Everyone has days when they find it hard to focus. Attention spans in our children can range from five minutes to 15, depending on their age. So, when you find yourself in one of those moments that school seems to be dragging along, stop and take a quick break to wake up and refresh tired minds!
Stretch - the simplest break of all. Simply taking a few minutes to stop and stretch out muscles will get the oxygen flowing better to the brain. It can get adrenaline moving better, waking the whole body up. Try one of these. (As with all exercise, go slow to warm the muscles up. You do not want to strain anything!)
- If you can spare the time, go for a quick (brisk) walk around the block.
- Reach up to the sky, hold 5 seconds. Reach down to the ground, hold 5 seconds. Repeat as needed.
- For younger children, have them act out animal walks. This is fun and a good movement activity.
- Put on music, set the timer for 5 minutes, and dance, dance, dance!
Read - Many sources for ways to keep your brain fit recommend reading out loud (even Brain Age, for Nintendo DS, uses this technique). The act of reading out loud stimulates the brain much more than silent reading.
- Give your child a paragraph, or mark or small section of a book. Have them read it out loud as quickly, but clearly, as possible, while you time them.
- Have a special joke book set aside for these moments. Take turns reading the jokes to each other. (Added benefit - laughter releases endorphins, which stimulate and wake the whole body).
- Read a section of a book or newspaper in a silly voice. You may feel funny, but you are actually waking up your brain.
Puzzle it Out - Logic problems, short quizzes, word searches, and crossword puzzles are all excellent ways to noodle your noggin!
- Keep a special puzzle book set aside for these times. Give your child one page. If needed, you can help her out.
- Start every day with a puzzle or logic problem. This can be a good way to "warm up" for school work, and make the transition from free time to school time.
- Find a good Internet puzzle site. PuzzlersParadise offers a variety of puzzles to solve for all ages (some kids may need help). Or try these brain boosters from DiscoverySchool.com.
Other ideas -
- Eat a quick healthy snack, like an apple or a handful of raisins
- Sing a song
- Get a sheet of newspaper and have your child color in all the "o"s in an article
- Play a game of Twister, Chess, or Boggle
Do not be afraid to stop anything you are doing and have a quick brain boost session. You will find that school work will get done much faster, and better, than before.
