An elementary school teacher in the Midwest is trying something new when it comes to keeping his students engaged.

A South Dakota teacher is using yoga balls in the classroom instead of regular chairs to help keep his third-graders focused.

The teacher says the balancing act doesn't just keep kids on their toes physically but mentally as well. "They're using that one side of their brain to do the math, or reading, or writing; the other side of their brain to stay stable on the ball, so it's using both sides of the brain, which they don't usually get with just the chair," says Leon Swiftbird.

Swiftbird says the yoga ball experiment has been a success so far.