During the long winter months, when children may experience less physical activity and movement, try sprinkling in some energizers—quick breaks that get children moving, breathing, and having fun together—throughout the day. These much-needed physical and mental breaks can increase children’s motivation for learning, and can also make their learning more productive. Energizers are versatile, too: some calm children down, others perk them up.
Characteristics of Energizers
As you plan your lessons, think about how you might infuse more energizers into the daily schedule. Keep in mind that energizers:
- Can be done anywhere and at any time throughout the school day
- May or may not include an academic focus
- Take just two or three minutes
- Can help you better manage transitions, provide a quick pick-me-up during longer lessons, and improve students’ focus and attention both inside and outside of the classroom
- Can help you build more positive connections with students through play
Energizer Examples
Land, Sea, Air
- Each person puts a marker or a pencil on the floor in front of him or her.
- When the caller says “air,” everyone jumps into the air.
- When the caller says “sea,” everyone jumps across their marker.
- When the caller says “land,” everyone jumps back to where they started.
- The caller changes from one call to another, faster and faster.
- To end on a calm note, the caller gradually slows the calls down.
Variations
- Call out the name of an animal, and students place themselves where the animal spends most of its time, either in the air, the sea, or on land.
- Use other labels for the three locations, such as solid, liquid, and gas.
Spelling Stroll
Before you begin, establish what “strolling” will look like and discuss what to do if two people reach a chair simultaneously.
- Students stand at their desks or tables and remove one chair from the game.
- The teacher calls out a vocabulary or spelling word with which all students are familiar.
- Together, the group spells out the word, taking one step around the room for each letter.
- Each person quickly and carefully sits in the nearest chair at the last letter.
- The person left standing calls out the next word on the list, and the stroll begins again.
- Repeat as many times as you’d like.
Variations
Try this energizer with skip-counting and math facts. For example, the caller says, “Seven times twelve!” The group then skip-counts aloud by twelves as they take seven steps: 12, 24, 36, 48, 60, 72, 94.
Group Charades
Small groups of students act out vocabulary words, historical events, or other content they’re learning about.
Getting Started
As you introduce energizers into your classroom, start with just one or two until you and the children are comfortable with this way of relaxing and playing together. Make each energizer your own. Most of all, have fun!
If you enjoy using energizers, you’ll find lots more in our book Energizers! 88 Quick Movement Activities That Refresh and Refocus.
