Heads Down, Thumbs Up

A classic classroom game that gets students engaged and keeps them guessing—who tagged their thumbs?

Moderate Break (2-5 mins)
Early Childhood, Lower Primary
Games and Sports

Instructions

1. Set the Scene

Ask all students to put their heads down on their desks, eyes closed, and thumbs up.

2. Choose the “Taggers”

Select 3-5 students to be the "taggers" and have them quietly walk around the room. Each tagger should gently tap one student's thumb.

3. The Big Reveal

After tagging, the taggers return to the front of the room. Tell everyone to raise their heads and put their thumbs down if they were tagged.

4. Guess Who!

Each student who was tagged tries to guess which tagger tapped them. If they guess correctly, they swap spots with the tagger, and the game begins again.

Added by:

BrainBreak Hub

Heads Down, Thumbs Up

A classic classroom game that gets students engaged and keeps them guessing—who tagged their thumbs?

Duration Moderate Break (2-5 mins)
Age Early Childhood, Lower Primary
Category Games and Sports
Updated 7 months ago

Still need a brain break? 🤔

Here are some others that you might like to try.

Balance and Coordination

Book Balance

Test your balance and poise with the ultimate book-balancing challenge!

Quick Break (1-2 mins) All Ages

Games and Sports

Rock Paper Scissors

Get moving with this energetic twist on the classic Rock, Paper, Scissors game—your whole body’s the tool!

Moderate Break (2-5 mins) Lower Primary, Upper Primary

Mindfulness and Breathing

Belly Breathing

A calming exercise to help kids relax and focus with deep belly breaths.

Moderate Break (2-5 mins) All Ages

Can't decide? Try a random activity instead!