Mr. Giso's Room to Read's Bright Idea #4

Make Your Own Fidget Basket and Get a Set of Brain Break Sticks!

This post is about two great ideas in one!  The best ideas are often the ones borrowed.  I came across the concept of a Fidget Basket from reading the blog by the Lesson Plan SOS Teachers this weekend.  The whole idea is to provide students with a chance to hold something in order to get out their "fidgets" in an appropriate manner instead of playing with their pencils, erasers, rulers and all the other fun stuff we take away from them during the school day!  I think this will work perfectly for my fist graders this year.  The Lesson Plan SOS Teachers explain how to model the basket's use and how to set the appropriate parameters.  This year, this neat tool will provide my wigglers the outlet they need to deal with a sensory overload and a case of the fidgets.  

I took my two dogs, Winston and Toby, on a hunt this Saturday to find things for my basket.  They love a good car ride--especially when it means they are not left home in their crates!  Check out my finds.

Here you see some eye masks with fun beads and jelly to squish around, baby teething rings, those squishy creatures, balls filled with glitter, pool toys, some neglected dog toys (cleaned of course) and bath sponges--all of different textures.  I hit up every dollar store in the Northshore.

Here is the complete Fidget Basket, and here is me getting out my Back to School anxiety by using one of the Fidgets--it really works!

The next idea I got was to make a set of Brain Breaks.  These were very easy to do.  I just printed them out, cut them and glued them to Popsicle sticks.  When my students need a Brain Break, I will just grab a stick and do the quick activity the stick names.  This item comes with directions for completing each of the Brain Breaks like "Tickle Torture," "Fold it Up," and "Crab Roll."  When we need to make a transition from one activity to the next, or when I look out and I have half of my first graders attention, I plan to put a Brain Break to work!  

To read about the blog entry on both of these "Bright Ideas" simply click here.  To get your hands on the materials and directions to make both of these new additions to my classroom visit the Lesson Plan SOS Teacher's TpT store by clicking here.  Here's one last pic of the sticks I was able to make from this great resource!

Let me know how these work out in your classroom.  I look forward to sending an update about using them once my school year starts.