Fun Ways To Boost Your Kid’s Brains (And Yours Too!)

As parents, we work daily to keep our kids moving their bodies, eating healthy foods, and on top of their school work. We also need to continue to develop our child’s brain in other ways too. The good news here is that we can make this fun and tailor it to the interests of our kids.

These brain-boosting activities help boost problem-solving, analytical thinking and creativity. Your kids will improve their concentration and reasoning skills and have some fun doing it.

Play More Music

Our brain’s love music. In fact, music engages many areas of our brain involved in language processing, memory, and other critical thinking skills. (greatschools.org)

Incorporate more music into your child’s day. Listen to music in the background while doing tasks around the house or eating dinner. Choose a variety of music styles to expose your child to. Make this a multi-sensory activity by adding in a little movement or dancing while listening. Or let your kids make their own music with simple instruments until they are ready to start learning to play an instrument themselves.

Play Board Games

In our house, playing board games can feel like work because they require my full participation (and a lot of feeling like a referee). But, not only are board games good for developing cognitive skills, they help your kids develop social skills. Kids have to learn to wait their turn, be gracious when they lose (or at least not totally lose it), and handle the ups and downs of playing a game. Let your child choose which game to play for added buy in.

Brain Teaser Games

Memory training games, logic puzzles, brainteasers, and riddles can help kids develop problem solving and cognitive learning skills. Plus, they are fun and easy to do anywhere. Check out What am I Riddles With Answers that will stretch the brains of everyone in the family. Enjoy playing what am I riddles to fill time while you wait, at a family game night, in the car, or at school with friends.

Jigsaw Puzzles

Puzzles help in brain development as they build children’s spatial reasoning, hand-eye coordination and problem-solving. They work both the logical side of the brain and the creative side. An added benefit to doing puzzles is that it allows our minds to relax which in turn relaxes our bodies. (fortune.com)

Play Hide and Seek

That’s right, even this simple tried and true game can give your kiddo a brain boost. It develops memory by remembering the rules of the game as well as great hiding places. It improves problem-solving when coming up with a systematic way to search and to figure out perspective hiding places. And it helps kids see from a different perspective when they are trying to figure out where someone else might hide or search. Finally, they have another chance to practice those social skills of game playing with others.

Continue to be patient as your child is learning new skills and keep encouraging your kids to participate in these potentially brain-boosting activities with you.

Sources

"7 Ways Music Benefits Your Child’s Brain" (greatschools.org)

"The Life-changing Magic of Puzzling" (fortune.com)

Jenn writes at her blog healthyhappyimpactful.com. She’s a mom of three looking to learn and grow. Check it out if you love helpful tips on health, family, and personal growth.