When people first think about brain breaks, they often picture children in an elementary school classroom playing some kind of silly game. The fact of the matter is that brain breaks are effective for anyone at any age, especially high school students who need short breaks just as much as anyone. You may have to get a little creative with brain break games for high school students, but when you find something that works for your particular students, it’s absolutely golden.
Brain break activities don’t need to take up much time in the school day, but incorporating something like a quick movement break, even if it’s just a minute-long brain break, will help with energy levels (both increasing and decreasing, depending on the situation). These quick exercises and regular breaks will help your entire class refocus, whether through mental breaks or whole-body physical activity.
Why It’s Important in High School
It can be hard to figure out what brain break games for high school will actually work. You don’t want to come up with something that students will feel is childish (unless you have that one awesome class that lives for stuff like that), but at the same time, it is absolutely vital that high school students learn what they need to do to help refocus, reenergize, and also are able to recognize when their mind needs a moment.
They’re about to embark on the real world, and these are life skills that will take them throughout their journey. You need something that is fun for them but also mentally engaging.
Brain break games for high school give students a quick break to help them focus. They can be a few minutes of (potentially) intense physical activity to help rev up the engine again. A mind break, on the other hand, helps kids learn how to focus their energy and refocus when they’re mentally drained.
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Studies are finding that students today are ill-prepared to focus and concentrate like generations before them. With the ever-increasing amount of technology surrounding us, our students are not building the same muscle tone that previous generations had.
Though this is certainly different, it’s not limiting; it is something we need to be aware of and work within the classroom.
Simply put, the right hand needs to know what the left hand is doing for this to work.
Couple that with teenagers who are most likely more interested in the social aspect of school than what is actually being taught, and you have the recipe for absolutely needing brain breaks in your classroom.
So I set out to research the best brain break games for high school students, based on my own experience and others’. I also looked for ways that work well with various subjects and student ages, so this isn’t just “brain breaks.” These are actually “mind breaks”. I always feel that the two are different.
Research from Edutopia confirms what many educators have long suspected: we drastically underestimate the importance of brain breaks. These short pauses in instruction are not wasted time…they are essential for consolidating learning and preparing the brain for new information.
Who is Resistant: Teachers or Students?
It seems that High School teachers show the most resistance to this concept of good, meaningful brain-break ideas. The common misconception is that taking a few minutes to do one of these brain-break games in high school will completely disrupt the flow of the classroom. Some envision students doing the cha-cha slide or dancing until the music stops. Though these can be a fun brain break concept, as a general rule, it isn’t necessary to have a full-out dance party to implement physical brain breaks.
Simply put, with all of the expectations of testing and curriculum put on our plates, it seems like this will just waste time, and there will not be enough time to cover what absolutely must be taught.
On the contrary, using brain break games for high school students will help them stay more focused and productive with the tasks at hand. Brain break games for high school students don’t need to be corny, with patty cake or sensory bins like with younger kids. They just need to help your students get the blood pumping and oxygen flowing to their brains again so they can legitimately focus on their work.
The CDC recommends that adolescents get at least 60 minutes of physical activity each day. While we can’t provide a full hour in our classrooms, incorporating physical movement throughout the school day is a step in the right direction. Short movement breaks contribute to overall health and cognitive function.
Focusing on Student Buy-In
The importance of student buy-in for brain breaks in high school cannot be overstated. High schoolers often find themselves engrossed in rigorous lesson plans, sitting for extended periods, and needing a little break to recharge their mental faculties, plus it is important to give them tools to help themselves refocus as they get older and move on from K-12 education. Effective brain breaks, those short activities designed to increase blood flow and engagement, serve as a means of respite from long periods of academic concentration or can merely help refocus the brain when distracted or exhausted.
When students embrace these moments, it can positively impact their overall learning experience. Whether it’s a quick dance break, a game of beach ball toss, or a challenge involving a medium-sized ball and a single spaghetti noodle, students must participate willingly.
