Move It! 13 Movement Break Ideas Your Kids Will Love

Home school has started back up again which means your kids are probably doing a bit less running around and much more sitting down.

That definitely doesn't mean moving around and releasing energy has to stop! Have a look at these easy movement break ideas kids will love to give their brain a quick rest during a day of learning.

If you have some outdoor space then make the most of it! Get the kids out in the fresh air and play a few games for fifteen minutes.  We love Tag, What's The Time Mr Wolf and Hide & Seek, they're all great movement break ideas and a chance to get your children's heart rate up. You can get involved and really make it a moment of family fun.

The next brain break idea is a great way to put the kids in charge. Follow The Leader is a really simple game of copying, you can do it stood still or walking in a line, one person just has to do a series of movements for everyone else to follow. The kids can take it in turns to be the leader and come up with some simple movements like putting hands on heads, spinning around and jumping up and down. You can turn it into a bit of a competition by seeing who can do each movement the fastest.

Don't worry if you're not a family of sports stars, ball games are still a great way to help your kids get moving. Do some simple kick passes or throwing and catching to give the kids a breather but still keep their mind engaged and working on their coordination. If you want to make things a bit more interesting then you could try Piggy In The Middle or mark a goal and see who can kick the ball in the most times. If your kids love a bit of sporting competition then you could go further than a quick kick around and dedicate a whole day to hosting your own Olympics.

This is one of our favourite movement break ideas, simply put on your favourite song and have a boogie! The kids can take it in turns to choose a song and you could even put together a playlist that's ready to go for all of your brain breaks whenever the children need a pause from their learning.

If you've got a bit more time, then following one of Joe's thirty-minute P.E lessons is a perfect movement idea. You could even do it when the kids would have their normal P.E lesson. His videos are easy to follow, engaging, fun and there is a real sense of community amongst everyone who follows the workouts. They're free to watch and if you haven't been following along, he uploads a new one every weekday at 9 am so there will be plenty to catch up on!

If your kids need a bit more than some music to keep them engaged then why not turn your dance party into a game of Musical Statues. Put on a song, get everyone dancing then pause the music at random points and see who can stay the stillest! This is another activity that's perfect for any competitive families and great if you don't want something that takes too much time.

One of the more slow-paced movement ideas, a quick bit of yoga can really give your child's brain a moment to pause. Have a look at our favourite free classes for families of beginners to do and once you've mastered some moves, you can do a simple session yourself! Stretch out, take some deep breathes and let your kids really take some time away from their learning.

Set up a simple obstacle course in your garden to help get your kids moving. You don't need anything fancy, just some things to use as markers for them to run around and a few different activity ideas. Get Creative! You could do anything from hula hooping to skipping or putting on backpacks and doing roly polys! Time your children and see if they can beat their time in each brain break.

Put together a simple mini work out to get your kids moving, they could even help you come up with some of the moves! It only has to take five minutes,  but some simple exercises like squats, star jumps, lunges and running on the spot can make all the difference. It's one of the easiest movement ideas and you don't need anything for it other than yourselves.

If you struggle to think of break ideas then a wheel of fortune or lucky dip is an easy way for the decision making to be done for you. Make a simple spinning wheel or just cut up some pieces of paper to put in a jar and write different movement ideas on them, anything works whether it's 10 jumping jacks or a dance party. Your kids can take it in turns to spin the wheel or choose a piece of paper from the jar.

Incorporate your daily exercise into your kid's school day to really help to break it up. Heading out for your walk, run or bike ride during your children's lunch break will really help them to feel like they stepped away from their work and got some fresh air to help them reset for the afternoon.

There are plenty of fun drama games that involve moving around and using your imagination. Keep it simple with a game of Charades or get your kids to act as though they're doing different things. You can set a timer and spend a few minutes calling out different things for them to do like pretending to be a lion, putting out a fire or running for a train. Guess What I'm Doing is another simple option where one person acts out an activity in silence and everyone else watches. Once someone works out what they're doing, they can go and join in until the whole group are taking part in the little scene.

If you've got a bit of time to prepare then this is one of our favourite free ideas. Set up a simple scavenger or treasure hunt for your kids by hiding one of their favourite toys or a sweet treat. You could give them written clues or just tell them when they're hot or cold. This is one that will get your kids moving all over the house and will really help them take a pause from their learning.

So, whether you're a family of athletes, dancers, yogis or competitive gamers, there are plenty of ideas to get your kids moving. It's important to get them to take a moment to stretch out and move their muscles, especially now they're not walking between classrooms or running around the playground!