Brain Breaks Part 35: Doodle Dash

If you don’t feel like reading this and you’d rather me “talk you through” this Brain Break, just watch this YouTube Vlog instead! Make sure to come back here and grab your freebie after!

One of the magical things about presenting and sharing about Brain Breaks are the awesome ideas I get from teachers like YOU! 

A couple of years ago at CI in the Mitten, (Which by the way, I get to be the KEYNOTE this year!!! It is in April, and you should TOTALLY come!), I was chatting with an amazing teacher named Ireland. She shared that one of her favorite brain breaks is just to allow her HS students 60 seconds of DOODLE time. Then, afterwards, those who want to share their doodles can, and they have great conversations afterwards in the Target Language. 

It was that conversation that inspired this Brain Break! 

Doodle Dash

I call this Doodle Dash, and it is SO fun because each Doodle is different and unique to each student in your room!

I first shared this freebie with my email list back in November 2023 (and somehow never blogged about it… oops!), but today is the day I am finally getting around to that! Grab this TEN-PAGE FREEBIE to use with your students whenever you’re looking for a more chill, creative Brain Break! 

How to Play Doodle Dash

  1. Pick a page from the freebie and print out JUST that page.
  2. Make enough copies so each student gets ONE square. (There are four doodles to a page so if you have a class of 24 kids you’ll make 6 copies)
  3. Cut out the squares (super quick) and keep them handy for when it’s Brain Break time.
  4. When it’s time for a break, hand out a square to each student and set a timer for 30-60 seconds.
  5. Students transform that dizzy doodle into a masterpiece!
  6. When the timer goes off, pencils down!

Here’s what some of my students did last year. You can see it was the same initial doodle but each student took a different approach to bringing it to life with their imagination! 

What’s Next?!?

The possibilities are endless, but here are a few of my favorite follow-ups:

  • Walk and Talk: If students only spent 30 seconds doodling, have them stand up and rotate around the room, holding their doodles in front of them while they admire other’s creativity! Play some music and let them chat! (No it doesn’t have to be in the TL! Remember, this is 30 seconds! It is ok if you hear English! It is a Brain Break!) 
  • Doodle Swap– Have students swap doodles with someone or pass doodles until the music stops and when it does stop, challenge them to write a sentence (or more… you know what your classes are capable of) about the doodle they received. You can collect these afterwards as little exit tickets or literally for the recycle bin!
  • Doc Cam Spotlight! Collect the doodles, showcase a few on the doc camera, and chat about them in the target language—Possibilities are endless here for teachers who focus on acquisition driven instruction! Whole stories can be made using these doodles! 
  • Class Competition! Keep a favorite doodle from each class and at the end of the day, declare the best doodle of the day for bonus class points towards their fiesta!

Download This Activity

Want to try Doodle Dash with your students? Download this easy peasy freebie and have FUN!

As always, I hope this Brain Break brings as much laughter, creativity, and engagement to your classroom as it has to mine! If you try it, tag me on social media (@lamaestraloca) or shoot me an email—I’d LOVE to see what your students create!

Happy Teaching and Happy Doodling!

Joyfully yours, La Maestra Loca ??