Interactive Game
Jungle Jump
A monkey shows the move, the ring counts it down, and the next card flips up. Every deck ends calm enough to sit back down.
- Ages 3–11
Brain breaks
Attention does not fade gradually; it falls off a cliff. A brain break is the two minutes you spend on purpose so that the next ten are usable — movement, a laugh, a clear ending, and back to work.
The trick is the visible finish. Put the timer on screen before the break starts and the return is negotiated in advance.
Games in this collection
Interactive Game
Moon Hourglass
Turn the glass and stardust starts to fall. The moon ring empties with the minutes, and a soft gong says the time is up.
Interactive Game
Wishing Dice
Tip the leather cup and one to four ivory dice tumble out onto the velvet. The total is stamped into the felt in wax.
Interactive Game
Painter's Attic
A secret word arrives on a painter's palette and you draw it on a real easel canvas — brush sounds, paint-blob colours and a skylight for a timer.
- Ages 5–11
Interactive Game
Fortune Wheel
A painted carnival wheel with your class on its slices. Spin it, hear the ratchet slow, and a ticket prints with the lucky name.
Interactive Game
Sleeping Fox
A fox sleeps in the clearing and the microphone keeps watch. Stay quiet and he sleeps on; get loud and he wakes with a start.
- Ages 3–11
Interactive Game
Name 3
Tap the floating cube. It turns, a topic is engraved on the face it lands on, and you name three.
- Ages 4–11
Interactive Game
Story Lantern
The story is written on the panels of a paper lantern. Read it, hear any line again, then show what you understood.
- Ages 5–10
Printable packs
Print & go
Send as homework
Five joyful minutes at home: the child listens, taps the right picture and collects stars.
Read next
Brain breaks & movement
40 brain breaks for kids (no equipment)
Energisers and calm-downs of 1–3 minutes each, sorted by what they do — nothing to buy, nothing to print, desk-friendly options included.
- 7 min
Brain breaks & movement
Movement games for small classrooms and desk-bound kids
Real movement in a room with no room: corner games, seated challenges and rainy-day sets that don't knock over a single chair.
- 6 min
Brain breaks & movement
Two-minute energy boosters for the mid-lesson slump
The 20-minute slump is physiological. Quick wins, tempo switches and micro-competitions that refill the tank without derailing the plan.
- 4 min
Games by topic
Actions — English games for kids (online + printable)
Actions: 16 English words with pictures, 5 ready games and 4 printables for kids — flashcards, a poster, bingo and a worksheet. Free, no accounts.
- 5 min
Questions teachers ask
How often does a class need a brain break?
Roughly every ten minutes with five-year-olds and every fifteen to twenty with nine-year-olds — or the moment three children in a row stop looking at you, whichever comes first.
Can a brain break still teach English?
Yes, if the instructions are in English: jump, clap, turn around, touch your nose. The action verbs and body pack were built exactly for this, and the language goes in through the legs.
What about online lessons where nobody can move much?
Move what fits in the camera: hands, faces, shoulders, a stuffed toy fetched from another room. Eye-rest breaks — look away from the screen and name five things you see — work just as well.
More collections
Related resources
Presentation
Actions Vocabulary Presentation (Free PPT)
Free actions vocabulary presentation for ESL kids: 16 picture slides with audio, a quick check and a review grid. Present online or get PPT.
Presentation
At the Doctor Vocabulary Presentation
Free at the doctor vocabulary presentation for ESL kids: 14 picture slides with audio, a quick check and a review grid. Present online or get PPT.