Their involvement not only promotes physical exercise but also nurtures social skills and a growth mindset. As students guide one another in these activities, they create bonds, learn to appreciate the benefits of brain breaks, and foster a sense of unity. This buy-in helps ensure brain breaks become a cherished part of the high school day, rather than a fleeting distraction or something students feel they’re “too cool” for.
To make brain breaks successful for high school students, teachers should vary activities to cater to different interests and grade levels. By incorporating movement songs, dance moves, and even sign language into these short breaks, instructors can appeal to a wide range of preferences.
Activities like the water bottle toss or the inner circle game, where students pass a piece of paper with instructions like “touch your right hand to your left shoulder” around the group, invite students to take a quick brain break that reinforces their understanding of different movements and sign language. When students can choose their favorite brain-break ideas and propose variations of the games, it not only keeps them engaged but also empowers them to take ownership of their learning experiences.
In essence, it’s an easy way to ensure that brain breaks serve their intended purpose…reenergizing young minds while promoting engagement and enthusiasm in high school classrooms. So, encouraging student buy-in and adapting to meet specific criteria are key to making brain breaks a valuable asset in high school education.
This ties directly into developing a student-centered curriculum where students have agency over their learning experiences. When we give students a voice in how they reset and refocus, we teach self-regulation skills that extend far beyond the classroom walls.
Making it Work
Games are an excellent way to engage high school students in the learning process, making educational content enjoyable and interactive. Whether it’s through board games, card games, strategy games, or online games, the variety of available options caters to different subjects and grade levels. In small groups or large circles, games encourage student participation and social interaction, fostering teamwork and camaraderie. From relay races to scavenger hunts, students work together towards a common goal, enhancing their problem-solving skills and critical thinking.
Fun activities such as vocabulary games or educational board games reinforce key concepts, ensuring students develop a deep understanding of the main ideas in a topic. The best part is that games can be adapted for a small group or the whole class, making them a flexible and dynamic addition to a high school teacher’s toolbox, especially in today’s educational landscape, where online learning has become increasingly common.
Whether it’s a simple game of “Roll of Toilet Paper” for ice-breaking or a more complex strategy game, these games create a playing field where everyone has a chance to shine, learn, and have fun.
The key is knowing your students to decide what is a good idea. If you have a group of fun-loving teenagers who would love to play silly brain-break games for high school students, then, by all means, go to town.
There’s nothing better than a group of older students who want to revert a little bit back to their childhood and play the same games that the younger students will.
I have had classes with these types of students before, and they are an absolute blast to work with. They may buy into a game such as Brain Break Bingo or get super competitive with Simon Says.
However, finding a full class of students who will buy into this is hard to come by (though they are so much fun to have). Given this, make sure you have different Brain Break games for high school in your arsenal that are appropriate for students who are, literally, too cool for school.
This is where effective classroom management strategies come into play. When you frame brain breaks as a routine expectation rather than an optional activity, students are more likely to participate without resistance.
Making Sure You’re Creative
Again, what this looks like really depends on the students sitting in front of you. You may need to get creative with your brain break games for high school, with new brain breaks ready to go when they’re needed (especially if you are teaching any type of distance learning!).
It might involve creating a permanent station setup where students can walk over, stretch, do some yoga poses, or play a game on a bulletin board so they can have a few moments to move of their own accord.
It might be a quick game of “This or That” where you ask a question, and students move to one side of the classroom or the other depending on their answer, or you could use some good YouTube videos with music, or another interactive activity.
You could quickly split into teams and play a lightning round of “Pictionary” or “Spontuneous” (and to make it fun, you could keep a running score for a specific amount of time to add that competitive buy-in). It might be when they’re having a particularly low-focus day, so they get up and take a quick lap around the school.
There are a lot of possibilities depending on your group size; you just have to make sure whatever you’re doing is something that your particular group of students buys into.
The key is not to give up. You may have a challenging group that isn’t willing to buy into your brain break games for high school. That doesn’t mean you should just give up hope. It means you have to find something that works for them.
