5-Minute Energizers to Activate You and Your Students

We're officially in the grind. I ask my teacher colleagues how they're doing, and the standard response is a sigh: "I'm really looking forward to catching up on grading over the 3-day weekend," "I'm counting down the days until Thanksgiving," "I have 20 letters of recommendation to write."

If we're feeling this way, our students are too! Here are super quick activities to inject energy back into your classroom:

Snap, Stomp, Clap (Partners)

Each person counts off to 3, i.e. Person A: "1", Person B: "2", Person A: "3", Person B: "1", etc.
When everyone gets the hang of it, try it again, but replace 1's with a snap of the fingers (snap, 2, 3, snap, 2, 3, etc.)
Do it again, but also replace 3's with a stomp (snap, 2, stomp, snap, 2, stomp, etc.)
Do it again, but also replace 2's with a clap (snap, clap, stomp, snap, clap, stomp, etc.)

Gift Giving Game (Partners)

Person A pantomimes giving a gift. It can be any size, shape, etc. as suggested by how that person gives it.
Person B says, "Thank you for the ____ (improvised gift)!"
Person A says, "You're welcome! I knew you wanted it because ______ (improvised reason)."
Then, Person B pantomimes giving a gift, and Person A accepts it! Keep it going for 2ish minutes, and debrief to hear fun or surprising gifts.

Thumb War (Class Circle)

Everyone in the class should form a circle
Lock hands with the people next to you in "thumb war" position. There may be some crossing arms / turning around - don't worry, your kids will figure it out.
Thumb war for 30 seconds!
Then, raise hands in air, cheer "Yay," and give a round of applause!

This last one is almost purely for fun. It was an ice breaker at a boot camp I attended, and the person facilitating was a behavioral science researcher. Her explanation was that touching another person for 30 seconds triggers the sympathetic and nervous systems, making us feel confident and happy. Well, it worked!

Taking a break helps us jump back into learning feeling refreshed! So, remember to relax, take care of yourself, and have fun with your students.

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