Written by: Abby de Riel

Welcome to WITS FIT BITS: short movement breaks that WITS Coaches lead throughout the school day to students in classrooms. Physical activity breaks during academic time are proven to help activate the brain, improve on-task behavior, and strengthen students’ ability to focus. From Be an Animal, where students demonstrate their creative animal movements, to Stretch and Move, where they safely explore their range of motion, we have been teaching these fun movement breaks for over a decade. 

Senior WITS Coach Kit Greenberg has now taught WITS FIT BITS for two school years to students from grades K–5. “I am so grateful to work alongside a passionate and dedicated team of WITS Coaches, spending the year teaching new WITS FIT BITS, playing new games, and emphasizing all aspects of physical and mental wellness,” Kit shared.

Below, she shares her students’ fan-favorite movement breaks and encourages readers of all ages to modify as needed and try them at home with family and friends! 

WITS FIT BIT: Four Corners 

Group Activity

Objective: Empower students to lead their peers through fun, strength-building exercises that promote resilience and teamwork. This game is a favorite among our students because it combines movement, imagination, and the chance to lead or play roles, turning exercise into a fun, active game. 

Preparation: Push chairs in and clear space around desks, or any other objects in the room to have enough walking space. WITS Coach (or selected leader) leads a 60-second warm-up with light cardio and stretching. Label the four corners of the room as A, B, C, and D. 

How to Play: 

1. Explain the rules to everyone. The WITS Coach/leader shares, “We’re going to play Four Corners! When I say go, you’ll have 10 seconds to quietly walk to a corner — A, B, C, or D. Once you’re there, you must stay put.” 
2. One student will come to the front with their eyes closed and count down from 10. Then, they’ll call out a corner (A, B, C, or D), and name an exercise (like squats, jumping jacks, or lunges). 
3. Everyone in the selected corner must complete the exercise, led by the student who called it out. Students in the other corners can choose to join in if they’d like! 
4. Repeat with new student leaders for each round.

WITS FIT BIT: Starfish Breathing

Solo or Group Activity 

Objective: Help students calm their minds and bodies through focused breathing and gentle movement. This activity is especially impactful for students because it gives them a simple, hands-on tool to manage big feelings, anytime, anywhere. 

Preparation: Students are seated comfortably at desks or standing with space to move their arms. Ask students to hold up one hand like a starfish — fingers spread wide. 

How to Play: 

1. Set the scene. The WITS Coach/leader shares, “We’re going to practice Starfish Breathing: a way to slow down, relax, and reset. You’ll use your hand like a map and your finger like a pencil.” 
2. Breathing sequence: Hold up one hand with fingers spread like a starfish. Use the pointer finger of your other hand to slowly trace the outline of your starfish hand. As you trace up a finger, breathe in through your nose. As you trace down the other side, breathe out through your mouth. Keep going finger by finger, breathing in going up and breathing out going down. Try to move slowly and match your breath to your tracing. Encourage students (or yourself) to close their eyes after a round if they feel comfortable, and trace their starfish in the air using imagination. 
3. Repeat 1–3 rounds, or as needed to calm down.