One great way to use games in the classroom is to divide students into smaller groups when working with a large class. This allows for better student participation, ensuring that each student has a chance to shine and contribute. As each group races to be the winning team, they learn valuable problem-solving skills and critical thinking while working with limited resources, often starting with one student’s quick thinking and ending with the last person in the group.
The variety of different games in the teacher’s repertoire keeps the classroom environment dynamic and engaging throughout the school year, ensuring that learning remains a vibrant and fun activity for all.
If you’re really stuck, survey them.
They’re old enough to tell you what interests them or what they think would be fun as brain-break games for high school. If they come up with stuff that’s off the wall, find a way to create something that will work for them in your classroom. The possibilities are endless, and once you have something created, you have it for all time.
You may need to tweak it a little for the students sitting in front of you in any given year, but you already have a template to get started with some amazing brain break games for high school.
No matter what you come up with, the key is to give students opportunities to take a moment when they need it. It might be because they need to be energized, or because they need to relax.
If you have just small opportunities throughout your class to do this, you will get better results from your students than you would any other way. Again, it’s worth taking just a few moments (most brain break games for high school can take less than 5 minutes) to energize and focus your students so they can do their best work. It’s worth sidetracking for a couple of moments to get better results in the long run.
At the end of the day, we want our students to succeed. They are not living in a time where they naturally do their best the same way previous generations did, and we need to help them achieve more.
We know that our current students are different from any other generation that has walked into our classrooms. That is the reality; we can’t change that, but we can change how we approach it in our classroom.
Brain break games for high school students are not difficult to create; we just need our students to buy in, and then the possibilities are endless.
17 Ideas for Brain Break Games for High School
This list is a bit different than your usual fare, but I think it’s important to look into stuff like that. It’s not just about physical activity either. Some of these games require mental engagement and help students refocus on their studies! So here we go!
1. HIGHLIGHT GAME
Basically, you write down words that students should be able to define and understand easily on separate pieces of paper. Then, you give them a sentence or two, and they have to find the words in the sentence and highlight them. They have to find all of the words correctly in a certain amount of time.
This gives students a fun way to practice what they’ve learned while improving their reading skills and decoding abilities, all while refocusing and reenergizing. This is one of those educational brain breaks that works perfectly because it keeps students’ minds engaged with the subject area while shifting their cognitive function into a different mode. It’s a simple game that doesn’t require any setup or materials beyond a piece of paper, making it an easy way to incorporate a quick break into any lesson plan.
2. THE PAPER AIRPLANE TOSS
This activity is a great way to help students refocus and reenergize for a few minutes. I love that it’s also a lot of fun! You take some paper airplane templates, ask students to make them as best as they can, and then let them go through several rounds of tossing those planes into garbage cans or onto designated desks.
Not only does this provide a little bit of mental engagement, but it also gets kids up and moving around for a few minutes! It’s so easy for these students to get lethargic, so having activities like this is so important! This is a classic, fun activity that works as both a physical activity and a movement break. If you have an open space in your classroom or can move to a hallway, this becomes one of those creative brain breaks that high schoolers actually enjoy. It’s a fun game that gets blood flow going and resets students’ energy levels without taking up too much time.
3. THE CONCENTRATION GAME
This is a great way to help students who need a little bit of time and focus to re-energize. Basically, you give each student a few pieces from a puzzle and have them try to put the puzzle together without any verbal communication whatsoever. You can also do this with math equations or anything else that has multiple steps.
This activity is great for refocusing, and it’s also a good way to help students learn a little about each other because they have to communicate in other ways. I love that this activity is easy and straightforward, but the results are just amazing! This is a perfect example of a mental break that doesn’t require physical movement. It’s a great way to challenge students to use problem-solving skills and critical thinking without saying a word. It works especially well with small groups, and you can invite students to work together with the entire class watching. The first person to complete their section has to wait for the rest of the group, which builds patience and group work skills.
