Take a Family Break

Sometimes you need to take a quick break to help calm down and give your brain an opportunity to reset. That's exactly what WXXI's Family Breaks are!

WXXI partnered with University of Rochester Medical Center's Dr. Elizabeth Murray to create this series of Family Breaks - short, brain breaks that show grownups and kids how to de-stress and play quick games inside (or outside!). 

These special Family Breaks can be seen on WXXI-TV and WXXI KIDS 24/7 channels, as well as right here. WXXI Education has also pulled together some additional resources (below each video) in case you'd like to try some more connected activities. Check them out!

WXXI and Dr. Murray also created a sample set of Daily Routine Ideas to help you plan your day - check those out, too!

Stretching | Belly Breathing | Go on a Color Hunt | Counting Game | Freeze Dance | I Spy | Storytelling | Build a Fort | Watch the Full Playlist

Stretching:

More resources:

• Activity: Be a Cat, Be a Tree (from Arthur)
• Activity: Workout Time (from Arthur)
• Article: Why Yoga and Kids Go Together (from PBS Parents)
• Video: Fireflies Musical Yoga (from Kira Wiley, PBS LearningMedia)

Belly Breathing:

More resources:

• Article: What is Belly Breathing? (from PBS Parents)
• Video: Learn to Belly Breathe with Rosita (from Sesame Street)
• Video: Belly Breathe Song with Elmo (from Sesame Street)
• Video: Belly Breathingn Song (from Esme & Roy)

Go on a Color Hunt:

More resources:

• Song: Colors (from PBS KIDS)
• Song: The More Colors That You Eat (from The Weepies)
• Video: Mixing Colors (from PBS LearningMedia)
• Activity: Counting Colors (from PBS Parents)
• Activity: Spring & Fall Color Wheel (from PBS Parents)

Counting Game: 

More resources:

• Activity:Count Your Chickens (from Peg + Cat)
• Activity: Walk the Number Line (from PBS Parents)
• Activity: Count it with Blocks (from PBS Parents)
• Activity: Count Ladybug Spots (from PBS Parents)

Play Freeze Dance:

More resources:

• Article: 7 Music Games to Help Kids Stop, Think, Act (from PBS Parents)
• Activity: Do the Elmo Slide (from Sesame Street)
• Activity: Animal Moves (from Everyday Learning)
• Song: Silly Shoes (from Mr. Steve)

Play I Spy:

More resources:

• Activity: I Spy...a Match! Sensory Bag (from PBS Parents)
• Activity: Play I Spy with a Rhyming Twist (from PBS Parents)
• Activity: I Spy Rainbow Bottle (from PBS Parents)

Storytelling: 

More resources:

• Activity: Play a Storytelling Game (from PBS Parents/Xavier Riddle)
• Article: Host Storytime at Home (from PBS Parents)
• Activity: Peg + Cat Puppet Theatre (from Peg + Cat)
• Video: What is Storytelling? (from Young Explorers)

Build a Fort:

More resources:

• Activity: Camp Out with Newspaper Forts (from PBS Parents)
• Video: Fort fun (from PBS KIDS)
• Activity: Planning and Building a Structure for a Favorite Toy (from PBS Parents)
• Article: Wonder, Observer, Experiment: Building Science Skills (from PBS Parents)

Watch the full Family Breaks playlist: 

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