The Best Vestibular Brain Breaks for School
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Those of you who have been on my email list for a while may know that my kids started going to school this year (previously homeschooled). My son's teacher is someone we know already; she is the best at providing brain and movement breaks in her classroom. This has inspired me to share some classroom-friendly brain break ideas focusing on each sensory system. Here are some of the best vestibular brain breaks for school.
The Best Vestibular System Brain Breaks for Classrooms
Many of these activities don't use any equipment at all, or use things that you will already have in your classroom. The key is to provide movement in many different ways. Since the vestibular system is located in the inner ear, activating it means moving the head in many different positions.
1 || Animal Walks
Younger children will especially love this activity. Have children pretend to be different animals such as crab walk, bear walk, frog jumps, or an inchworm crawl.
Check out my farm animal movement cards here.
2 || Spin & Stop
Spinning is an awesome way to activate the vestibular system. You do need to watch out for overstimulation with spinning. And always end with a grounding activity such as jumping to help with any potential dizziness.
For this activity have the children spin in one direction slowly, gradually getting faster and then suddenly stopping. Make sure they spin in both directions instead of all one way. You can also have them freeze randomly in a fun pose to make it more of a game.
3 || Balance Challenges
You don't need a balance beam to do any of these activities. Use painter's tape on the floor for a line, or simply have the children balance on one foot, and then the other for a certain amount of time.
4 || Rock & Roll
For this activity, have the children roll like a log or do a somersault on a carpeted area. You can also use floor mats if you are in a gym.
5 || Jumping Games
This could include jumping jacks, hopping on one foot, or “jump to the color” (the teacher calls out a color, and kids jump to something of that color).
6 || Chair Tilts
Have the students gently rock in their chairs back and forth, like they are sitting in a rocking chair.
7 || Head Tilts & Rolls
Students will slowly tilt their heads side to side, and then roll their heads in a circle.
8 || Seated Twists
Have students twist at the waist while seated and look behind them. Their arms can either be held up in front of them, or to the side like an airplane.
9 || Therapy Ball Bounce
If your PE instructor has an exercise ball or any of the therapists have a ball, ask to borrow it for some bouncing time. I always advocate for different seating options in a classroom, so if you have your own that is even better!
10 || Swivel on a Spin Disc
You may need to adapt this if you don't have a spin disc (double-check with the PE instructor!). You can use a spot marker on the floor or use the spin disc to spin in space.
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11 || Scooter Board Races
If space allows, let kids ride on a scooter board using their hands or feet. I always found a hallway to do this in with my therapy kiddos.
12 || Hula Hoop Spinning
Borrow some hula hoops from the PE instructor or do this during indoor recess time. You can have a timed race or include it in an obstacle course.
13 || Mirror Movements
Students will enjoy being in charge of this one. Each student takes turns leading the class in a movement. The rest of the students mirror what they do.
14 || Tug-of-War
Use a fabric rope so their hands don't get rubbed raw. This activity would also be best in a hallway, indoor recess, or outside.
15 || Parachute Games
If your gym has a parachute, this is a great one to have the class do together. Holding and moving a parachute up and down engages balance.
16 || Indoor Snowball “Fight”
My son always tells me about this one when they do it. His teacher has a container of crumbled-up papers that they use to have a snowball fight in the classroom. She also used this when it was very cold outside and they had indoor recess.
17 || Mini Basket Ball Hoop
The second favorite thing in his classroom is a mini basketball hoop and ball. She has it hanging on the back of a door and they use it for break times or indoor recess.
18 || Desk Push-Ups
This is a great one to do as a quick reset for the whole classroom or right before or after transitions. Students will need to stand at their desks, place their hands on top, and push up and down with their arms on the desk.
19 || Beanbag Balance
Grab a beanbag (check with the PE teacher if you don't have one) and students can walk in a circle, on a line, or in a path through the classroom while balancing the beanbag on their head. Turn it into a replay race if you have a bigger space, such as a hallway or gym for indoor recess.
20 || Yoga Poses
I feel like I could add yoga poses to any type of activity list and it would always fit, haha. Poses such as downward dog, dolphin pose, bridge pose, and wheel pose all focus on inverting the head, which is key for vestibular input.
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What are some of your favorite brain break activities to activate the vestibular system? Let me know in the comments below.
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Heather Greutman, COTA
Heather Greutman is a Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant with experience in school-based OT services for preschool through high school. She uses her background to share child development tips, tools, and strategies for parents, educators, and therapists. She is the author of many ebooks including The Basics of Fine Motor Skills, and Basics of Pre-Writing Skills, and co-author of Sensory Processing Explained: A Handbook for Parents and Educators.