12 Ways To Boost A Child’s Brain Health
Do you have any idea how to boost your child’s brain power? The brain works 24 hours a day and needs stimulation to develop. Find out how.
What do we mean when we talk about brain health? We simply mean that a little one responds to developmental and emotional indicators according to their age. For this, it is important to stimulate the child’s brain health.
Based on this statement, we can infer that good brain health is essential for the child to learn social skills and respond to school demands appropriately. So, here are some ideas to boost your brain health.
How to stimulate the brain health of the child?
To perform brain stimulation, it is recommended to perform what is known as “neurobics”, also called aerobics or brain gymnastics. It is a set of exercises that allow the two cerebral hemispheres to work through both physical and mental strategies, as evidenced by this work carried out by professionals from the University of San Francisco de Quito.
As you will see below, physical and mental exercises will be advised that help promote the creation of neural interconnections in the brain.
1. Parallel drawing
To carry out this activity, invite your child to take two pencils, one in each hand. Place in front of him a large sheet or two sheets, failing that. It’s time to get down to business – the idea is that you draw a picture at the same time with both hands.
To do this, you will have to perform different movements, up or down, in a circular way, etc. This simple (and fun) exercise encourages fine motor skills and writing.
2. Cross crawling
It’s time to play cross-crawling babies for a while. The purpose of this activity is to improve coordination and activate the brain through vision and kinesthesia.
To do this, the child must move an opposite arm and leg to move forward, that is, crawl like a baby. As the little one picks up the rhythm, variations can be made including other senses. For example, playing music to move on and turning it off when you have to stay still.
3. Memory exercises to stimulate the child’s brain health
Memory games are very fun to play as a family and also help children to work on that area of thought that is often neglected, as shown in this work carried out by researchers from the “Cordillera” Technological Institute.
4. Puzzles
The puzzles help children to make a total composition based on pieces, by which logic and concentration are encouraged, as evidenced by this study carried out by professionals from the César Vallejo University.
In this sense, increase the number of pieces depending on the progress of your child; Remember that the ages recommended by the manufacturers are merely indicative.
5. Sudokus
Older children can perform sudoku puzzles, although they will need help at first. These exercises are good for promoting concentration, logical thinking, and attention.
6. Paint to stimulate the child’s brain health
Read a story with your child and then invite him to make a painting or drawing about it. In this way, you will help him to work on creativity, memory, understanding and expression of emotions.
7. Musical activities
Learning to play an instrument is a recommended activity to stimulate a child’s brain health. For example, playing the piano implies understanding the notes that are read, deciphering them and transferring them to the hands, which must coordinate the movements properly so that the melody sounds good, as this article published in the journal Neurology clearly shows .
8. Play with play dough
Plasticine is a good option to stimulate fine motor skills while working eye-hand coordination. You can play with your child to create all kinds of animals and even associate the game with a story you have read to also work on understanding and representation.
Other tips to stimulate a child’s brain health
Mental gymnastics is not the only way to boost your child’s brain health. In fact, it is extremely important to keep these recommendations in mind:
- Talk to your children, even when they are newborns : exposure to language from an early age helps them develop understanding while internalizing the mother tongue and its cultural components.
- Avoid prolonged exposure to stress.
- Read to your children : Like conversation, reading aloud is essential to stimulate the development of language and social skills.
- Look at your children : Eye contact helps them develop emotional relationships and learn social behaviors.
- Hug your little ones : physical contact is essential for social and emotional development.
- Promote sport in your children’s lives : outdoor activities help them work on their emotions, motor skills and social skills.
In short, if you are interested in stimulating the child’s brain health, but have doubts, consult a specialist. Surely he will be able to recommend other personalized options to work the mental capacity of your little one.
