SELECTING THE RIGHT BRAIN BREAK FOR YOUR CREW

If you follow me, you know that I am a true believer in the power of GoNoodle. It was definitely love at first glance when I spied this FREE site for my very first time.  After using this amazing resource for a large chunk of the year, I now understand just what a brain break can do for a classroom full of kiddos!  It's absolutely magical I tell ya.

With this said, I am trilled to join an amazing crew of bloggers today to bring a very special "hop" your way (cute rhyme accidental here).  Not only will you have access to some ideas and classroom-tested tips about brain breaks, but you also will have oodles of chances to WIN BIG.  

On that note, I am here to tell you all about selecting just the right brain break at just the right time.  My kiddos absolutely LOVED GoNoodle last year and I picked up a few things along the way.  Here are three simple tricks to remember when selecting that perfect "brain vacation" for your babes.       

READ THE CROWD
This tip is a no-brainer.  We all can feel when the "worm is turning" in our classrooms.  You know what I mean -- heads on the desk, droopy post-lunch eyes, excessive fidgeting, the sudden appearance of less than desirable behavior, etc.  Well, if you see these signs, take a moment to drop in a brain break.  They'll "tell you" when they need one.  As the year progresses, you may also begin to see a pattern emerge.  We paused and loaded up the GoNoodle account between writing and math every day last year.  It absolutely saved my sanity in the afternoons -- the kids were ready to get down to biz-nass after having a fun active moment.   

CALMING VS. WIGGLES BREAKS
GoNoodle offers up so much more than breaks that get those wiggles out and exercise the body.  They also have oodles of calming games.  These are perfect to slip in before a big assessment or after a high-energy lesson that you just implemented in class.  You can also use the chill brain breaks as a follow-up to one of the site's wiggle eliminating ditties.  Case in point . . . 

This was one of the best moments of my teaching career.

We stumbled across this beloved song on the GoNoodle site.

It was controlled chaos at it's best and the grins were from ear to ear.

After watching that first clip you might be thinking, now they are more jacked up!

Well, this video was taken about 1.5 minutes after our dance party.  

We went from 0 to 60 . . . and back to 0 in about 6 minutes. 

#iheartgonoodle  

KNOW YOUR BREAKS
GoNoodle is always adding new breaks to keep things fresh and new for teachers and kids.  I suggest taking the time to peruse the site from time to time  (sans students).  This can be done after school when the kids leave -- it doesn't have to eat up any prep or personal time.  I just pull up the site on my computer, click on a video, and keep on truckin'.  You can get a feel for the activity while you work!  By knowing your breaks, you can seamlessly slip in the PERFECT "classroom pause."      

Alright, so there you be -- how to select the just the right brain break for your students . . . in a nutshell.  GoNoodle is the most amazing classroom tool.  Not only do the kids love it, but it's free.  I'm not talking "strings attached or hidden fees free."  I mean totally FREE.  That's music to a teacher's ears :)

However, the fun doesn't stop here today.  In addition to learning more about implementing brain breaks, all of the bloggers in the hop are hosting a giveaway for some SWEET GoNoodle swag.  You can even win a premium subscription to the site along the way!  I have such a cool GoNoodle goodie to offer up.  Check out this awesome treat . . . 

GoNoodle Tumblers are the bomb (dating myself with that reference).
I scored one of these in Vegas and it has quickly become my FAVORITE cup.
Hot or cold beverages work in these . . . swoon.

What are you waiting for??  Jump on in and get yourself entered to win.  Fill out the simple Rafflecopter below.  **If you already signed up for GoNoodle, you can still enter!!**

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Thank you so much for visiting me today.  But, why stope here?  The hop has only just begun.  Pop on over to the fabulous ladies at What the Teacher Wants to learn more about the power of brain breaks and enter to win more cool stuff. Have a great week.  I'll see you soon.