How to use this resource

Study after study shows that kids who get regular physical activity, even just a minute or two,  experience improvements not just in their fitness levels, but in brain function, too. In addition, we have seen great improvement in classroom management issues, increasing the enjoyment and productivity of your teaching time! 
Some kids are wrigglers and some are mind-wanderers, while some are able to stay focused for long periods. These Brain & Body Boosters are exercises that can calm and clear the mind, relieve tension and stress and increase concentration, focus and attention span. No matter who you’re teaching, all your students can benefit from a regular physical break during the learning sessions of the day. 

Keeping it simple

All these activities have three things in common:

• No resources required

• Only require 1 minute (although you can do more!)

• Suitable for teachers and kids of all fitness levels

Making it fun

First of all, you need to be involved. This is not just for the kids. It’s only for a minute and your brain will benefit, just like theirs. 

Secondly, keep it fresh. To help with new ideas each day, we’ve included A4 sized posters that can be printed, laminated and stuck on the wall as a daily Booster. We’ve also added small ‘Lucky Dip’ cards that can be printed and laminated as well. We use these as by placing them all in a bag or box and when it’s time for our first Booster, we ask one of the kids to pull out a Booster card from the Lucky Dip bag. The kids love it because they never know what they’re going to have to do! In time, you can have them contribute ideas to add - and be sure to keep checking back with us for new Boosters.

Finally, keep to a set time limit. Plan for at least 1 minute and no longer than 5 minutes, three times a day. Either using a timer or counting aloud (we use a digital timer on the board), but you could also project the time on the board using a free online timer.

These factors - the time limit, the lucky dip and seeing their teacher involved create an atmosphere of fun and positivity. These Boosters are quick and easy to include in your daily timetable and we're sure you will see benefit on every level: physical, mental, emotional scholastic and social.