Move around

#movement#activity#exercise#play#physical activity

The body asks for movement, but the moment asks for sitting still. The visual support below offers short, concrete ways to shift the energy — jumping, stretching, rocking — so a brief break carries further than five seconds by the desk.

A cartoon girl in a blue top and purple pants running or moving quickly, with bent arms and a happy expression. Motion lines indicate speed.

♀

Move around

A cartoon girl in a blue top and purple pants running or moving quickly, with bent arms and a happy expression. Motion lines indicate speed.

About this visual support

There is a threshold where concentration runs out because the body needs to shift. Classrooms, sofas and kitchen tables mostly demand the opposite — sit still, stay quiet, keep going — and the short breaks rarely last long enough to truly reset the system.

A visual menu of movement gives small motor actions that actually fit a tight space: ten high jumps, eight bear steps, twenty seconds of wall push, a round of press-ups against the table edge. A practical tip is to let the child pick the card themselves — choice becomes part of the regulation. The motor impulse wants to be acknowledged, not overruled, and the autonomy in choosing lowers resistance the next time a pause is needed. For children with high movement needs, common with ADHD, the visual support becomes a way to prevent rather than extinguish a build-up.

If the movement breaks should sit inside the school day or homework hour, the steps can be added to the Routined app, where they trigger on time or at transitions.