65 Thanksgiving Brain Break Slides | Activities & Bell Ringers for Middle & High

Turn holiday chaos into calm and connection in your Upper Primary, Middle or High classroom with 65 Thanksgiving Brain Break Slides - your go-to toolkit for quick, purposeful activities that refocus students and build community.

Each slide is designed to transform those tricky transition moments into opportunities for reflection, laughter, and learning. Far from “just chats,” these activities integrate SEL, communication, and critical thinking skills, giving students a chance to connect meaningfully while strengthening focus, empathy, and belonging.

What’s included with these Thanksgiving Brain Break Slides

• Sixty-five ready-to-use slides organised into five engaging categories:
  • 14 Quick Debates
    
  • 12 Chit Chat Prompts 
    
  • 13 Word Hunter Challenges
    
  • 14 Beat the Clock Challenges
    
  • 12 This or That 

These Thanksgiving Brain Break Slides are perfect for:

• Five-minute fillers that calm and reset the room
• Re-engaging an unsettled class
• Transitions after recess or between lessons
• Lesson starters and bell ringers
• Building classroom community and rapport
• Embedding literacy and SEL into daily routines
  

💗 Why you and your students will LOVE these Thanksgiving brain break slides:

• Creates calm consistency that reduces dysregulation and disruption
• Builds rapport and connection through humour and collaboration
• Supports proactive classroom management during high-energy seasons
• Requires no prep, simply open and go
• Adaptable for upper primary, middle, and high school
  

💡 Teacher Tip

Use one slide each day to start or end lessons. These slides establish a predictable, positive rhythm that helps students regulate, refocus, and enjoy a bit of festive fun along the way.

Grab this resource and ALL of the Thanksgiving goodies inside the Thanksgiving Mega Bundle — everything you need to keep the festive season calm, connected, and fun.