Stretch Break Ideas for a Classroom

Imagine how difficult it is for a child to sit still in an uncomfortable desk for several hours without moving around. If you're a teacher or a classroom volunteer, you know how fidgety the students get after a long time spent sitting. Take a few quick stretch breaks with the children to get their blood moving, help them focus and incorporate physical fitness into their daily activities. It's good for the students, but when you model the stretches, you're getting a bit of exercise, too.

  1. Full-Body Stretches

    • Scholastic's "Instructor Magazine" recommends standing stretches to increase circulation. Have the students stand up, spread their arms and legs and try to reach their fingers and toes toward the walls of the classroom. This is a full-body stretch that gets the blood flowing and also makes a fun challenge for the children. Next, have students stand with their feet shoulder-width apart and fingers interlaced behind their lower backs. Show the children how to roll their shoulders, extend their torsos and reach their hands toward the wall behind them. Students might enjoy a twisting stretch, too. Have them stand with their arms outstretched at their sides like an airplane and then slowly twist back and forth. Remind them to go slowly and not to jerk their bodies, which can cause injury.

    Arm Stretches

    • Show students how to raise one arm over their heads and then slowly bend the elbow and lower the hand behind the back. Demonstrate how to gently push back with the arm to stretch the muscles on the back of the arm. Repeat with the other arm. Have students interlace their fingertips and bring their arms up so their hands are in front of their chests. Ask the children to press their palms out in front of them as if they were pushing against a wall. Next, have the children extend their arms straight out to the sides, point their index fingers and draw circles by moving their arms.

    Leg Stretches

    • Ask the students to stand next to their chairs and place one hand on the back to help provide balance. Next, show the children how to grasp one ankle, bend the knee and bring the foot up to the buttocks. Remind the students that they should feel the stretch in the front of their thigh. Have the children sit down on the floor in a butterfly pose -- legs bent and bottoms of the feet pressed together. Demonstrate how to hold onto the ankles and pull the feet toward the body, feeling the stretch in the inner thighs. Ask the students to remain seated, but to put both legs straight out in front of them. Encourage the children to keep their knees straight and try to reach their ankles.

    Head and Neck Stretches

    • Have the students stand up straight and shrug their shoulders several times. Ask them to shrug slowly to maximize the stretch. Then they can draw their shoulders back and imagine trying to bring their shoulder blades together. Shake things up by showing the children how to shrug once, then press the shoulder blades back, repeating the sequence several times. Cap off the stretching break with a few slow head rolls -- students should make a complete circle using the muscles in their necks.