Have you ever heard of brain training? Maybe as an abstract concept. But Harvard Medical School has proven theories about how you could train your brain to learn more and do strenuous tasks by putting it to regular practice. We know very little about the Brain, the most complex part of our body, but the present research and experiments make it look like we are getting somewhere.
Brain Plasticity is an ability that is achieved by an individual, as the brain adapts to changes in and around them and continuously evolves throughout one’s life.
The whole idea of improving your cognitive abilities for a better tomorrow has gone a step further. To quote Dr. John N. Morris, the director of social and health policy research at the Harvard-affiliated Institute for Aging Research, “Embracing a new activity that also forces you to think and learn and requires ongoing practice can be one of the best ways to keep the brain healthy.” Thus, training your kids’ mind at this young age and time is ideal for making their cognitive skills enhanced and readily adaptive to the ongoing situation.
Help your kids do some ‘Brain Fitness’
As important as physical fitness, brain fitness can help your kids think better. Just like adults, kids put a lot of thought into understanding something. It might look simple for their age but these are the signs of a developing mind. Sometimes, kids think differently and brain fitness helps them to process their thoughts differently.
Most of the activities they do involve mental exercises that they perform merely out of curiosity, like playing video games. Though they add on to their creative side, it rarely does much for cognitive development. To encourage brain plasticity, they need to look outside the screen they are holding. So, what are the activities that provide meaningful progress towards the future? Let’s find out.
Habits that improves cognitive development in kids
You can include these habits in the day to day schedule of your kid and they would welcome these like any other pastime. Now, there are limitations that you need to maintain these days and so try to help them perform activities accordingly.
Physical Activity- Don’t compromise on a growing kid’s physical activities. Mind MentorzA research conducted by the Boston University School of Medicine provides evidence that exercising can be great for brain health and cognition. Physical fitness improves motor skills and studies say it improves memory. But, with the current scenario you can’t let your kids out of sight on a playground. So, the best solution would be physical activities like aerobics or dance lessons. These are the best alternatives that are going to activate those brain cells.
Learning from experience- Kids pick up habits and skills faster than adults. You may assume they are programmed that way, but the fact being that they learn from experience which most of us, as adults, eventually forget. So, what can you do amidst this lockdown that would accentuate their learning?
Learning a new skill like cooking, but make sure you guide them through the entire process, or even learn to play piano or drums. Taking an example from cooking, it is not just a life-skill, but it also a great activity to align their motor skills. This article beautifully pens down why you need to teach cooking to your kids.
Creativity Index- The next in line is curiosity and creativity. Together, they are inseparable. A kid is always questioning, it is good he/she is seeking answers. All you need to do is nudge a little every time you feel they can take some time off their textbooks.
How about learning Scratch Coding? That is a modern and technical way to bring out the creative side of your kids. There are various online courses that could effectively be part of your kid’s schedule to learn a new skill. Click here to know how to enrol your kids for an online scratch coding class.
Socializing- You would agree that the greatest knowledge you have gained till date is from another individual. Not surfing over the internet, not from your textbooks, but from a person. Your kid needs to socialize too. Though the definition has changed for socializing and only for good, you can always encourage them making social connections over a common activity.
Like chess, it is a great idea to get a new skill and connect with kids the same age. Online chess classes provide your kid with the opportunity to do both. Learn chess, make some new friends bonding over a common activity.
Recreational Games- Though much like puzzles, games provide a lot more than that. Cognitive abilities are developed through reaching out to various areas of your brain and triggering its functioning. Suppose a puzzle like Rubik’s Cube. It is fun, it uplifts the brain to think rationally, knocking at all the doors and windows of the brain, it can be a great leisure activity and can be totally safe to play indoors. With the variety of Rubik’s Cube available in the market like 3X3, Pyraminx, Clock, Square-1, your kid can easily become masters in one.
These habits are interesting and are not something conventional too! Yes, we have learned about the consequences of living unprepared, but we can’t let our kids’ futures be affected by such occurrences. Thus, practising these could prepare them for their tomorrow. Mind Mentorz is an after school academy that relentlessly works to create awareness about building cognitive strength among kids, through chess, Robotics, Rubik’s Cube and Scratch Coding and at present working virtually through online classes. We would love you to support our cause and create a healthy, planned tomorrow for your kids.