Bologna (or baloney, if you prefer)!
I see teachers all the time who think everything has to be a game. Everything has to be fun. Everything has to be active.
Now I'm all for student engagement; I always try to keep 'em turned on to their learning. But I do not subscribe to the theory that everything is sensory or that every lesson must have a tactile trait. And I don't think the educational process has to stop for brain breaks to occur. I suppose it's that eclectic part of me - that those things can be appropriately embedded or not embedded at all.
I find that when students are interested, they can go for longer periods of time in quiet study. It's magic when it happens: they're not asleep, but they're not bouncing off the walls either.
Yes, this is coming from the guy who wants to make lessons profoundly special. Does that sound out of character for me? I guess it comes from the realization that I understand that I can't do it all through active projects, but that it takes a combination of strategies.
My students need to exercise self-control by understanding there is a line in the sand. They should understand that there is a time for conversation, and there's a time for tranquility. There is a an appropriate time for getting dirty, and there is an appropriate time for staying out of the mud. As the teacher, I have to give my students variety in order for them to develop adaptability. That's why I expose my students to direct instruction, discovery, collaborative and cooperative work, drilling, and self-directed projects. It's a variety that requires them to be on their toes. They need to analyze the situation and the setting in order to be adapt their behavior accordingly.
In other words, students need to determine when it is appropriate to make loud noises and when they should keep quiet. Otherwise, you get those kids at the supermarket who don't think twice about playing with the toys on the shelf or yelling at their siblings across the aisles. You get kids who can't sit still at a funeral. You get those kids who act more like they're at a football game than a church service.
See what I mean? In the classroom, I don't need to stop one activity in order to play a game or do an exercise for the sake of a break. There should be enough activity and interest in my instruction to keep them on their toes and satisfy those needs. It takes a little more effort than just stopping instruction and starting a movement video, but it can be done without wasting valuable time.