Movement as a Tool for Learning: 3 Effective Strategies
- Brittany Hayes
- Mar 27
- 6 min read
We often associate movement-based learning with younger grades, but why stop there? Shifting students out of their seats and into motion isn’t just about keeping them entertained—it changes their mindset, boosts engagement, and encourages collaboration. While movement strategies are common in Division 1 and 2, they're just as valuable in Division 3, pushing students out of their comfort zones and engaging their whole bodies in learning. In a world where so many online tools rely on quick-hit rewards to capture attention, movement brings learning back to something tangible—rooted in real interactions, peer-to-peer connection, and genuine excitement.
Of course, movement in the classroom doesn’t mean chaos. It takes intentionality, clear expectations, and thoughtful structuring to make it work. Here are three simple ways to integrate movement effectively into any grade level:
1. Task Card Search: A Scavenger Hunt for Learning
Instead of handing out a worksheet, turn learning into a scavenger hunt. Post questions, problems, or prompts around the room, and have students move with a partner to answer them. This approach naturally builds collaboration and keeps students engaged as they move from one task to the next.
How to Set It Up:
Before starting, define what good collaboration looks like, feels like, and sounds like.
Provide each pair with a clipboard and a recording sheet. Ensure they have an opportunity to each be the notetaker.
Set a clear time limit with a common goal of the amount of work that should be able to be accomplished during the given time
Move around the room, listen to discussions, and celebrate strong collaboration when you see it.
Pro Tip: If space is limited, use the perimeter of the room or even take the activity into the hallway or outside for a fresh change of scenery.
I love using a task card search as a review or check-in for a math lesson. I incorporate questions that are at grade level, word problems or slightly higher-order thinking and strategically pair students based on confidence and leadership skills. It’s incredible to watch them work together, show their thinking on recording sheets, and engage in meaningful conversations about their learning. This activity naturally fosters collaboration while allowing me to circulate and observe their problem-solving in action.
I have also used it as a writing tool during ELA, where sentence stems are posted around the room about the read-aloud book we are studying. Students collaborate with their partner to complete each sentence using text evidence to support their thinking, reinforcing comprehension and discussion skills in an active way.
2. Partner Pair-Up, Share-Up: Think-Pair-Share on the Move
Students move around the room while music plays, and when it stops, they pair up by high fiving with the closest classmate to share their thoughts. Whether they’re giving peer feedback, answering review questions, or discussing a writing idea, this quick and easy strategy gets students thinking, talking, and moving.
How to Set It Up:
Establish clear expectations (no running, no following specific friends, be open to all partners).
Do a quick visual sweep while students are pairing to quickly support anyone without a partner or to separate a pairing that has already been together.
Once the music stops, allow just enough time for a meaningful conversation before resetting and repeating. Provide an early finishers conversation task on the board (can be getting to know you or topic related).
Model and discuss what good discussions sound like before starting (perhaps even having sentence stems visible on the board).
This strategy not only energizes students but also builds comfort in sharing with different classmates.
Think-Pair-Share is one of my favorite quick warm-up activities. For example, students once found a quote that resonated with them, and we did three partner rotations to share why it was meaningful. Before the activity started, I let the class know that at the end I would be asking them to share a quote chosen by another classmate that they thought was intriguing to build in accountability to active listening and engagement.
Another class, I had students write a review question from the previous lesson utilizing their classwork and circulate to test each other, swapping sticky questions before moving to a new partner (quiz-quiz-trade from Kagan strategies). These activities are simple yet powerful in encouraging discussion, deepening understanding, and making learning feel dynamic.
3. Station Rotations: Structured, Collaborative Movement
Stations aren’t just for elementary classrooms! Setting up rotating stations keeps students engaged while allowing them to work collaboratively on different tasks. A station might include a writing task, a math problem, or a reading discussion—whatever fits your lesson.
How to Set It Up:
Organize tables into groups and have a task visible at each station.
Use a visible timer to keep rotations moving smoothly.