4. 20 QUESTIONS
This is a classic game you can use for just about anything with multiple steps. You give students a topic, and they have to ask the teacher 20 questions until the teacher says yes or no to every one. The good thing is that it’s really easy to see whether someone is asking smart questions because you can focus on depth, not length.
I like this activity for a few reasons. One is that it not only refocuses kids but also helps them learn to stay on their toes and ask smart questions instead of just trying to play along or goof off! This classic game works as both a word game and a brain-break activity. It’s a quick game you can do as a whole class with no materials. The entire class can participate by raising hands to be the next student to ask a question. It’s a fun way to get students thinking critically about a subject area or a completely different topic.
5. THE JENGA GAME
This one is a lot of fun. You give students some Jenga pieces and have them build a tower as you talk about a topic. Each student has to hold one piece of the tower at all times as you teach, but as you talk about the topic, students can reach out and take other pieces from surrounding towers until they’ve taken enough that their own tower begins to wobble. Then they have to sit down.
This activity is great for refocusing while also teaching kids how to be more aware of what’s going on in the room so they can prepare themselves if their tower starts to wobble! I love this game because it really helps students get the most out of what you’re trying to teach them. This is one of those simple movement-based activities that doesn’t require students to get out of their seats and move around the room. It’s a physical activity that works on fine motor skills and focus. It’s a great time for students who need a little break from screen time or direct instruction, and it’s a good idea for a regular break during a long school day.
6. MATCHING GAME
This is another classic game. Give each student a paper with words from a certain topic or idea on it and have them try to find their matches as you teach the material. They can only use one hand, so they’ll have to pay attention!
I like this activity because it not only helps kids refocus for a few minutes but also helps them learn how to follow instructions in an active way. The one-handed rule makes this a simple game that becomes surprisingly challenging. When you force students to use their left hand (or their non-dominant hand), you’re engaging a different part of the brain. It’s a fun brain break that sneaks in some brain activity without students even realizing it. This works well as a group work activity where the first student to find their match helps the last student complete the task.
7. THE POMODORO TECHNIQUE
This is my favorite way to refocus kids for a few minutes, at least once per class, when they’ve been getting rowdy or when I see they need a little time. All you have to do is give them a simple task to complete before the timer goes off...something that’s not too big or overwhelming. I usually give students 10, 15, or 20 minutes for this activity.
When students are working on these tasks, they need to stay focused and silent until the bell rings to signal that their time has expired.
This technique is best for students who need a little time to refocus and get back on track. It also gives them some mentally engaging work so they can learn how to stay focused when doing something they might not be interested in. This is a great way to build stamina and teach students how to manage their own focus. It’s not a movement game or a physical activity, but it’s an effective brain break because it shifts the cognitive load. It gives students’ minds a chance to reset and refocus on a single task. This is a powerful tool for student engagement and can be adapted for different students at different grade levels.
8. THE ENERGY BANK
This game is fantastic for when you’re teaching after lunch. All you have to do is make a “bank” on the board with two columns labeled “Energy” and “Fatigue.” Then, write some examples of things that give students energy along with what it feels like.
You should also include some examples of negative things that cause fatigue. Under “fatigue,” also include examples of how it feels.
The point of this activity is to give students a visual representation of what helps them stay focused and what makes it hard to concentrate. It’s the perfect activity for keeping kids on track during those after-lunch classes! This mental break focuses on mental health and self-awareness. It’s a fun activity that doesn’t require any physical movement, but it gets students thinking about their own habits and energy levels. This is a great way to start a conversation about sleep, screen time, social media, and everything else that affects young minds. It’s a powerful tool for building self-regulation skills in high schoolers.
9. SILENT BALL
This is a classic game that middle school students love, but it works just as well with high schoolers when framed correctly. Students toss a soft ball around the room in complete silence. If someone drops the ball, talks, or makes a bad throw, they’re out. The last student standing wins.
Silent ball is a simple game that requires no setup and works as a great way to reset a rowdy class. The entire class participates at once, and the competitive nature keeps everyone engaged. It’s a physical activity that gets students moving without leaving their seats, and the silence requirement forces them to focus on the task at hand. This is one of those fun brain breaks that works at any grade level, from younger students to older students.
