GoNoodle is a free online platform that gives teachers short, guided movement videos to use as brain breaks between lessons. It works by letting a teacher pull up a video on a classroom screen, pick a category based on what students need, such as energy release or calm-down time, and have the whole class move together for one to five minutes before returning to schoolwork. The idea is simple: kids sit for long stretches during the school day, and a quick burst of movement helps them reset their attention before the next activity.
What Is GoNoodle and Who Created It?
GoNoodle is an educational media company based in Nashville, Tennessee, that produces short movement and mindfulness videos designed for classroom use. The company’s content spans categories like dance, stretching, breathing exercises, and academic games, and its videos are led by a cast of recurring characters and partner brands.
Teachers access GoNoodle through a free classroom account, then choose a video from the library to play on a projector or smart board. Julie Guelich and other founders built the platform around a body of research showing that short physical activity breaks can improve student focus, and the company has continued to expand its content library and school partnerships since launching.
How Does GoNoodle Work in a Typical Classroom?
A teacher opens the GoNoodle app or website, selects a channel, and plays a video that the whole class follows along with in real time. Sessions typically run between one and five minutes, so they fit into transition times, right after recess, or in the middle of a lesson when students start to lose focus.
Each class can also select a “Champ,” a virtual mascot that grows and changes as students log more brain break minutes. This game-like progress tracker gives kids a reason to stay engaged and gives teachers a simple way to build movement into a daily routine without needing separate equipment or lesson planning time.
What Types of Videos and Categories Does GoNoodle Offer?
GoNoodle organizes its content into channels built around different classroom needs. Some, like Airtime and Flow, focus on breathing and calming movement, while others feature high-energy dancing, stretching, or games tied to subjects such as spelling, vocabulary, and math.
The platform also hosts partner content, including music-driven videos co-produced with Kidz Bop and dance routines from creators like Koo Koo Kanga Roo. Because the categories range from calming to high-energy, teachers can match the video to the moment, using a slow breathing video before a test and a fast dance break after a long stretch of seated work.
Why Do Teachers Use GoNoodle for Brain Breaks?
Teachers use GoNoodle because it gives them a ready-made tool for managing attention and energy without cutting into planning time. Rather than designing their own movement activity, a teacher can start a video in seconds and get the whole class participating together.
Classroom teachers and specialists, including those in special education settings, have reported that short GoNoodle sessions help students refocus after transitions like lunch or recess. The built-in variety, from calming breathwork to energetic dance, also means one platform can serve multiple purposes across a single school day.
Is GoNoodle Free, and What Does GoNoodle Plus Include?
GoNoodle’s core classroom library is free for teachers to use with a basic account, which covers the majority of movement and brain break videos. The company also offers GoNoodle Plus, a paid subscription tier that unlocks additional content, including expanded academic games and specialty video series.
Most classroom teachers can meet their brain break needs with the free tier alone. Schools or districts that want the extended library often evaluate GoNoodle Plus as a small add-on cost rather than a requirement to use the platform effectively.
Can Families Use GoNoodle at Home?
Yes. While GoNoodle was built for classrooms, its videos are publicly accessible, and many parents use the same content at home for movement breaks, rainy-day activity, or calming routines before bedtime. Some students have even continued using it outside school hours after being introduced to it in class.
Because the videos require no equipment beyond a screen and open floor space, the platform works the same way at home as it does in a classroom: pick a video, follow along, and take a short break from sitting still.
Conclusion
GoNoodle works by giving teachers a fast, no-prep way to build short movement breaks into the school day, using guided videos that range from calming breathwork to high-energy dance and academic games. Its free classroom access, simple setup, and built-in progress tracking through class mascots have made it a common tool for managing student focus and energy in elementary classrooms across the country.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is GoNoodle free for teachers?
Yes, GoNoodle’s core library of classroom movement videos is free with a basic teacher account. A paid tier called GoNoodle Plus adds extra content, but it is not required to use the platform’s main brain break features in a classroom setting.
What age group is GoNoodle designed for?
GoNoodle is designed primarily for elementary school students, generally in kindergarten through fifth grade. Its content is organized so teachers can choose age-appropriate videos, ranging from simple stretching for younger kids to more coordinated dance and game-based breaks for older elementary students.
How long is a typical GoNoodle video?
Most GoNoodle videos run between one and five minutes, making them easy to fit into short classroom transitions. Teachers often choose shorter videos for quick resets and longer ones when they want a more substantial energy release or calming session.
Do students need an account to use GoNoodle?
Individual students do not need their own accounts. A teacher typically sets up one classroom account, selects a class mascot, and plays videos for the whole group to follow together on a shared screen.
Can GoNoodle be used outside of school?
Yes, families can access GoNoodle’s public videos at home for movement breaks, active play, or calming exercises. The same short, guided format that works in classrooms applies just as easily to a living room or playroom setting.
