Brain Boosting Activities for Kids

Connection fuels growth like nothing else can.

YES!

"We used to think that schools built brains. Now we know that it is play that builds the brains that school can then use."
—Dr. Gordon Neufeld

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Absolutely fascinating article !

We are born creative geniuses and the education system dumbs us down, according to NASA scientists The scientists gave the test to 1,600 children between the ages of 4 and 5. What they found shocked them.

What a great expression !!

Your brain doesn't automatically recognize the good that's in your own life, but it's always there if you look for it. You have to make the effort to notice it.

Look For The Good and You’ll Find It https://buff.ly/2Nsxben

‘Let children play’: the educational message from across Europe While approaches may differ, the importance of free time to play is increasingly being recognised

Excellent summary of the key executive function skills children need to succeed.

Skills we all need!

Love this👇

“I'm not the only one who has discovered that when you invite adults to share their fine, sacred childhood memories, they almost invariably talk about being outdoors, with friends, unsupervised by adults, and without a schedule. That this is the ideal learning environment for young children seems obvious.”
—Teacher Tom

✨ If you would like to be kept in the loop on everything Neurochild please submit your details here http://bit.ly/neurochild-connect

Let them play 😊

"We used to think that schools built brains. Now we know that it is play that builds the brains that school can then use."
—Dr. Gordon Neufeld

✨ If you would like to be kept in the loop on everything Neurochild please submit your details here http://bit.ly/neurochild-connect

Research is beginning to show that cell phone addiction is a real thing and that your phone may be damaging your mental health in many ways.

5 Ways Your Phone Could Be Hurting Your Mental Health https://buff.ly/2oCYlqh

Neuroscience study reveals why the brains of musicians are different Scientists find learning music early in life actually makes the brain more structurally and functionally connected.

Great read!

How To Raise Kids Who Love To Learn Experts share advice for parents who want to foster intellectual curiosity in their children.

Yes!! Yes!! Yes!! It is not a race. 💚

Interesting article, addressing some of our biggest fears as parents !

3 fears about screen time for kids -- and why they're not true We check our phones upwards of 50 times per day -- but when our kids play around with them, we get nervous. Are screens ruining childhood? Not according to children's media expert Sara DeWitt. In a talk that may make you feel a bit less guilty about handing a tablet to a child while you make dinner,...

Very interesting research !

Using Fingers to Count in Math Class Is Not 'Babyish' Evidence from brain science suggests that using the stigmatized technique is essential for developing mathematical thinking.

Harvard psychologist to parents: Do these 7 things if you want to raise kids with flexible, resilient brains A child's brain isn't a miniature adult brain. It's a brain born under construction that wires itself to the world—and parents must to create an environment that's rich with wiring instructions.

How Poverty Changes the Brain The early results out of a Boston nonprofit are positive.

Excellent article about the critical period in brain development, from 2 to 7 years (BEFORE formal schooling begins)

“Children’s brains can uniquely absorb information during this critical phase. If intelligence is defined as the ability to learn, children between the ages of 2 and 7 may be the most intelligent humans on the planet."

And the best news is children learn best through PLAY 😀

Why Ages 2-7 Matter So Much for Brain Development Rich experiences—from play to the arts and relationships—fundamentally shape a young child’s development.

It's science: Reading aloud to your kids makes them smarter and kinder The best thing is that it’s completely free, it takes just 10-15 minutes a day, and anyone can do it.

Wonderful article !!

We are born creative geniuses and the education system dumbs us down, according to NASA scientists The scientists gave the test to 1,600 children between the ages of 4 and 5. What they found shocked them.

We LOVE jigsaw puzzles !

If you're not sure what to buy your little one for Christmas, you can't go wrong with a jigsaw puzzle! Here's why...

Really interesting research, showing the benefits of children playing in nature (even in an urban environment)

Daycares in Finland Built a 'Forest Floor', And It Changed Children's Immune Systems Playing through the greenery and litter of a mini forest's undergrowth for just one month may be enough to change a child's immune system, according to a small new experiment.

A wonderful representation of the zones of regulation - love the use of the infinity symbol!

Love love love this take on the “zones of Regulation!”

Recently shared by Amy Seymore in the Zones of Regulation in Action Facebook group.

“Worked with a team of students to develop this age appropriate symbol for high schoolers. They gave feedback that they didn't like the linear nature of the zones and felt labeled, and brainstormed the concept of the infinity to symbolize how we flow in an out of different zones.”

Shared with permission.

Your brain learns best when it's relaxed. Your brain grows new neurons with more synapses and becomes connected based on your life experiences.

Five Ways Experience Changes Your Brain https://buff.ly/2Bg1I9s

Excellent advice here 🤩

The Real Reason Kids Whine, Pester and Complain (and how to stop it) Shear terror comes over me when I realize I have no other choice but to bring all 3 of my small kids along to the grocery store. 'Let's see...there's got to be another time I

Kids Who Do Chores Are More Successful Adults When your kids balk, science is on your side.

Great post on how the brain develops and the significance of the early years ...

The most effective way to boost your child’s brain is to read to them....

https://happyyouhappyfamily.com/raising-smart-kids/?fbclid=IwAR3QszPDfH4O1XEIiCou87cWbzfLEfsJZbkzgASCRnzzrAj5I2CDtnHnZ4U

It's science: Reading aloud to your kids makes them smarter and kinder The best thing is that it’s completely free, it takes just 10-15 minutes a day, and anyone can do it.

What happens in the early years of a child’s life has a significant and lasting impact ...

Experience in infancy has a long and profound legacy on lifelong thinking and behavior.

Current scientific estimates are that 95% of our thoughts and behaviors are unconscious. These include behavioral patterns, habits, emotions, automatic body function, creativity, personality, beliefs and values.

The brain stem nuclei and limbic system are thought to largely make up unconscious brain processing. The limbic system includes the amygdala, hippocampus and hypothalamus - all of which are highly shaped by nurturing experiences in infancy.

So much of who we are comes from the brain circuits that were formed in the past.

Who would have thought there were so many categories of play!!

Following my Facebook Live yesterday about the importance of play. Here are the 16 different types of play that I mentioned. They were identified by leading playwork theorist Bob Hughes.

While these categories were originally meant as a guide for adults who support and facilitate play in childcare settings, I think it's helpful for parents too.

Take a look and see if you notice your child favouring any particular type. Their preferences will likely change over time. I'd love to hear their age and their current favourite.

Excellent advice here!

How to teach a child to reset after a bad day (without fixing their problems for them) They need to learn to push through, but parents can help.

Love this 😍😍😍

A great summary of the critical periods in brain development and why age 2 to 7 is so important!

Why Ages 2-7 Matter So Much for Brain Development Rich experiences—from play to the arts and relationships—fundamentally shape a young child’s development.