As stated by BrainFacts.org, “Brain breaks help children by replenishing attention, improving learning, and boosting creativity.” While some might fear that taking several breaks could lead to lazy, idle students, the results have shown the opposite. Students who take brain breaks in moderation have more energy to learn more.
These benefits really work as a cycle. Attention can be a huge struggle for young students. Because children have such limited attention spans, sitting through an hour-long class without zoning out can be a challenge. By taking short breaks at periodic intervals, younger students can refresh their attention well before taking in more classwork.
By “replenishing attention,” students are able to learn and retain more. Their academic progress will improve, and they’ll gain more from classes as a whole. In fact, a 2008 study even showed that taking time to potentially forget information can improve learning, as it helps students practice remembering, a useful skill as they continue through school and life.
And, of course, the more students learn and understand the world, the more inspired they become creatively. Brain breaks can boost creativity because by taking short breaks, tasks feel less daunting — including creative ones. This is true even for adults. Novelists, for instance, might struggle to write consistently for an hour, but thrive when they write for sets of fifteen minutes followed by five-minute breaks.
Brain breaks teach students that, in moderation, taking a break doesn’t mean “slacking off” or being lazy. Best of all, however, the science shows that these breaks will actually improve their development, both academically and socially.
