Keep Your Cool and Strengthen Executive Function Skills

Games lubricate the body and the mind.

Benjamin Franklin

Whew! It's been HOT the past couple of days here in the Midwest. Too hot to even go to the beach or be out by the pool in my opinion. What's a parent to do when they have a house full of kids asking "what can we do?" or saying "I'm bored."


Well, if you want to get the kids to work on their cognitive and academic skills then play games. YES! Play games. 


I've written countless posts before on the importance of playing games with kids and encouraging kids to play games of their own and on their own. Why do I keep blogging about it? Because IT WORKS and the kids have no idea that sitting down to play fun games is actually doing "brain work" {Executive Function Skills}


Summer is a perfect time to designate for "game days." The weather forecast for the Midwest this week is a perfect fit for finding some cool games and having some friendly competition. 


Check out some of these titles based upon what you want your kids to work on:


1. Stare Junior : working memory, sustained attention and meta cognition.
2. Apples to Apples: working memory and vocabulary
3. Tribond Jr: Flexible thinking, verbal organization and vocabulary
4. Sequence for Kids: working memory, sustained attention, meta cognition


Do you have a child who needs work on emotional regulation? ALL games are perfect for improving the skill because learning to be a gracious winner and loser ARE a big part of emotional regulation. 


Want even MORE ideas? Make sure that you are on our mailing list as I will be sending out a "Game of the Week" suggestion with paired Executive Function skill areas. 


Until next time, keep growing and blooming and PLAY LOTS AND LOTS of games. 


Jen