Fun energizers to encourage participation of all students in a safe environment. Energizers are used to take a break from an activity or to begin a new activity.

School can become quite a bore, if students are not able to stretch and move during class. Too often students sit and sit doing work and their work suffers because they are not engaged in the activity anymore. Students of all ages are better learners if they take periodic rests.

Energizers, also known as motivational activities, are great ideas for students to rest from their activity or to boost their brain for a new activity. Motivational activities can be used throughout the day and after some practice, it will only take 5-10 minutes to energize the students. Energizers engage all students and is a strategy that fosters cooperation.

Rain

Everyone sits in a circle. The objective is to create rain by copying what the person to their left is doing.

Teacher begins rain by slowly rubbing her hands together, the students to her left copies her. Other students only join in once the person to their right has begun the rubbing of their hands together.

Teacher changes her sounds and the student to her left responds and students slowly join in.

Rain Sequence

• Rubbing hands together back and forth
• Snapping fingers
• Hand Clapping
• Thigh Slapping
• Foot Stamping

The teacher reverses the sequence and places her hands in her lap once all sounds are completed. Students follow until all students have their hands in their laps and sitting in silence.

After the energizer, the teacher can begin a discussion or mini lesson in the circle.

Make them Laugh

Divide the class into two teams. Teams line up and face a person on the other team. A member from each team walks down the opposing team line. The opposing team members try and make the volunteer smile or laugh. The members in line are not allowed to touch or talk as the volunteer passes by. If the volunteer smiles or laugh they join the opposing team.

The game continues until each member on the team is a volunteer. The winner is the team with the most players at the end of the game.

Great energizer to use when there is stress in the classroom or students need a break from working.

Knots

Divide the students into two or three groups depending on the class size. Each group creates a circle. Students grab two other students in the circle. However, students are not allowed to criss cross, grab a hand of a student on either side of them or grab the hands of only one student. Students must work together to untangle the knot and make a circle.

Zoo

Students are to think of an animal and must line up in order of size without talking. Students are allowed to make gestures and the sound of the animal to line up. After the students have lined up, go down the line and each student reveals the animal to the class.

Example: mouse-elephant-lion-dog-duck-horse

Students make the sound of the animal and a gesture such as moving one arm and up and down to symbolize an elephant nose or gallops on the spot.

Last Word

Students will create a story by having each student add a sentence in sequence. The only rule is students must use the last word of the previous sentence.

Example:

• Last Saturday night I went to a movie with my friends.
• Friends of mine that went were Corey, Justin, and Liam.
• Liam sat at the front of the theatre.
• Theatre Woodbridge is very dirty and smelly.

The story continues until all students have a chance to add. If a student is unable to come up with a sentence they have the option to pass and to join in for the next story.

.Ball Toss Brainstorming

Teacher reveals the topic of the day. Teacher throws the ball to a student and the student shouts out something related to the topic. This activity can be used to activate prior knowledge or to check for understanding. The teacher tosses the ball after she has conducted a lesson and students will review the concept.