10. THIS OR THAT
Ask a question with two possible answers. Students must physically move to one side of the room or the other depending on their choice. It’s a quick game that gets students out of their seats and moving. The physical movement increases blood flow and resets students’ focus. It’s a fun way to get to know your students and build community.
This activity works as a great way to start class, break up a long lesson, or wrap up the school day. You can ask questions related to your subject area or keep it light with personal preferences. The side of the room students choose becomes a conversation starter, and the movement gives everyone a brief break from sitting. It’s an easy way to incorporate physical activity without any preparation.
11. THE LOGIC PUZZLE
Put a logic puzzle on the board and give students three minutes to solve it individually or in small groups. This mental break shifts cognitive function from language processing to spatial reasoning. It’s a great way to engage a different part of the brain without any physical activity required.
Logic puzzles challenge students to think in new ways and tap into problem-solving skills they might not use in their regular coursework. They’re perfect for a quick brain break because they’re self-contained and don’t require any explanation once the rules are clear. Students who finish early can help others, fostering group work and collaboration. This is one of those educational brain breaks that feels like a game but is secretly building critical thinking skills.
12. FREEZE DANCE
Yes, this works with high schoolers if you frame it right. Play a popular song and have students freeze when the music stops. The catch? They have to hold whatever position they froze in until the music starts again. It’s a movement break that gets blood pumping and gives students a chance to laugh and be silly.
Freeze dance is a fun activity that works best when you commit to it fully. If you’re hesitant, students will sense it and resist. But if you embrace the absurdity, they’ll follow your lead. It’s a great way to energize a lethargic class or burn off excess energy before a test. The physical movement gets blood flowing to the brain, and the challenge of holding a frozen position adds a fun competitive element.
13. THE CATEGORY GAME
Pick a category (like different animals, countries, or vocabulary words from the current unit). Students take turns naming something in that category. If someone hesitates, repeats an answer, or can’t think of something, they’re out. This word game works as a quick brain break and reinforces content knowledge.
The category game is simple, requires no materials, and can be played with the entire class or in small groups. It’s a great way to review vocabulary or activate prior knowledge before a lesson. You can make it competitive by tracking how many rounds the class can complete without someone getting out, or by pitting teams against each other. This is one of those creative activities that can be adapted to any subject area.
14. DEEP BREATHING EXERCISE
Sometimes the best brain break is a calming one. Lead students through a simple deep breathing exercise: inhale for four counts, hold for four, exhale for four. This mental break reduces stress and improves focus. It’s especially effective before tests or after a high-energy activity.
Deep breathing is one of those brain break activities that doesn’t look like much from the outside, but the impact on students’ minds is significant. It teaches high schoolers how to regulate their nervous systems and manage anxiety. In a world where social media and screen time constantly demand their attention, the ability to sit quietly and breathe is a skill that will serve them well. This powerful mental health tool takes less than two minutes.
15. THE HUMAN KNOT
Divide students into small groups. Everyone reaches across the circle and grabs someone else’s hand. Then they have to untangle themselves without letting go. This physical activity requires problem-solving skills and teamwork. It’s a fun activity that works best with groups of 6-8 students.
The human knot is a classic team-building exercise that never gets old. It forces students to communicate, collaborate, and think spatially. The physical closeness breaks down social barriers, and the shared challenge builds camaraderie. It’s a great way to reset the energy in the room after a long period of independent work. Just be prepared for some laughter and chaos.
16. TWO TRUTHS AND A LIE
Each student shares three statements about themselves, two true and one false. The class votes on which one is the lie. This is a great way to build community and give students a mental break from academic content. It’s a fun game that requires no materials and can be done with the entire class.
Two Truths and a Lie is a quick game that works at the beginning of the school year as an icebreaker or throughout the year to strengthen relationships. It’s a great way for students to learn about each other and for you to learn about your students. The mental break from academic content gives students’ minds a chance to reset, and the social interaction builds the kind of classroom culture that makes learning possible.
