Classroom Physical Activity for K-5 Students:
Keep Your Brain in the Game
Re s ea r ch s h ows tha t stu d e n ts who do br ief bur st s of exer ci se befor e tak i ng
t e s t s s c o r e h ig h e r . In a d d i ti o n, r egular physical activity br eaks dur ing the
s c h o o l d a y c a n h e l p sh a rpe n stu dents’ abilities to focus and stay on task .
Obj e c t i ve: Hav e y o u r s tu d e n ts e x e rc i s e for 2 mi nutes before a test or qui z to i mprove scores.
Ar t i cl e fo r t e a che r s : “C l a s s ro o m Ex e rc i se B reaks for E l ementary S tudents” at
http: / / K ids Healt h.o rg /e n /p a re n ts /e l e me n ta ry-exerci ses.html
Mat e r i a l s :
Com f or t able s h o e s , s u c h a s s n e a k e rs
NB A F as t B r ea k c a rd (a tta c h e d )
Tim
er ( opt iona l )
Clas s r o o m a c t iv it y : H a v e s tu d e n ts try some of the exerci ses descri bed i n the “C l assroom E xer cise Br eaks
for E lem ent ar y Stu d e n ts ” a rti c l e fo r te a c h e rs. S tudents shoul d vote to choose thei r fi ve favori te exer cises t o
do as a c las s at t h e i r d e s k s . B e fo re te s ts a n d qui zzes (or to hel p students stay on task and focu s dur ing t he
day ) , s t udent s s h o u l d d o th e fi v e e x e rc i s e s for 24 seconds each w hi l e the teacher uses a ti mer t o wat ch t he
“2 4- s ec ond s hot c l o c k ” fo r th e “fi n a l 2 m i n u tes” before testi ng. Or, students can do few er, or eve n one,
exe r c is e f or 2 m in u te s .
Exte n s i o n s :
Read
t he “ W h y Ex e rc i s e Is C o o l ” a rti c l e for ki ds at http://K i dsH eal th.org/en/ki ds/w ork-i t-out.ht m l as a class
( or r ead it alo u d fo r y o u n g e r s tu d e n ts ). Then have students do the exerci ses descri bed on the NBA Fast
B r eak c ar ds .
eac her s als o c a n i m p ro v e g ra d e s b y h el pi ng students di spel negati ve thoughts. A s a cl ass, read t he “ When
T
Tes t s M ak e Yo u N e rv o u s ” a rti c l e fo r k i d s at http://K i dsH eal th.org/en/ki ds/test-anxi ety.html (or r ead it aloud
f or y ounger s t u d e n ts ). Stu d e n ts s h o u l d wri te dow n any negati ve thoughts they mi ght have relat ed t o t est s or
quiz z es on a p i e c e o f p a p e r, th e n c ru mp l e the paper i nto a bal l . H ave students l i ne up i n fron t of a r ecycling
bin, t hen dunk th e i r b a l l o f n e g a ti v e th o ughts i nto the bi n one at a ti me.
NBAFIT.com
© 2015 The Nemours Foundation/KidsHealth.
Reproduction permitted for individual classroom use.
schools.nyc.gov
Bookmark!
Separate these activity cards and use them to get active in and out of the classroom!
Overhead Stretch
Clasp hands overhead. Extend and hold for 5-10
seconds. Lean to the right and hold. Repeat on left.
Warrior Pose
Lunge with arms outstretched and hold for 5-10
seconds. Repeat on the other side.
NBAFIT.com
Air Jump Rope
Stand with arms by sides. Jump at a steady pace
like you’re skipping rope, pretending to turn rope.
Star Jump
Squat. Jump up with arms and legs out like a star.
Land softly, returning to squat. Repeat 3 to 5 times.
© 2015 NBA Properties, Inc. © 2015 The Nemours Foundation/KidsHealth.
Attention, Teachers! Help boost students’ grades with Fast Break physical activities at KidsHealth.org/Classroom
Fast Feet
With knees bent and head up, move feet quickly
like you’re running in place. Do for 30 seconds.
With Good Nutrition
1. Drink water and low-fat or fat-free milk.
2. Eat fruit and vegetables at every meal.
3. E
njoy a healthy meal with your family.
Turn off the TV and talk about your day.
NBAFIT.com
Empty Coat Sleeves
Stand with legs apart. Twist from side to side, letting
your arms swing until you feel loose.
Tree Pose
Place foot on inside opposite calf. Raise arms and
hold for 10 seconds. Repeat on the other side.
© 2015 NBA Properties, Inc. © 2015 The Nemours Foundation/KidsHealth.