I can confidently say that winter is here with the first BIG snow storm moving its way across the United States.  But with this change in weather comes something that causes many a teacher to let out a big sigh – Indoor Recess.  Today I want to share 3 of my favorite activities for indoor recess that will have you (and your students) giving a cheer!

 

If you are not familiar with Go Noodle then you MUST keep reading because it will change your life!  If you are familiar with Go Noodle then you are probably shaking your head up and down as you read this.  Go Noodle is a website that is filled with songs and dances, games and activities for your students to do in the classroom.  Go Noodle describes their site as the place to go for brain breaks.  Now, if you are not familiar with the concept of brain breaks, check out this blog post.    I am a faithful user of brain breaks, but I think Go Noodle is absolutely wonderful for indoor recess too!  I don’t know about you, but my students have PE 3 times a week.  Indoor recess on PE day is not too bad because I know they will get some much needed movement during PE.  But indoor recess on a non-PE day can make the afternoon excruciating!  This is where Go Noodle comes in.  The students spread out around the room and I play some of their favorite movement songs from Go Noodle.  We sing, dance, act a little silly and most importantly get some of that energy out.  Here’s a couple of our favorites.

 

Go Noodle even has indoor recess “mixes” that are ready to go for a set amount of time.

I highly recommend Go Noodle!  It’s free to sign-up and so easy to use.  Take a couple minutes to sign-up now before your next indoor recess.

 

So Go Noodle is perfect for those days when the kids need to get some energy out, but what about those days when the energy is already oozing out of pore of their bodies?  Those days I look for something that involves movement but of a more calming nature.  When I found Cosmic Kids Yoga on You Tube I knew I found the perfect thing.  Here’s one of them:

 

There are lots of great yoga videos on the Cosmic Kids You Tube page.  You can find them all by clicking here!  If you are participating in the Teacher Treasure Hunt click on the image below to enter your answer!

 

 

This too is a class favorite because the kids think of centers as “play time” but can confidently let them have extra centers because I know that my centers are all learning activities that gives them a chance to review and practice skills we have learned or are working on.  I love putting games and hands-on activities in my centers because I know it makes it fun and engaging for the students.  When the students are begging for extra centers they are begging for more learning time!  I can go with that any day!

Hopefully this gave you a new idea or two on how to tackle the dreaded indoor recess.  The weather outside does not have to dictate our classroom inside.  If you have a favorite indoor recess activity, share it with us in the comments!