Teach and reinforce transition procedures: tuck in chairs, reset materials, move efficiently.
Display a visual on the board so students know where to rotate next.
Start with a longer timer and gradually shorten it as students become more efficient.
Have an early finishers task established prior to beginning to ensure students don't have an opportunity to be pulled off task.
For stations, I’ve used different geographical maps at each table group with two guiding questions, requiring students to collaborate, analyze the maps, and record their observations before working together to answer the questions. Another time, we applied the same approach to a crime scene analysis—students had to examine evidence, make connections, and draw conclusions as a team. These station-based activities bring learning to life, encouraging teamwork, critical thinking, and engagement in a way that traditional seatwork simply can’t match.
Addressing Common Concerns: "What If Students Don’t Stay on Task?"
One common hesitation with movement-based learning is the fear that students will take advantage of the freedom. And sure, if left unchecked, some students might see movement time as a chance to wander. The key? Active circulation, build in a layer of accountability and clear expectations of what the activity will look like but also what it will not look like..
Be hands-on and visible. I guide transitions with verbal cues every time we move, regardless of the amount of times we have completed the activity: "Stand up, tuck in your chairs, reset your table for the next group, and show me you're ready to move. Ready, and, rotate."
Keep students accountable by incorporating a task that can be checked at the end (e.g., note-taking during a gallery walk, completed problems in a station rotation).
If movement starts becoming unproductive, don't be afraid to stop it all together. Have a class conversation about expectations, adjust, and try again the next day.
I once ran the exact same station rotation activity with two different classes back to back. One class was a dream—every student was engaged, collaborating, and there was a buzz of learning you could feel in the room. The other? A complete train wreck. I had set up the activities exactly the same, but for whatever reason, the students and the physical space of the second group just couldn’t handle the freedom that day. I stopped the activity altogether, sent students back to their desks, and we worked through the stations together as a class. I explained the opportunity for learning they were missing and shared my disappointment, but I didn’t give up on trying again.
The reality is, movement-based learning won’t always go as planned—but instead of seeing it as a failure, use those moments to identify areas of weakness for that group and build on them. The next time a movement opportunity came up, we set common goals for what we could do differently—and this time, they showed me they could handle it.
Why Movement Matters in Today's Classrooms
In a recent episode of the Armchair Expert podcast, social psychologist Jonathan Haidt discussed the impact of gamification on students' attention spans. He highlighted that while gamified educational tools can make learning more engaging, they may also lead to desensitization to dopamine release, potentially fragmenting students' attention over time.
This is why in-person, grounded movement strategies are so important. They bring students into the present moment, increase engagement naturally, and develop excitement for learning without relying on the quick pleasure mechanisms we see in many online learning resources. By integrating movement into daily lessons, we create an environment where students can be fully immersed in learning, actively participating rather than passively consuming content.
Try It Tomorrow!
If you’re looking to dip your toes into movement-based learning, start small. Try a simple gallery walk where students borrow ideas from peers using sticky notes. Collect the notes at the end, looking for two or three strong takeaways per student.
Ready to go bigger? Swap out a worksheet for a task card search. Have students walk around with clipboards, answering questions in pairs while discussing what great collaboration looks like. Circulate, listen in, and celebrate strong teamwork.
Movement in the classroom doesn’t have to be overwhelming. With structure, intention and accountability, it transforms learning from passive to active, creating an environment where students are engaged both mentally and physically. Give it a try and watch the energy shift in your classroom!
Ponder This:
We would love for you to share your answers in the comments or simply take a moment to reflect yourself:
How do your current strategies for fostering collaboration reflect your strengths as an educator, and how can movement build on those strengths to deepen student engagement?
In what ways do you already create an environment where students feel comfortable stepping out of their comfort zones, and how can you integrate movement to make that space even more dynamic?
Reflecting on past successes in your classroom, how have you used student-centered activities to increase engagement? How might adding movement to your approach amplify these moments of connection and learning?
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