10 Rainy Day Activities for Indoor Recess & P.E. Copy
Rainy Day Recess
One of the more challenging experience for most all teachers is what to do about recess on a rainy day? Typically your school will have a supervision plan. Some schools take students to the cafeteria for a movie at lunch time. Other school have student play quiet games in the classroom as supervisors float from class to class supervising and organizing games for students.
Below is a list of rainy day activities from multiple sources. Many are brain breaks that can be used during breaks in academic instruction. However, designed for the indoor environment, they are usually perfect for indoor recess as well.
Download the list below and select the activities that make sense for your specific environment.
10 Rainy Day Activities for Indoor Recess
Prior planning for indoor recess makes all the difference in things going smoothly. The list of ideas below are examples and activities that can be downloaded for indoor use. Most of the activities listed below are free or low cost with a few exceptions.
1. In-School Breaks- American Heart Association
These three-five minute physical activity ideas can be incorporated into any classroom. Here are some examples of how to get your students moving. Feel free to get creative and come up with your own!
https://www.heart.org/idc/groups/heart- public/@wcm/@fc/documents/downloadable/ucm_455767.pdf
2. School Gems-Yoga Break Breaks Counting and Skip Counting Sampler
3. Brain Breaks Freebie: Roll a Brain Break
https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Brain-Breaks-Freebie-Roll-a-Brain-Break- 1301545
4. Being Inspired- Brain Breaks Freebie
5. Energizers for Elementary Schools- East Smart Move More North Carolina
Elementary and middle school energizers are classroom-based physical activities that help teachers integrate physical activity and classroom concepts. These are short (10 minute) activities that classroom teachers can use to provide physical activity to children in accordance with the North Carolina State Board of Education’s Healthy Active Children Policy.
https://www.eatsmartmovemorenc.com/Energizers/EnergizersForSchools.html
6. GoNoodle
7. Let’s Move West Virginia- Active Schools
In alignment with “Let’s Move!”, America’s campaign to raise a generation of healthier kids, the West Virginia Department of Education supports and promotes the participation of students in daily physical activity, and is committed to supporting a healthy school environment. Let’s Move! WV is dedicated to solving the challenge of childhood obesity within a generation so that children born today will grow up healthy and able to pursue their dreams. Combining comprehensive strategies with common sense, Let’s Move! WV is about putting children on the path to a healthy future. Lots of ideas for physical activity in schools. https://wvde.state.wv.us/healthyschools/documents/resource_guide_interactiveFinal.pdf
8. Create a Classroom that Moves! – Ohio Team Nutrition
Classroom-based physical activity is an instructional tool teachers can use to improve mood, energy levels, and facilitate student learning. Early evaluations of active environments have demonstrated positive changes in student classroom behavior, word recognition and reading fluency, math scores, time on-task, and concentration levels (Centers for Disease Control & Prevention, 2010). Create a Classroom that Moves! consists of three core classroom tools: 1. Grade-level nutrition lessons, 2. Physical activity breaks, and 3. My Classroom Physical Activity Pyramid.
9. Stories in Motion- Physical Activity Breaks- Iowa Department of Education
10. Teaching in China
Amazing and useful technology that is super easy to use, beautifully designed, and crazy engaging. I love it, my students love it, my kids love it, my principal loves it, it is a hit! A “must use” tool for any classroom, or living room!
Short stories that include action words which prompt physical activity! Utilize these stories in the classroom or childcare setting for short brain breaks. Developed by Iowa Team Nutrition.
Download:
Rainy-Day-Act-Vol-IIob.pdf
Brain Breaks are also a good option for Indoor Recess
Brain Breaks are very popular. And why not? Brain breaks are found to be a fast and effective way of helping learners regain energy and focus. They are also proven to be a useful tool in helping activate and stimulate their brains.
Brain Breaks are not only fun, but essential for focus and learning. Your students will love each of these quick and challenging Brain Breaks and they will enjoy the novelty of rolling a die to select which one to do. Just display them with your document camera, add a die, and you are set to go – no extra materials are needed and each activity is clearly explained. These would be great to use with a sub or anytime you want to try something a little different.
The idea behind these “Brain Breaks” is that you have a stack of ideas for activities and games for when your class needs to give their brains a little break. They’ll still be using their brains of course, but just in a more fun way! Some of the best ones are very active and give a noisy class a chance to burn off some energy before settling back down to work.
