Let Kids Enjoy SILLY MINUTES to De-stress

Open up a pop-up book and tell the class that the character you’re showing is proud of the poems it writes! A peacock who writes poems? That’s silly!

Hi and welcome back to Attentionology for K – 5 Teachers!

Holiday season activities, immediately past and coming soon, can add to attention problems for students, especially kids who are under stress.

Catch your class’ attention and help relieve stress by inviting students to enjoy SILLY MINUTES.

Start a set of SILLY MINUTES this way…

Surprise everyone by interrupting yourself on purpose, in the middle of a sentence (at a time that suits your schedule, of course).

Glance at the classroom clock and announce in a theatrical voice, “Oh, it’s time for SILLY MINUTES! We must stop what we’re doing for now and pick it up later, after we’ve gotten silly.”

Some children will begin to laugh, but ALL eyes will be on you. Scoot to the board in front of the class and write the words SILLY MINUTES in all capital letters.

Tell the class that you’ve capitalized the words SILLY MINUTES to show how important they are.

Plan your own SILLY MINUTE activities. Be creative.

Make more kids laugh by opening up a pop-up book and telling the class that the character you’re showing is proud of the poems it writes!

A peacock who writes poems? That’s silly!

Entertain your students by making up a funny name for other poets you pretend to be quoting and share some silly poems.

In English, you might use a name like Ida B. Gonenow. Tell the class that Ida has a cousin, Ima G. Neverreddy.  Explain that Ida and Ima love to complain and get silly.

Read a silly rhyme or two, like…

What Time is It?

I’ve got a hunch,

it should be time for lunch.

Wish we could ditch the math for candy,

and enjoy some crunch, crunch, crunch!

How else can you let kids enjoy SILLY MINUTES to de-stress? (more…)