Using our noodle to GoNoodle!

I’m teaming up with GoNoodle and a bunch of other amazing bloggers to share our favorite things about GoNoodle! Make sure you read all the way to the end, because there will be a surprise waiting for you!

I’m pretty sure I couldn’t survive the day without all the AMAZING content that GoNoodle has to offer! We use GoNoodle to help us navigate through those tough transition times of day!

We LOVE to get our day started with “I Get Loose” by KooKoo Kangaroo! This was the first song I played on the first day of school this year and it kind of just stuck since then as “our song”! The kiddos have some crazy moves to help get the blood flowing for the day of learning ahead.

*One tip to add here: Beginning on the first day of school, I teach my students that as soon as a GoNoodle activity/dance/exercise is over, they need to sit down as quietly as possible on the carpet. I do this for two reasons, one so that I can go on with our next activity quickly, and two, so that if they do sit down quietly, I can reward them with yet another GoNoodle activity!*

We will often use a video that I’ve uploaded to GoNoodle from YouTube to help make the transition from our Literacy Work Stations, to cleaning up, to getting back to the carpet. I play an alphabet song or one of the AirTime activities and it just draws everyone to the carpet. It really helps speed cleaning up along, so we are getting more learning time in!

We also use a brain break just before Writer’s Workshop. I tend to find that my kiddos are better listeners when they have had a few minutes to get some wiggles out! We usually throw in “Get Yo’ Body Movin'” or “Energy” from Fresh Start to help get the blood pumping and the extra energy out! A few minutes spent on a great brain break equals about 20-25 minutes of really great, focused working time! A huge payback for a little investment! :)

There are some days when we have Specials classes where not lots of movement happens, so I like to have my kiddos do a more energetic brain break just before leaving to go there so they can focus on that work as well.

Another transition time where GoNoodle really comes in handy is at the end of the day. We have Discovery Centers, where the children pick what centers they would like to play/socialize at. Some take a bit longer to clean up than others, so putting on a brain break gives those sweet kiddos who were at the computers something to do while we wait on our friends who played with our HexBugs or in our Home Living area! The kiddos each get their backpacks and come right to the carpet.

This is the time of day when I like to try out new brain breaks. Everyone is a little more chilled out and sharing something new with them, just peps them up a little before going home! No matter when we finish a brain break, they all know to sit right down so we can get started on the next thing!

Who can forget about the Champ Certificates?!?! Last year, we printed off 15 of those bad boys! :) This year, we’ve already maxed out 3 silly champs and are close to number 4!

Now how about some GoNoodle Swag for you and your kiddos??? GoNoodle is letting each of us giveaway a special prize to one lucky winner!!

I get to giveaway 25 of these COOL Eraselets!! They’re super fun bracelets that double as an eraser!! How fun is that??? And they are complete with some of your favorite GoNoodle Champs!!

All you have to do to win is leave a comment on THIS post! I’ll pick a winner on September 11th!

There’s MORE great news too!! Just for all of you lucky teachers out there, GoNoodle has given all of us a special code to use in the GoNoodle Shop to save 15% off everything!! Use the code BTSwithGoNoodle to save! This code is valid from September 4th-September 11th, 2015.

Leave your comments and I’ll pick that winner on September 11th!

Be sure to check out GoNoodle’s blog to read LOTS of other ways teachers are using GoNoodle in their classrooms too!