Exercise Bands for the Classroom

All day long, teachers ask kids to sit in their chairs. It’s super helpful to, you know, be in a chair when you are learning reading, writing, and arithmetic at school, but the wiggles come out and cause some kids to fall out of their chairs (seriously, it’s happened). Let’s end the stagnation of just sitting.

Grab Your Supplies

This is a pretty easy list. To make this happen, round up the items listed below.

Desk or chair
Stretchy exercise bands
A strong set of arms and hands
Legs and feet that need to wiggle

Fun for Everyone

Wrap and stretch the bands around the front legs of the desk or chair. Most kiddos want the bands as tight as possible to get more bounce. The tied band can be rolled up or down the legs to give the student the support they are looking for.

Be the Cool Teacher

I mean, I know you already are, but let’s take it up a notch. When I got these bands in place for my students, they were so excited to come to my class. A few wanted them in their other classes (they were middle schoolers) and if the other teacher was cool with it, that’s just what happened. I even had a few parents who sent me emails asking what the cool bouncing thing on the desks was that their kid was talking about.

Increase Your Classroom Management

This really does help kids want to stay in their seats. The main reason they popped out of their desks was to reposition their bands to a more preferred spot. Once they got the height right, they were back in their spots. The chatty class also got quieter. I’m not a quiet teacher and I don’t expect my students to be whisper quiet. This seated but moving activity took their noise level down a notch without me even trying.