Printable Brain Break Cards PDF

Press Print 12 cards for one sheet of brain break cards, with how to run each on the back.

Knee drum

Tap or click the card to see the answer.

What is on this card?

Show only

Next step Pick a brain break at random with a timer Make cards from your own activities

All 48 cards

Move 12

Ceiling painter Hold a pretend roller in both hands and paint the ceiling above your desk with 20 long strokes.
Gear change March on the spot in first gear and speed up each time the leader calls second, third or fourth, then drop back to first.
Giant, then tiny Take 10 huge slow steps on the spot, then 10 tiny quick ones, and do both again.
Jump your name Spell your first name aloud with one small jump for each letter, then do the same for your last name.
Knee drum Stand with your knees bent and drum your hands on your thighs, 20 slow beats and then 20 fast ones.
Lighthouse turn Stand, hold one arm straight out and turn once around in 10 slow counts, then turn back the other way.
Orbit your desk Stand up and walk three laps around your own desk one way and three laps the other way, without touching it.
Puddle hops Jump from side to side over a pretend puddle beside your desk 10 times, landing softly each time.
Step and tap Step to the right and tap your left foot beside it, then step left and tap, 20 times to a steady beat.
Stone hopping Step, stretch and hop across 10 pretend stepping stones around your desk without landing in the river.
Swim on the spot Stand and swim with your arms: 10 strokes of front crawl, 10 of backstroke and 10 of breaststroke.
Twenty rungs March on the spot and reach up hand over hand as if climbing a ladder, counting 20 rungs aloud.

Stretch 12

Big X stretch Stand with feet wide and arms up and out like a big letter X, stretch to your fingertips for 10 counts, relax and repeat.
Butterfly elbows Put your fingertips on your shoulders and bring your elbows together in front, then wide apart, 10 slow times.
Curtain arms Put your palms together in front of you, sweep both arms wide open like curtains for 3 counts and close them again, 8 times.
Giraffe neck Sit tall, let your shoulders drop and stretch the top of your head toward the ceiling for 10 counts, three times.
Hug yourself Wrap your arms around your shoulders in a big hug for 5 counts, then swap which arm is on top, four times.
Nod, turn, tilt Slowly nod your head 3 times for yes, turn it 3 times for no and tilt it to each side 3 times for maybe.
Piano fingers Rest both hands on the desk and play a pretend piano, lifting each finger high in turn, up the keys and back down.
Sunrise arms Stand and lift both arms out and up like a rising sun for 5 counts, then lower them for 5, four times.
Tall, then small Rise slowly onto tiptoe with your arms up for 5 counts, then sink into a small ball for 5, four times.
Tiptoe shelf reach Stand on tiptoe and reach one hand to a high pretend shelf, then the other, for 10 slow reaches.
Towel twist Stand with your arms out and twist gently to the left for 5 counts and to the right for 5, four times.
Wiper arms Hold both forearms up in front of you and swing them from side to side together like wipers, 10 slow swipes and 10 fast.

Think 12

A to Z of the room Find something you can see that starts with A, then B, then C, and count how far down the alphabet the class gets in one minute.
Backwards quiz The leader gives an answer, such as 12 or blue; write a question it could be the answer to, and share a few.
Draw the sound The leader makes a sound, such as a tap, a hum or a clap; draw one line on scrap paper that shows how it sounded.
Five-letter zoo On scrap paper, write one animal for each of the letters A, B, C, D and E before the leader counts down from 30.
Guess the time Without looking at a clock, write down what time you think it is, then check who came closest.
Invent a word Make up a word nobody has heard, write it down with its meaning, and read it out if the leader calls on you.
Letters in the date Write today's day and month in words, count the letters and see whether the class agrees on the total.
Say the opposite The leader says a word such as hot, up or early, and the class answers together with its opposite, for 10 words.
Shoe inventor Think of three things a shoe could be used for besides wearing, and tell the class your best one.
Silent count The leader names one thing, such as windows or chairs; everyone counts it silently and shows the number on their fingers on three.
Ten-line house On scrap paper, draw a house using exactly 10 straight lines, then compare houses with a neighbor.
Two-word sentence The leader says two words that do not go together, such as moon and sandwich; write one sentence that uses both.

Partner 12

Alphabet for two Say the alphabet with your partner, one letter each, as fast as you can without a slip, then let the other partner start.
Flamingo pair Face your partner, both stand on one leg, and count aloud together to see whether you can both reach 20.
Likes that match With a partner, find three things you both like and one thing only one of you likes, in one minute.
Matching steps Walk on the spot beside your partner and match your steps exactly for 20 counts, then speed up together.
Partner praise Turn to your partner and each say one kind and true thing about the other's work this week.
Pencil pass Stand an arm's length from your partner and pass one pencil back and forth 20 times, using a different hand each time.
Secret shapes Each partner secretly draws a circle, a square or a triangle; show on three and score a point for each match in five tries.
Spell it together Pick a word from the board and spell it aloud with your partner, one letter each, then pick a longer one.
Story of my week One partner tells a true story about something from this week in 20 seconds, and then the partners swap.
Swap the view Swap seats with your partner for one minute and tell each other one thing you can see from there that you cannot see from your own seat.
Ten-count high five Face your partner and bring your hands together for a high five that takes 10 full counts to land.
Your line, my line Share one sheet of scrap paper and take turns adding one line each to a drawing, without talking, for one minute.

How it works

These printable brain break cards come in four sets of 12: Move, Stretch, Think and Partner. Each front is the activity's name and each back says how to run it. None needs more than scrap paper and a pencil.

Read the full guide

Print a set, cut and keep

1. The page opens on the Move set. For Stretch, Think or Partner, pick the set under Show only. 2. Press Print 12 cards (1 sheet, both sides): fronts on one page, backs on the next, every row mirrored. 3. Print on both sides, flipped on the long edge, cut along the lines, and clip the cards to a ring or drop them in a jar.

Save the cards as a PDF

Press the same link and choose Save as PDF in the print window. Print 12 labels (1 sheet, one side) gives the names alone, for a draw-a-card jar.

No two-sided printer? Print 12 fold-over cards puts each back beside its front, to cut and fold.
For one break picked at random with a timer, use the fun brain breaks page.

Questions and answers

What are brain break cards?

Small cards with one short classroom activity each. Someone draws a card, reads the back, and the class does it. This deck has 48: 12 that move, 12 that stretch, 12 that take thinking and 12 for partners.

Are these free brain breaks printables?

Yes. Printing is free, with no sign-up and no limit on copies. Each set of 12 fits one sheet of Letter or A4.

How do I print all 48 brain break cards?

Choose All under Show only, then press Print 48 cards. All 48 take 4 sheets of paper printed on both sides.

Do the cards need any equipment?

No. Think and Partner cards use scrap paper and a pencil at most, and the Move and Stretch cards are done standing or sitting beside a desk.