GoNoodle: The Benefits of Brain Breaks

Brain breaks are times in the day when you put aside the work that you have and let your body and mind focus on something else. For little kids this is especially important. According to the research, for every 10 minutes of concentrated work you need about a 3 minute brain break. And that is for early elementary aged kids. It is even more often that kids of preschool age need to take a break.

Brain breaks can be used to calm the body and mind down or to energize it to get back to whatever needs to be worked on. If you notice that you child is getting frustrated or fidgeting it would be a great time to take them away from what they were working on and move their bodies.

Take a walk outside, do some yoga, or go play on the swings. Any time of movement is good for the brain to take a break from what it was once focusing on so encourage your little ones to get out and moving around. Breaks are different from rewards though, so remember that it is not a matter of finishing one thing and then getting to go outside, but rather a time in the day when going outside is a good way to step away from whatever it was that you were working on!

Brain breaks can still be educational while giving the mind a chance to refresh – singing songs about the content being learned, walking around while reading, or just moving from one location to another in the room is enough to reset the momentum.

Before they have a chance to get totally wiped out, give your kids a brain break so that they don’t feel so exhausted that they have to stop entirely. Breaks usually work best when they are done preventatively rather than as a restorative method. Set a timer so that you know every ten minutes you get to stop and move your body.

Moving around as a brain break is a great way to encourage kids to have healthy lifestyles as well as taking care of themselves before they have a meltdown. This type of preventative self care is a great skill to teach your little ones especially as they are learning to identify and regulate their emotions.

Brain breaks don’t just have to happen in school – they are a great tool implement at home. If you notice your little getting jittery after having to sit around the grown ups for too long, encourage the to stretch it out – and do it with them! Parents who lead by example are a great tool for kids to pick up healthy habits.

So What is GoNoodle?

GoNoodle is a website that has taken a lot of the work out of finding resources for brain breaks and compiled a bunch of videos and meditations that are available at your fingertips. GoNoodle has videos to watch, meditations to listen to, dance parties to be had, yoga to be done, and many more.

Check Out Our Video Recommendations :

Try some of these great videos to get your wiggles out and to refocus your kids body and mind. You will see an improvement in their attitudes and their ability to regulate themselves, and most importantly their happiness!