9 Exciting Brain Breaks for Teenagers

In middle and high school, incorporating attention breaks that boost mood and stimulate the brain can prevent student inattention, boredom, and fatigue. To discover a wide range of brain breaks specifically designed for older students, read Paige Tutt’s article on Edutopia titled “17 Brain Breaks Tailored for High Schoolers.” To learn more about the neuroscience behind brain breaks, you can refer to Dr. Judy Willis’s article “Using Brain Breaks to Restore Students’ Focus” or the 2021 research by Ethan R. Buch, Leonardo Claudino, Romain Quentin, Marlene Bönstrup, and Leonardo G. Cohen, which explores how rest intervals enhance skill consolidation.

To find more information on each of the breaks featured in the video, consult the following sources:

• The “Think Outside the Box” activity by Tina Centineo, available via X (formerly Twitter)
• The “Jigsaw Jumble” activity from the article “8 Easy, Awesome Brain Break Games for High School Students” by Jenn Breisacher on Student-Centered World
• The “Sequence of Exercises and Calming Break” from the article “54 Educational Brain Breaks Your Students Will Love” by Stephanie Sanders on We Are Teachers
• The “Balloon Toss” activity by AwesomelyTeacher, available via X
• The “Rock, Paper, Scissors Tournament” from Barre Unified Union School District
• The “Mysterious Image Game” by Peter Embleton, available via X
• The “Tower of Terror Cup-Stacking Game” by Jonathan Alsheimer, available via X
• The “Collaborative Class Story” by Dora Hartsell, available via X