Do you find yourself repeating the SAME thing to your class during those few days leading up to winter break (at least five times throughout the day), particularly in the afternoon when behaviors begin to unravel? Everything is going haywire! Yup, you’re not alone. You know those ‘week before winter break’ activities must be incredibly engaging!
The solution? BRAIN BREAKS! I’ve three tried and true quick activities for the week that you can use to keep your students focused during those painfully long days leading up to winter break.
#1. Would You Rather?
This game is one that even I love….#noshame. I’ll present students with two (sometimes ridiculously funny) choices, and they must choose which one they prefer. The responses are hilarious and really get students engaged.
You can project it on the Smart Board, use it during a class party, or even use it whenever you need a good laugh. This game is versatile and can also be used in several other easy ways!
The actual images helped my English learners tremendously. There are templates to add more personalized choices for students; you can infuse their interests into the “learning.” Trust me, they’ll love this one!
#2. Sit or Stand – Winter Edition
Do you want to incorporate movement into your brain breaks? Use this game! Like ‘Would You Rather?’, I’ll present students with two choices, but these are winter-themed. The critical difference is that students must vote by sitting or standing. It’s so fun to see who has what in common with each other.
You could use this as a partner game; get students to pair up to discuss their choice with someone of the opposite opinion. They looooove talking (especially during the days before winter break), so why not let them?
#3. Guess the Picture – Winter Edition
This game includes less movement and more critical thinking and inferring skills. Students will have to guess the mystery winter-themed item based on a series of four images where the item progressively shows more and more.
These slides even include sentence starters to help students guess a sentence format without shouting it out as soon as they know the item. You can use these during a class party (yay!) or even as a quick break.
Just Don’t Be Boring!
While this time of year is chaotic in the classroom, it doesn’t have to be boring. Redirect your students’ energy and excitement into FUN games.
These ‘week before winter break’ activities will surely save your sanity!
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