No Prep/Low Prep Brain Breaks: A Blogpost by Amy McMahon

No Prep Low Prep Brain Breaks from @smilesamy70

Silent Partner Draw

Pair students for this brain break, this can be used for any grade level. Each partner set will need one piece of paper and a pencil. Provide students with a character and a scene. For example, draw a cat in a garden. Students are only allowed to draw one shape at a time as they work to create the scene with their partner. Students pass the paper back and forth as they add one shape at a time. The challenge is that students are not allowed to communicate through talking so they must use their creativity to build off of each shape and create the picture. Students may gesture to each other with head shakes, nods or hand motions. Set a 3-5 minute timer while students work to create their picture. Have them share their pictures to the class working as partners to describe their picture!

Fill-in-the-Blank "Mind Reader"

Teacher displays a word with a blank space either on a paper or white board and shows class (e.g. “hot ______” ) with her response on the

back and students wrote down a word that they think completes the teacher's secret phrase. If their answer matches the teachers, they are the mindreader and win! Example: Teacher thinks “hotcake” some student might write hotdog or hot tub.

Snowball Fight

A classroom paper snowball fight is an active, low-prep brain break where students write review answers, questions, or vocabulary on paper, crumple them into "snowballs," and throw them for 30–60 seconds. After the fight, students pick up a new snowball, open it, and share the answer or word with the class.

Prep: Give each student a piece of scrap paper.

Activity: Ask them to write a question, answer, vocabulary word, or a "get to know you” fact.”

Crumple: Students crumble their paper into a ball.

Fight: On a signal, students throw their snowballs around the room for 20–30 seconds.

Retrieve & Review: Students pick up the nearest snowball, open it, and read it aloud, or solve the problem inside.

Variations:

● Math Focus: Write math problems on the paper; students solve the one they pick up.

● Literacy Focus: Write sight words or spelling words.

● Stress Relief: Students write down "grumpy" things they want to

let go of before throwing them away.

● Team Battle: Divide the room in half and have teams throw papers

to the opposite side.

SNAKE

The SNAKE word game is a zero-prep, fast-paced classroom activity where students create a chain of words, with each new word starting

with the last letter of the previous one (e.g., cat-tag-grab-boat) or you can use a category. For example foods (pizza-apple-egg-grape) Set

a timer the longest SNAKE of words wins. Very easy to differentiate for different grade levels. You can use a white board or paper.

I am Going on a Picnic

Pick a Rule: Teacher thinks of a rule. It could be anything—items that rhyme, start with a certain letter, color,

category. Announce Your “Picnic” Item: The teacher declares what they’re bringing, but keeps the rule a secret (that’s the whole

fun). Example: “I’m going on a picnic, and I’m bringing bananas.” This rule is fruit. Take Turns: Each player guesses what they’ll bring. If their

guess matches the rule, they’re “invited.” If not, they’re stuck. Example: “Can I bring dandelions?” Nope. “How about lemons?” Yes, you can come to

the picnic! Variations use it to develop literacy skills- It is great to enhance learning and develop literacy skills. The “I’m Going on a Picnic” game is

an activity that combines phonological awareness, memory, and critical thinking. It challenges students to identify patterns and rules while

keeping them entertained. Whether used for phonics practice, vocabulary building, or even math, this game encourages active participation and

problem-solving

Class Count to 20

The Class Count to 20 game is a collaborative, focus-driven activity where students sit or stand in a circle ( or just from their seats) and attempt to

count from 1 to 20, with one person saying each number in random order. If two people speak simultaneously or repeat a number, the group must

restart at 1. Teacher usually starts with the 1.