucial context.
Teach a new skill: Do you have a random skill up your sleeve that never seems to fit with your prescribed lessons or subject area? Are you a math teacher with a cool art technique you’ve been wanting to share with your students? Carving out a space for a brain break in the form of a mini-lesson is a great way to shake things up. For example, you might teach students sign language, a magic trick, or a coding skill. The bonus is that students are learning something interesting and important and are able to see you, their teacher, in a different light. Also, odds are that this skill will be something you’re excited to share with the class-and enthusiasm is infectious!
Build a story: Start a story with a simple sentence. Then, each student must add a word to the story until you’ve reached everyone.
Make a one-minute scribble story: Give students 1 or 2 minutes to scribble.
Make it snow: Students should pull out a piece of paper and write a single word to describe something that is frustrating them. They should crumple the paper and throw it into a designated area of the room.
Shoot the answer: Ask students a question. Have them write their answers with their name on a piece of paper and shoot it into a basket.

Games and Puzzle-Based Brain Breaks

“Train Your Brain”: A fun activity that starts by having students touch the tip of their nose with their right index finger and then touch their ear with their left hand index finger. Then have them switch the position of their hands, touching the tip of their nose with their left hand index finger and moving their right index finger to touch their ear. Kids should keep doing this until they can get it right, which may take only a few tries for some and much longer for others. To add an element of competition, see which student can do this activity for the longest without messing up.
Would You Rather: Pair students up and have them discuss fun “would you rather” questions. To add an element of movement, do this activity together as a class. Announce the prompt out loud, and have students go to one side of the room or the other to show which option they’d rather choose. A select couple of volunteers can raise their hands to explain their reasoning. Sourced from Education World.
Would you rather . . . Have the class convene in a central area of the room and pose a few thought-provoking ‘would you rather’ questions. Would you rather never eat chocolate again or never eat ice cream again? Would you rather have the superpower of flight or invisibility? The options are endless and super fun! Students who pick option A move to one side of the room and those who choose option B to the other. Then, everyone meets back in the middle for the next round. If you want to carry over this brain break activity to your next lesson, keep track of the results and have students chart the outcomes!
Rock, Paper, Scissors: Transform the classic game of rock, paper, scissors into a brief class tournament. Start by pairing students up; the winners of the first round move on to compete against another winner in the classroom, while the losers of the round sit back down in their seats. Winning students continue to compete until one final student is left standing. Sourced from Barre Unified Union School District.
1, 2, 3, Math!: Similarly to rock, paper, scissors, students play against each other in pairs. After the players say “1, 2, 3, Math,” each displays one, two, three, or four fingers in the palm of their hand. The first of the pair to correctly call out the sum of both players’ fingers wins that round and a point. The first person to win three rounds is the champ. Sourced from: Lori Desautels.
Cup-Stacking Challenge: Break students into small groups, and provide each group with three cups and two index cards. Each group stacks these items in the following order until they create a vertical tower: cup on the bottom, index card, cup in the middle, index card, cup on top. The aim is to quickly pull the index cards out so the cups fall into each other in a clean stack. Using a timer, see how quickly the whole class can complete the task. You can even have different classes compete against each other for the fastest time. Sourced from Jonathan Alsheimer via X.
What Is That?: Find a picture of something your class may never encounter in your subject area and display it for students to see. “I showed a physics class a murmuration of starlings but did not tell them what it was,” explains former principal Peter Embleton. “No phones or computers, they had to figure out what was happening and why.” This not only ignites student curiosity but may introduce your class to something they didn’t previously know existed. Sourced from Peter Embleton via X.
Classwide Wordle: The word game that swept the nation is sure to keep your students on their toes. The tile color changes depending on how close the guess is: A green tile means the letter “is in the word and in the correct spot,” a yellow tile means the letter “is in the word but in the wrong spot,” and a gray tile means the letter is not in the word at all. Try playing together as a class, and have students shout out their suggestions, voting on which ideas they like best. Sourced from Kim West via X.
Play the memory game: Have students close their eyes.
Find what’s different: Change something on your desk or in the class.
Name five things to bring: Give students a fun scenario, like being trapped on a deserted island.
Create a group echo: Create a funny scenario, like “My name is Lisa, and I went to the store for Oreos.” The next student must say the line the first student said, but build on with their name and what they bought.
Card tricks: Use this one only once per class because students will know the trick after that. First, you’ll need to have one ‘magician’ in the class who’s in on the trick. You’ll draw nine ‘cards’ on your whiteboard in three rows of three cards each (simple rectangles are fine). The student who knows the trick will step out of the room for a moment while the rest of the class quietly chooses a secret card. When the student returns, you’ll begin pointing to cards and asking if each is the chosen one. The magician will need to respond accordingly. But how will they know which card it was if they weren’t present in the room? Ah, but therein lies the trick! You’re going to show your volunteer magician the chosen card in a sneaky way so that the other students don’t figure it out. When you select the first card to ask them about, you’ll actually touch a specific point on its surface to communicate the position of the true secret card within the three-by-three grid. Your helper can make a mental note of which card the class selected and respond correctly to all inquiries. Notice that it doesn’t actually matter when you point to the secret card, as long as the magician understands that the first card you point to will identify the position of the secret card in the grid. From that point onward, for all other cards, you can point to any position (in fact, you should mix it up so the class doesn’t get suspicious!). This has fascinated and stumped students from kindergarten to high school, and they have a great time trying to guess the trick!
BRAIN TEASERS VOL.: The collection is available in Google Slides and PDF formats. It includes 38 brain teaser questions promoting high-level thinking and discussion. Answer keys are also provided for each question. Enjoy a collection of thought-provoking riddles and puzzles for various classes to use as bell ringers or morning work. This collection includes 99 riddles designed specifically for the teen market. This package includes word puzzles, logic challenges, fun facts, and writing prompts designed for individuals and collaborative teams. Expand your students’ minds by harnessing their critical thinking skills with riddles and logic puzzles. This package includes 30 brain teasers with answers in printable worksheets or a Google Slides version.

Tech-Based Brain Breaks

For this activity from Fitness Hustle TV, students will try to identify the Disney character after listening to a clip of their voice.
Another game from Fitness Hustle TV, Logo Quiz challenges students to identify the logo presented on the screen.
In this Google Arts and Culture game, you need to identify the AI-generated image in a group of four images.

Other Brain Break Ideas

Try a variation of the classic board game for a quick brain break with your secondary students. Create a list of categories and give your students a letter of the alphabet.
On the board, give your students the beginning of a doodle-a circle, squiggly lines, or anything you choose. For this activity, give students markers and paper and a few minutes to doodle.
Put students into small groups and give them a handful of puzzle pieces.
Choose a five-letter word and give students six tries to guess it.
A good brain break for high school doesn’t require an intricate prompt or game - there are no-prep options, too. It can be as simple as having a brain break box with several prompts where you have your kids pull one out and do it.

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