Resources
Educators have been using creative and engaging brain breaks in the classroom for years. We’ve seen firsthand the positive effect that a break from academics can have on students, replacing anxiety with productivity and focus. After a while, though, taking a simple stretch break or listening to the same Go Noodle songs over and over is incredibly boring and even annoying at times. Luckily, there are plenty of channels on YouTube that create new, fresh and engaging brain breaks regularly. Students love them and are more focused than ever after a quick YouTube brain break!
Here are some of the best YouTube channels for brain breaks along with examples of their videos.
Channel #1: Coach Corey Martin
1. Freeze dance (with mini games embedded!)
Coach Corey Martin makes super fun dance videos with mini-interactive games throughout. He even makes themed videos for seasons and holidays.
2. Chase to reach a goal
In this type of brain break, students have to dodge, jump over, and duck under obstacles to “run” towards a final goal. Coach Corey Martin makes engaging themed chases, including Harry Potter and Roblox!
Channel #2: The UJU channel
3. Would-you-rather and exercise
The UJU channel has a ton of would-you-rather videos that require students to choose between two items. Students then complete the exercise that matches their preference. For example, when choosing between Skittles and M&Ms, students who choose Skittles might do jumping jacks while students who choose M&Ms might do squats for a set amount of time.
4. Trivia and exercise
Brain breaks primarily serve as time away from academics, but if you are looking for an educational brain break, UJU creates interesting and enjoyable True or False and Two Truths and a Lie brain breaks. Students will have to decide which facts are real or fake to determine what type of exercise they’ll complete.
Channel #3: Fitness Hustle TV
5. Guess who
Fitness Hustle TV creates guess who brain breaks where students listen to some kind of trivia question and complete an exercise based on how they would answer the posed question. For example, the video might play a Disney character’s voice. Students guess between three options of who the character is and do the exercise shown on screen below that character. The answer is then revealed.
6. Logo quiz
Similar to guess who, in this logo game students will try to guess a presented logo and then complete the exercise that appears next to that logo.
7. Emoji challenge
Fitness Hustle TV also creates emoji challenges where students must put together emojis to figure out a word or phrase. Students choose from two or three possible answers and complete the exercise that goes with the answer they think is correct. They can keep track of how many answers they get correct throughout the brain break.
Channel #4: Brain Games & Puzzles
8. Spot the difference
For a more quiet and calm brain break, the Brain Games & Puzzles channel makes spot-the-difference videos.
9. Find the odd one out
Another quiet brain break is finding the odd one out in a group of images. When using any brain break on the Brain Games & Puzzles channel, students will sit back and relax rather than exercise.
The best part about these YouTube channels and brain breaks is that new ones are added constantly. If you love them, you’ll likely have a different one to use every single day of the school year if you choose.
