One day. Big impact. Explore our new One-Day Workshops!

Energizers & Activities

Articles

Energizers are quick, whole-group activities that get students moving, breathing deeply, laughing, thinking, and working together. Energizers give students mental and physical breaks from rigorous academics, provide a fun way to transition between activities, help students refocus their attention, and create opportunities for students to connect with their teacher and each other. In middle school, energizers are referred to as brain breaks.

For energizer and brain break ideas, check out Energizers! 88 Quick Movement Activities That Refresh and Refocus and Refocus and Recharge! 50 Brain Breaks for Middle Schoolers.

You can find our latest articles on energizers and brain breaks below.

Explore our comprehensive library of free articles to learn more about how you can create safe, joyful, and engaging classroom and school communities for both students and teachers.

Classroom Management & Discipline Discipline

3 Practices That Support Positive Classroom Discipline

After the first few weeks of school, as students become more familiar with the rhythms and routines of the classroom, they often grow more comfortable in their learning environment. That ...

Elementary School School Leaders and Administration Whole School

Schwenksville Elementary: An Impactful First Year with the Responsive Classroom Approach

Location: Collegeville, PA Type of school: Public elementary school Grade levels: K–5 Number of students: 473 A Responsive Classroom school since: 2024 In the 2024–2025 school year, Schwenksville Elementary had ...

Positive Community SEL Skills

Teaching Skills for Life With C.A.R.E.S.

At the heart of the Responsive Classroom approach is a core belief: In order to thrive in and out of school, students need to develop key social and behavioral skills. ...