People need brain breaks to work and learn at their optimal levels. These games take fewer than 3 minutes to play, yet pack a wallop of learning without ever saying so.
Before an instructional block transition, a teacher says, “Put your reading away, take out your math, and then come to the circle for a quick game.” The teacher begins coaching the game after about 30 seconds. The kids who are ready join the circle. The rest finish their tasks and join as they are ready.