17. THE SHORT WALK
Sometimes the simplest brain break is the most effective. Take your class for a short walk around the school or outside. Physical movement increases blood flow to the brain, and a change of scenery resets students’ focus. It’s an easy way to incorporate physical activity into the school day without any planning.
A short walk is a great way to break up a long class period or transition between activities. It gives students a chance to move their bodies and reset their minds. Remember, the CDC recommends regular physical activity for adolescents, and even a five-minute walk contributes to that goal. It’s also a good opportunity for informal conversations with students who might not speak up in class.
…and these are just a few brain break games for high school. Try them or see what else you can come up with. You’ll be surprised at the effect they have.
For more calming options that work well when students need to settle down rather than energize, check out these calming brain break ideas.
Conclusion
Incorporating brain breaks into the daily routine of high school students is a powerful way to enhance student learning and mental health. These quick breaks, whether a short walk to the side of the room or engaging in a group activity like a human knot, allow students to reset their brain activity, shifting from intense focus on a subject area to the default mode, where they can process information more effectively.
Just as elementary kids or middle school students benefit from movement breaks, secondary students can see significant gains in achievement and academic success through well-timed 5-minute breaks that include physical movement or mindfulness exercises. Researcher Mary Helen Immordino-Yang emphasizes the importance of these mental check-ins, which can be as simple as deep breaths or as engaging as a fitness hustle TV session.
Whether it’s using National Geographic for a creative mental brain break or challenging students with brain games, these educational brain breaks are perfect tools to keep student work fresh and help them develop new skills. Even the presentation slide or transition time between lessons can introduce a different topic or offer a quick break, ensuring students aren’t just sitting but actively engaging with their learning environment.
By incorporating these breaks into the school day, educators give students time to recharge, supporting better mental health, increased neural activity, and improved learning outcomes.
Brain break games for high school students are not difficult to create. We just need our students to buy in, and then the possibilities are endless. It’s worth taking a few moments to energize and focus your students so they can do their best work. It’s worth sidetracking for a couple of moments to get better results in the long run. At the end of the day, we want to see our students succeed, and these small moments of reset might just be the thing that gets them there.
How long should a brain break be for high school students?
Most effective brain breaks for high school students take between 2-5 minutes. This is enough time to reset focus without losing instructional momentum. The key is consistency…short breaks throughout the school day are more effective than one long break.
Do brain breaks actually work for older students?
Yes. Research demonstrates that the brain needs downtime to consolidate learning and prepare for new information. High schoolers benefit just as much as younger learners, especially given the increased cognitive demands of secondary education.
How often should I incorporate brain breaks?
A good rule of thumb is one brain break every 20-30 minutes of instruction. However, this varies depending on your students’ energy levels and the time of day. Classes after lunch often need more frequent breaks than morning classes.
What if my students think brain breaks are silly?
Focus on activities that feel purposeful rather than childish. Logic puzzles, deep breathing exercises, and quick movement breaks tend to work well with high schoolers who are resistant to “games.” Frame brain breaks as a tool for focus, not entertainment.
Can brain breaks help with classroom management?
Absolutely. Regular breaks prevent the restlessness and disengagement that often lead to behavior issues. They’re a proactive approach to classroom management. For more, check out these classroom management strategies.
What if I don’t have much time in my lesson plan?
Most brain break games take less than five minutes. Even a single minute of movement or deep breathing can make a difference. The key is to have activities ready to go so you don’t waste time explaining instructions.
How do brain breaks relate to student-centered learning?
Brain breaks are an essential component of a student-centered curriculum. When we recognize that students need movement, social interaction, and mental resets, we’re centering their needs rather than forcing them to conform to rigid expectations.
This article was originally published on April 5, 2019
I loved JENNs Work on student choices, and the whole way of engaging learners. I would love to continue following her lessons
I love hearing this! There are many ways we can continue working together. I would love that 🙂