Focus-building exercises to improve concentration and undertake day to day activities.
We develop our muscles through strength and endurance training. Similarly, we develop our minds through exercises that support our ability to process tasks, concentrate and manage our emotions.
Kylie-Jane Shannon, owner of Jungle Kids Indoor Play Centre, informs on focus-building exercises during play and how these can positively assist children undertake their day-to-day activities.
“Promoting a well-focused mindset in children should start early, particular during their first five years of psychological and mental growth,”says Kylie. ” Building a child’s mental focus through key emotional control will immediately improve their concentration on tasks that can positively affect their future in both schooling, and the working world, if regularly practiced,” Kylie adds.
Focus-building exercises that can assist children include: Mind-body integration, memory and concentration games, story-based games, puzzles and mazes.
Mind-body integration: Mind-body exercises strengthen the neural connections between the brain and body. Mind-body exercises include meditation, relaxation exercises, breathing activities and guided imagery. Enabling children opportunities to have quiet times where they can relax is important. Playing quiet music or undertaking a guided imagery session can support relaxation and improve self-control. Teaching them to breathe deeply, especially when they are upset or hurt, can promote positive emotions.
Memory and concentration games: These help to improve a child’s memory retrieval and stimulate other parts of the brain. Regularly memorising sequences of visual and auditory stimuli exercises the brain circuits and strengthens neural connections and ultimately improving memory function.
Story-based games: A good story book and a good imagination are all that’s needed to support a child’s language and creative development. Parents can read a short story and give the child a quiz on the story. Alternatively, read a paragraph or two from a story and then ask the child to come up with what they think might happen next. Or for an extra twist, ask the child to come up with their own ending. These games assist in building a working memory and improving concentration. They can also help in the development of logic and a good sense of humour.
Puzzles: Puzzles of all types are excellent for a child’s development. “Puzzles allow for memory recollection as well as visual and mental improvement in understanding how to structurally compile a puzzle’s image,” says Kylie.
Mazes: Finding your way around a maze is a perfect exercise to improve concentration, planning, sequencing, processing speed and visual-motor integration.
“Utilising these focus-building tools will assist children undertake day-to-day activities, and will help them master their ability to concentrate effectively without any distractions,” says Kylie.
Jungle Kids Indoor Play Centre continues to dedicate its expertise and delight to serving families within the town of Wallan, Victoria.
Check out their full range of services and current featured promotions at junglekids.com.au.Visit their Facebook page to view all their activities and special offerings. Jungle Kids Indoor Play Centre is open seven (7) days a week and is open until 5:00pm on weekdays during the school holidays.
As part of their Play-all-day Single Admission, adults and babies attend free of charge. 12 months to 3 years old attend at $8.50 and 4 years old to 12 years old attend at $10.00.
Written and syndicated by: YDMA Group
