A child who struggles with executive functioning might have a hard time focusing, planning, organizing, using their working memory, time management, and self-control. Here are some tips and tricks to help improve on these skills at home.
Board Games! Games like Checkers, Sorry!, and Monopoly provide a way for a kid to exercise planning, strategizing, and organizing their thoughts, all while considering the rules of the game. Not only will your kid have fun doing it, but they will also be strengthening their ability to complete tasks and demonstrate their own knowledge.
Guessing Games. Did you know that when you guess something you are using your working memory and flexible thinking? We recommend playing guessing games such as Guess Who or 20 Questions to help promote these skills. Being able to learn and adapt to new clues about a mystery are skills that will help your child’s problem solving immensely in the future.
Journaling. Keeping a journal is a great way to improve on executive functioning as it works on attention, planning, organizing, and self-reflection. If your child is not as motivated to sit down and write, give them a prompt that’s impossible to resist! Focus on their favorite topics such as superheroes, dinosaurs, gymnastics, etc.
Learning a New Instrument. Believe it or not, learning to play piano, guitar, and ukulele, are all using your mind in tremendous ways! You need your attention as well as working memory and self-monitoring skills.
Playing these games can be a fun family activity while also being great for executive functioning. Making these activities fun will increase their likelihood of being effective and long-lasting strategies.
Written by Madison Dwyer