In today’s technologically driven atmosphere, parents must help their children improve their focus abilities. With temptations at every turn and an alarming loss in attention spans caused by excessive screen usage, it is more crucial than ever to encourage a child’s capacity to focus.

Many educators, child psychologists, and parents report that young kids nowadays struggle with concentration. In a world full of distractions—from hectic schedules to technology—kids manage academics, extracurricular activities, sports, and much more. Furthermore, the fast satisfaction provided by electronics, such as the immediate engagement demanded by videos and games on platforms such as YouTube, has contributed to shorter attention spans. As per UNICEF, children abandon activities that don’t immediately captivate them, which affects their well-being or learning.

For children’s holistic development, the NEP (National Education Policy)-2020 emphasizes the need to keep their minds engaged and active. It highlights that just as physical exercise is for health, mental activities are as important for cognitive development. Regular mental workouts can help children improve their cognitive capabilities, memory, and problem-solving ability. Here are seven daily exercises that can improve children’s concentration, making their learning experience more effective and fun.

• Story Based Quiz: By narrating bedtime stories or reading any children’s book boosts a child’s imagination and develops their listening skills. Adding interactive quizzes at the end of every story or concocting a quiz for the next day based on the details of the tale will help improve their creativity and concentration. Alternatively, you can read only a portion of the story and have your child invent an ending. This exercise sharpens their attention to detail and sparks their imagination, enhancing memory and creativity.

•  Solve Puzzles: One of the most effective strategies to increase concentration- puzzles are not only enjoyable, but they help increase hand-eye coordination and spatial awareness. It helps increase mental speed, develop connections between brain cells, and enhance short-term memory. It also boosts the production of dopamine, a chemical that controls mood, memory, and attention. From jigsaw puzzles to word puzzles, arithmetic puzzles, scrabble, Sudoku, Snake cubes, and Rubik’s cubes, these games promote problem-solving abilities, logical thinking, and sequential thinking.

• Timed Games: Teaching the value of time management is important, and introducing timed games into a child’s daily routine can assist in accomplishing this. Games like guessing a word in 60 seconds or fast-paced sketching games like Pictionary not only keep kids interested but also teach them how to focus under time constraints. Cup stack, dice stack, book balancing, and color sorting in one minute are some other examples of such games. This practice improves their capacity to manage time in both academic and daily responsibilities.

• Memory Games: Memory games can help children enhance their reasoning skills, concentration, and brain capacity. It also improves their behavioral and cognitive abilities, increases their attention span, and develops their visual memory. Simple games like ‘Finding Waldo’, ‘Spot the Difference’, ‘Chinese Whispers’, and any other game that requires recalling words or sequences can significantly increase a child’s memory and concentration. These games are fun and may be played in groups, which promotes both cognitive growth and social connection.

• Learning Another Language: Introducing a new language can be a great way to promote brain development. According to Michigan State University, learning multiple languages stimulates the prefrontal cortex of the brain, which is directly linked to increased memory. Other research has also shown that learning a new language boosts brain function, boosting cognitive processes, listening ability, and memory. Encouraging your kid to learn languages, can lead to new cultural opportunities. NEP 2020 also specifies students to acquire three languages with adequate proficiency, including at least two native Indian languages. 

• Nature Walks: Going on a nature walk and noticing what’s around them teaches children to use all of their senses. Take your child for regular walks in nature in the early morning or evening. This can provide a change from the screens while also improving their concentration, asking them to look around things such as the different types of leaves, the sounds of birds, and the insects they see.  This will help them to focus their attention and notice the subtleties of their surroundings. It can also be a thoughtful and relaxing time for young minds.

• Mindfulness and Meditation: Teaching meditation and mindfulness activities can help youngsters develop lifelong abilities. Their brains are also better able to process the information. According to the National Institute of Health, while our brains continue to develop throughout our lives, connections in the prefrontal circuits form at the greatest pace during childhood. These activities can help kids focus on their breathing, sensations, or specific movements.  Even a few minutes spent focusing on their breathing or practicing yoga can dramatically improve a child’s concentration. These techniques help to build patience and promote general well-being.

 According to the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights’ report “Effects (Physical, Behavioral, and Psycho-Social) of using Mobile Phones and Other Devices with internet accessibility by Children,” approximately 23.8% of children use smartphones before going to bed, and 37.15% have experienced reduced concentration levels due to smartphone use. If we want to reduce this number and boost a child’s concentration, we must focus on holistic development, and these easy games can aid with cognitive development, allowing a child to reach their full potential for a bright future.