Build on children’s interests and natural curiosity to make learning fun!
Let kids and teens get involved in activities they already love, and as a bonus, they’ll learn basic life skills. Games and activities gently train your kids’ brains for school and life! July 22 is World Brain Day, and it’s never too early to start strengthening the mind.
Stimulate their brains (and yours, too) with these games:
Identification: Games like “I Spy,” where they describe something you and they can both see, or “I talk, you draw,” where one person draws what the other describes, build verbal and observational skills.
Sorting: Putting similar items into groups based on color, shape, size, or another quality teaches basic skills they will use in school and for the rest of their lives.
Building: Whether small, like Lego sets or jigsaw puzzles, or big, like pillow forts, building activities let them flex their problem-solving, creativity, and agility.
“My little helper”: Kids who follow their grown-ups around the house often enjoy helping out in the kitchen or elsewhere. Give them tasks that are safe and doable for their age (measuring or mixing ingredients, sorting laundry, or watering plants, for example), and let them fly. This teaches valuable real-life skills and can give them a sense of pride.
Board games: Board games like Clue usually come with a recommended age range and often teach useful skills (problem-solving, math, memory, identification, etc.).
Scavenger hunts/obstacle courses/role-playing: These activities engage players by providing clues or quests to prompt educated guesses, or they pose a problem to solve. Anyone can create a scavenger hunt or obstacle course for young kids or teenagers using items in or around the home or outdoors.
Word games: Crossword puzzles, fill-in-the-blank activities like Mad Libs, or word association games (e.g., “Name something that starts with a G”) support vocabulary development and may inspire a lifelong love of language.
Physical activities: Exercise and movement are also good for the brain! Think of balance, agility, and other motor skills that depend on the brain-body connection.
Games and activities are a key factor in brain and social development. Take time to do something “just for fun” every day, and watch your children grow in their skills and confidence.