At iCan Dream Center’s Afterschool Program, we acknowledge the importance of allowing our students to take a break in a fun and interactive way. 

As our students begin to arrive at the program from a long and busy day at school, they enter our building ready to have some fun. Staff members rotate through a variety of brain break activities with students. 

For example, many students enjoy dancing, using the video games Just Dance or GoNoodle. These physical fitness brain breaks actually boost brain health. 

Providing our students a moment to decompress allows them a chance to prepare for the rest of the day. Downtime decreases stress, increases productivity, boosts brain function, and provides opportunities for children to learn social skills (Terada, 2018).

Incorporating breaks in daily schedules

Brain breaks are part of our daily schedule throughout the day. Our staff members are attentive to each student throughout the course of various activities and encourage students to take a break if they are becoming overstimulated or tired. 

Students may be easily distracted, but regular, short breaks can help them focus, increase their productivity, and reduce their stress (Terada, 2018). We take pride in providing our students with brain breaks and the quality time necessary to expand their skills in the Afterschool Program.

Terada, Y. (2018, March 09). Research-Tested Benefits of Breaks. Retrieved from https://www.edutopia.org/article/research-tested-benefits-breaks