The ability to plan, manage time, and remember details are all mental abilities—or brain functions—known as executive functions. Executive functions also include the ability to regulate emotions, solve problems, be flexible, organized, and communicate well, among others. Executive functions strongly influence your child’s ability to excel not only at certain tasks, like being able to plan ahead so all their homework gets done on time, but also play a part in determining how successful they may be in school, work, and other roles in their lives.

Parents can help your child develop these skills through brain activities—or better yet, games. Children naturally learn through play. Play involves the whole child in the experience and thus intensifies the learning experience. The practice is also important. In the brain, each time a behaviour is repeated it strengthens the brain’s “wiring,” the ability to do the behaviour more successfully the next time. Think of it this way: helping your child learn an executive function is no different than when they learn to ride a bike or recite the alphabet. Make it fun and keep at it, and you will see gains.

Elevator Breathing

Practicing deep breathing (“elevator breathing” or moving the breath to all parts of the body) helps improve memory as well as emotional control. Kids love doing this. Start out by having your child sitting in a cross-legged position or lying down and breathing naturally. After she has practiced breathing naturally, say: Imagine that your breath is like an elevator taking a ride through your body. To start the elevator, I want you to breathe in through your nose. Now breathe out all your air. Now breathe in and take your elevator breath up to your chest. Hold it. Now breathe out all of your air. Now breathe in and take your elevator breath up to the top floor, up through your throat into your face and forehead. Hold it.. Now breathe out and feel your elevator breath take all your troubles and worries down through your chest, your belly, your legs, and out the elevator door in your feet.

The Concentration Game

Activities to improve memory and concentration are important for all of us! For younger children, you can take a few of their toys and line them up. Then cover them and take one away. See if they can tell you which one is missing. You can also have them try to remember short lists of familiar objects in the home. Try remembering them forward and backward. For older children and teens, try putting random objects in front of them for 15 seconds, then remove the objects and see how many they can remember. Start out with five and keep increasing the number as they master the task. You can also help auditory memory by giving them a random list of numbers or words orally and having them repeat them. Start with only 2 or 3 and work up from there.

Bouncing Ball Eyes Exercise

Make your child bounce a ball with one hand and ask him to catch it with his other hand. The ball should bounce on the floor to form a V shape. While doing this instruct your child to follow the movement of the ball with his eyes. Make your child repeat the exercises with his other hand.

Tangram Game

Like building blocks, tangrams can teach kids about spatial relationships. They may help kids learn geometric terms and develop stronger problem-solving abilities. They might even help children perform better on tests of basic arithmetic. Invented in China approximately 200 years ago, a tangram is a two-dimensional re-arrangement puzzle created by cutting a square into seven pieces. What are the seven shapes in a tangram? Each tangram puzzle contains the following:
• 2 large right triangles
• 1 medium-sized right triangle
• 2 small right triangles
• 1 small square
• 1 parallelogram
Arranged correctly, these tangram shapes can be fitted together as a large square, rectangle, or triangle. They can also be arranged in a variety of complex shapes, including fanciful ones (like the rabbit illustrated here).

Your Opposite Hand – Ignite Creativity

If you would like to unleash some hidden creativity, try doing something with your opposite hand. It is sometimes the nudge our practical brain needs to “move out of the way” for the creative juices to get flowing again! The brain that operates effectively for our everyday activities may not be the same parts of the brain which allows us to be creative. The non-dominant hand is linked to the non-dominant hemisphere in your brain – the one that isn’t exercised as often. There are studies that show that when you use your dominant hand, one hemisphere of the brain is active. When you use the non-dominant hand, both hemispheres are activated, which may result in thinking differently and becoming more creative.
• Brushing teeth
• Opening jars
• Scooping powder
• Cleaning dishes
• Buttering toast
• Eating with chopsticks

If you wish to know more regarding children’s brain development, you may like our Facebook Page for more information or stay tune in our Website.