24Jun
Concentration is a skill that can be difficult to master even for adults at times. With young children, the ability to concentrate for lengthy periods of time can present a real challenge. Concentration spans in young kids usually aren’t that long, depending on what they are focusing on at the time. Concentration can be learned and improved on though, even with young children.
This post is going to be focusing on some effective child concentration exercises that will help develop this vital skill at a very early age, so let’s get started.
#1 – Memory Games Are Great for Concentration
Not only are memory games very good for developing concentration in young children, but they also improve the capacity for the brain to remember and recall and they are a lot of fun as well. Memory games can take on all forms.
One of the most common is to use cards, where a select number of cards with matching pairs are placed face down and participants need to try and remember exactly where they’ve seen a particular card. The ultimate goal is to eventually match up all of the cards and the person with the most pairs wins.
All types of memory activities are beneficial. When it comes to games to improve concentration and focus, memory games work exceptionally well.
#2 – Get Your Kids Playing Puzzles
Puzzles are excellent activities to improve attention and concentration. There are puzzle games for kids of all ages and they work to improve concentration for everyone. Puzzles could be in the form of a physical puzzle game, or an app that’s downloaded to a smartphone, tablet or computer.
The good thing about having kids doing puzzles is it also improves their ability to solve problems and expands the capacity of the mind to think outside the box.
For improved focus and concentration ability, regularly attempting to solve puzzles is hard to beat. Doing puzzle games is also a lot of fun as well. Concentration games for kids are everywhere when you really look for them.
#3 – Set Your Child Time-Based Activities
Putting a time limit on an activity or task achieves two things.
The first is that when the child knows they only have to do the activity for a specified period of time, there is some peace of mind knowing there’s an end goal. The second is that it will force them to fully concentrate for that time period, knowing that when the time is up, they are finished and have accomplished their goal.
Sometimes concentrating can be difficult because the individual has absolutely no idea how much time they have or how long they are expected to concentrate for. Time-based activities set clearly defined goals, which can lead to increased concentration and productivity.
Sticking to a time limit also enables a child to practice focusing for set periods of time and also teaches them time management skills, which will be useful all throughout their lives.
#4 – Regular Routines Help With Concentration Building
A haphazard routine generally leads to haphazard thinking. Humans need structure to function effectively and it’s the same for small children. The more regular routine your child has on a daily basis, the more they’ll generally be able to concentrate on assigned tasks a lot more efficiently.
For example, having set sleep and wake up times helps to create a routine. Doing chores such as cleaning their room at a set time of the day helps build organisational skills, time management skills as well as improving concentration.
With a routine, children will understand when it’s work time and when it’s playtime.
#5 – Relaxation Combined With Positive Imagery
The idea of this exercise is to have the child close their eyes and take long, deep breaths to relax. Once in a relaxed state, have your child imagine positive images. It doesn’t really matter what the imagery is, so long as it’s positive in nature.
Doing this exercise daily, which is a light form of meditation, will help your child learn to relax and concentrate much better.
Endeavour Early Education Centres
Endeavour Early Education Centres help teach your child many important life skills, with concentration being one of them. We also offer an excellent school readiness program. Get in touch today to learn how we can help your child.
