Key Stage 1 (Years 1 & 2) Learn Programme - Brilliant Brain-breaks - A Focussed Fielder - Cool Counter

Sep 15, 2026

Cricket-themed movement activities for Key Stage 1 support gross and fine motor skills, visual tracking, core strength, posture, and readiness to learn within short 2–5 minute routines. The programme includes interactive starter brain-breaks such as yoga poses adapted for cricket fielding, coordinated catching and fielding actions, beanbag challenges, and balance tasks using lines or ropes. It also integrates active numeracy sessions with counting and measurement links, using balloon counting and team relay games with number symbols to solve simple one-step problems.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryExam

FormatPDF

Pages238

Reading Time10 h 0 min

AccessFree to download

Brilliant Brain-breaks Overview

A Focussed Fielder

Coo l Counter

Balloon Ball Counting

Rocket Relay

Run Chase

Produced in partnership with: | Session 1 of 6 | | --- | | Key Stage 1 (Years 1 & 2) | | Learn Programme | National Curriculum link:“Teachers should ensure that their teaching develops pupils’ oral vocabulary as well as their ability to understand and use a variety of grammatical structures.” Handwriting: Pupils should be taught to sit correctly at a table. In order to do this, pupils need a strong core which is developed through many of these activities. | Brilliant
Brain-breaks
Overview
Children are designed to move – so let them move to learn with these interactive cricket themed starter activities to develop GROSS and FINE motor skills to prepare pupils for learning in the classroom. These activities are designed to take around 2-5 minutes each.
These activities can be done in sequence when first introducing them. Once pupils become familiar with them they can be used asa ‘brain-break’ at any time of the day. However, the ‘brilliant’ thing about these brain-breaks is they are all linked to supporting pupils‘readiness to learn’.
Activities can be done in the classroom to ensure minimum disruption to teaching time. These activities also help to develop visual tracking which is so important for reading and writing. | | --- | | A Focussed Fielder
| Yoga pose adapted to correct fielding stance for cricket. Hold crouched position. LH/RH alternate slow punching action forwards. Produced in partnership with: D Coordination Catcher Key Stage 1 (Years 1 & 2) Learn Programme National Curriculum link:“Teachers should ensure that their teaching develops pupils’ oral vocabulary as well as their ability to understand and use a variety of grammatical structures.” Handwriting: Pupils should be taught to sit correctly at a table. In order to do this, pupils need a strong core which is developed through many of these activities. Individual activities that can be done at or around the desk in the classroom. What can you do with a beanbag? Can you… • Walk around your desk with a beanbag on your head? • Jump? • Twist around? • Kneel down and stand up again, or sit down? • Pass a beanbag around your body from hand-to-hand? • Throw and catch with both hands, then one hand? • Throw the beanbag in the air, clap your hands once, and catch it? Now try clapping your hands twice, then three times, and so on. How high can you go? • Throw, touch the ground, catch? • Throw, turnaround (and touch the ground), catch? • Throw the beanbag up, jump and try to catch it? Jump twice. Jump three times! • Throw; clap, cross touch shoulders, touch head, touch knees, nose, then catch? How many actions can you do before catching? Invent some more challenges. Try throwing it up and catching it with your eyes closed? • Catch the beanbag by bending forward and reaching between the legs? • Stand astride, place beanbag on head, tilt forward and catch it when it drops? These activities could be built into a daily routine where pupils learn to control the bean bag, add different levels of challenge and get creative to enhance their learning even further. Produced in partnership with: E Wicketkeeper Walker Key Stage 1 (Years 1 & 2) Learn Programme National Curriculum link:“Teachers should ensure that their teaching develops pupils’ oral vocabulary as well as their ability to understand and use a variety of grammatical structures.” Handwriting: Pupils should be taught to sit correctly at a table. In order to do this, pupils need a strong core which is developed through many of these activities. Walk feet towards hands; hands remain still and then walk away from feet – feet remain still. Repeat. F Boundary Balancer Pupils find a line or rope to walk along – heel to toe. Feel tummy working to keep you straight and tall (core and posture). Challenge 1: Do this whilst balancing beanbag on head. Challenge 2: Change direction. Challenge 3: Pick up an object from floor. Produced in part

FAQs

What is the purpose of the cricket-themed “Brilliant Brain-breaks” activities?

They help children move to learn by developing gross and fine motor skills, visual tracking, and readiness to learn in short bursts.

How long do the brain-break activities usually take?

Each activity is designed to take around 2–5 minutes.

What numeracy skills are practiced in the “Cool Counter” session?

The session focuses on active numeracy games supporting confidence and mental fluency with whole numbers and counting, including addition and subtraction, plus simple one-step problems.

Sep 15, 2026

Uploaded by Emma Wilson