Lunge, Swivel, Tap: A Fun Movement Break for Every Age
Sometimes the body needs an opportunity to move before the mind is ready to focus. Lunge, Swivel, Tap combines side-to-side movement, gentle spinal rotation, imagination, and rhythmic tapping to help wake up the body and encourage body awareness.
This movement can be used with children, teens, adults, and older adults. Everyone can adjust the speed, depth, and range of motion to fit their own body.
It also fits naturally into my Breathe • Stretch • Life Skills method:
Breathe: Use the breath to become present.
Stretch: Move held energy and tension through the body.
Life Skills: Follow the movement with a quick Powerful You lesson that builds self-awareness, self-management, relationships, or responsible problem-solving.
Lunge—Glide Like an Ice Skater
Place your feet wide apart and begin lunging from side to side. Imagine you are an ice skater gliding smoothly across the ice.
As you bend one knee, swing your arms toward the opposite side of your body. Keep the movement comfortable and allow your knees to travel in the same direction as your toes.
Can you bend a little deeper as your skates begin to pick up speed?
Glide from side to side—smooth, steady, and strong.
Swivel—Become a Washing Machine
Now imagine your body is a washing machine gently swiveling from side to side.
Let gravity have your arms. Allow your arms and hands to feel heavy as they swing naturally around your body.
Picture the washing machine wringing water out of the clothes. You might also imagine gently wringing out your worries and letting them go.
Keep your knees soft and allow the movement to remain easy and comfortable.
Tap—Play Your Body Drum
Make two soft fists and imagine you are playing a gentle rhythm on your own body drum.
As you continue to lunge and swivel, lightly tap along the sides of your body. Let each soft tap offer a simple reminder:
“You can soften. You can let go.”
Move your gentle drumbeat to the front of your heart. Then reach around and softly tap your upper back—the back side of your heart. Travel a little higher and lightly tap around your collarbones.
Finally, open your hands and soften your fingers. Imagine tiny raindrops gently falling as you tap around your forehead, cheeks, jaw, and the rest of your face.
Tapping is always optional. Participants can continue swinging their arms, place their hands over their heart, or simply return to stillness instead.
Pause, Breathe, and Notice
Slow the movement and come back to stillness.
Take a comfortable breath in and let it out slowly.
Ask yourself:
Does my body feel warmer?
Do I feel lighter or more awake?
Has anything changed in my breathing, energy, or mood?
There is no “right” way to feel. The goal is simply to pause and notice.
Add a Powerful You Life-Skills Lesson
Movement can help prepare the body and mind for learning. After completing Lunge, Swivel, Tap, choose one of the quick and easy-to-use lessons from Powerful You.
You might introduce a role-playing card featuring a child who feels worried, tense, frustrated, restless, or distracted. Invite participants to consider:
What might this child be feeling?
Where might they notice that feeling in their body?
Could movement help them pause before responding?
What positive self-talk or problem-solving strategy could they try next?
This is where movement becomes more than exercise. It becomes an entry point for conversation, connection, and practical life-skill development.
🌈 BREATHE • STRETCH • Life Skills
This simple rhythm is a powerful way to structure your day and your lessons:
1. Breathe – Use breathwork to regulate and ground
2. Stretch – Bring awareness into the body
3. SEL – Teach the life skill through story and connection
You can pair this breathwork with:
Powerful You is a grab-and-go counseling resource designed to make group and classroom counseling simple, meaningful, and effective. Packed with 26 short, easy-to-use themed lessons, this book helps counselors, educators, and support staff guide students through important life topics with confidence and care.
Each lesson begins with a true story that reflects real challenges children face, followed by engaging turn-and-talk prompts that encourage student reflection, discussion, and connection. Inspiring quotes, hands-on activities, and practical tips are also included for optional lesson extensions.
Created by a school counselor with more than 35 years of experience listening to and supporting children, these lessons align with ASCA National Standards and explore sensitive school and home issues through a child’s perspective. Powerful You gives adults ready-to-use tools to build emotional awareness, resilience, communication skills, and confidence in students.
To bring each lesson to life, companion Powerful You laminated role-playing cards and colorful classroom signs are also available separately. These engaging tools correspond with every lesson and provide an interactive way for students to practice skills, deepen understanding, and reinforce key concepts.
The Powerful You Elementary Counselor Kit was created to keep your favorite Powerful You tools together in one easy-to-carry bag so you are always ready to support students.
Perfect for School counselors, educators, interventionists, and student support teams.
What’s Included
Intermediate Bundle (Grades 2+)
Powerful You Book
26 8.5×11 Laminated Role-Playing Cards
26 Classroom Skill Signs
Primary Bundle (Grades K–1)
26 8.5×11 Laminated Role-Playing Cards
26 Classroom Skill Signs
Digital Resources
26 Primary Brag Tags
26 Social & Emotional Thinking Maps for writing
Free online Breathe & Stretch videos
26 Primary videos
26 Intermediate videos
Mindfulness & Regulation Tools
Breathe and Stretch on the Beach Yoga activities (Grades K+)
Laminated Breathe and Stretch Sign
Tennessee Transition Chime
Feelings Chart
Powerful You Feelings Bag
Counseling & Life Change Support
Self-Talk Power When You’re in a Pickle
5-Step problem-solving guide for individual counseling (Grades 3+)Powerful You In the Middle Cookie Game
Supports changing family groups/divorce transitions (Grades K+)
Bonus Items
50 “I Am” stickers
Why Counselors Love It
Grab-and-go support kit
Ready for classroom lessons or counseling groups
Helps students regulate emotions
Builds confidence and self-talk
Supports divorce, transitions, and problem solving
Saves prep time for busy counselors
Perfect For
Elementary school counselors
MTSS / SEL support teams
Teachers
Small groups
Individual counseling
Calm corners
One Kit. Many Needs. Real Impact.
The Powerful You Elementary Counselor Kit helps children build coping skills, confidence, emotional vocabulary, and resilience in fun, meaningful ways.