Brain Gym at Home: Simple Movement Breaks to Help Your Child Focus

Any parent who has tried to get a wriggly, restless child to sit down and concentrate knows the truth: bodies and brains work together. When a child has been sitting still for too long, is anxious about a task, or is simply full of energy, no amount of "just focus" will get them there. What often helps far more is a short, playful movement break.

That is the idea behind Brain Gym, a programme of simple physical movements developed by Breakthroughs International. I'm trained in Brain Gym and I weave these little movements into my tutoring sessions — and they're just as easy for parents to use at home. They take a minute or two, need no equipment, and give children a gentle way to reset before or during learning.

What is Brain Gym?

Brain Gym is a set of easy, whole-body movements designed to help children feel more settled, coordinated and ready to learn. Think of them less as "exercises" and more as playful little rituals — a way to shake off restlessness, release nervous energy, and help a child arrive at their homework calm and present rather than frazzled.

Many parents and teachers find that a short movement break before a tricky task makes a real difference to how willing and focused a child is. It won't replace teaching a concept properly, but it can turn a "I can't do this" mood into a "okay, let's try" one — and that shift is often half the battle.

5 Brain Gym movements to try with your child

Here are a few of my favourites. Do them with your child — turning them into a shared game works far better than issuing instructions from across the room. Keep it light and fun.

1. The Cross Crawl

Standing up, have your child touch their right hand (or elbow) to their raised left knee, then their left hand to their right knee — marching slowly on the spot. Repeat for about a minute. This gentle cross-body marching is a lovely wake-up before reading or Maths, and children usually think it's funny.

2. Brain Buttons

Ask your child to rest one hand on their tummy and, with the other hand, gently rub the two little dips just below the collarbone. A slow, silly moment that helps a fidgety child settle and "switch on" before they sit down.

3. Lazy 8s

In the air (or big on a page), draw a sideways figure-8 — a lying-down number eight — slowly and smoothly, following the movement with the eyes. Do a few with each hand, then both together. Great for children who are about to read or write and need to steady their eyes and hand.

4. Hook-ups

For a child who is upset, anxious or over-excited: cross the ankles, cross the wrists and clasp the hands, then breathe slowly for a minute. It looks like a cosy tangle and it helps a child calm down and re-centre — perfect before a test or after a meltdown.

5. Sip some water

The simplest one of all. A few sips of water is part of the Brain Gym routine, because a hydrated, comfortable child concentrates better than a thirsty, tired one. Keep a glass nearby during homework.

When to use them at home

• Before homework — to switch from "play mode" into "focus mode"
• Mid-task — when frustration is building and a break will do more than pushing on
• After school — to shake off a long day before sitting down again
• Before a test or reading aloud — to steady nerves and settle the body

You don't need to do all five, and you don't need to do them perfectly. Pick one or two your child enjoys, keep them short, and let them become a friendly little habit rather than another thing to nag about.

Movement plus support

Brain Gym is a wonderful helper — but it works best alongside patient, personalised teaching that fills the actual gaps in a child's understanding. In my tutoring I use these movements to help children arrive ready to learn, and then we do the real work of rebuilding confidence and skills, one small win at a time.