5 EXECUTIVE FUNCTIONING ACTIVITIES FOR KIDS

PRACTICE THAT FEELS LIKE PLAY I F YOU’ R E LOOK ING FOR E X E CUT I V E FUNCT IONING ACT I V I T I E S FOR K IDS WHO ST RUGGL E WI TH FOCUS , WOR K ING M E M OR Y, S E L F - R EGUL AT ION, AND/OR T I M E M ANAGE M ENT, YOU’ V E CO M E TO THE R IGHT P L AC E

What is executive functioning?

Executive Functioning is a set of mental skills that help you get things done. These skills are controlled by an area of the brain called the frontal lobe.

What are executive functioning skills?

Examples of executive functioning skills include a person’s ability to:

1. Start tasks and see them through to completion
2. Planning and Problem Solving: finding new approaches and solutions
3. Filter out distractions and remain focused on a specific task
4. Shift focus from one task to another when needed
5. Stay organized and exercise
6. Effective time management skills
7. Maintain appropriate self-regulation and self-control
8. Organize the steps necessary to complete a task

   
   

   Why are executive functioning skills important?

   When children have opportunities to develop executive function and self-regulation skills, individuals and society experience lifelong benefits. These skills are crucial for learning and development. They also enable positive behavior and allow us to make healthy choices for ourselves and our families. What are the symptoms of executive function disorder (EFD)? People with EFD often experience time blindness, or an inability to plan for and keep in mind future events that aren’t in the near-term. They also have difficulty stringing together actions to meet long-term goals. This is not an attention problem in the present tense, but rather a sustain ed attention problem.

   
   

   How can I help my child build executive functions?

   Education – If your child has been diagnosed with executive function disorder, the first thing you want to do is educate yourself on his/her individual challenges. While we immediately want to find ways to ‘fix’ our child’s problems, it’s important that you fully understand the things your child struggles with before you start formulating an action plan.

   Get help – Occupational therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy, and other psychology-based interventions can all help a child with EFD, as can hiring an after school tutor in the subjects your child is struggling with. The trick is to figure out which kind of therapist and/or intervention your child would benefit the most from, and then do your due diligence in formulating a proper support team for your child…and for you!

   Employ school supports. While the term ‘IEP’ sends most parents running for the hills sometimes a parent has to go outside their comfort zone and do what’s right for their child. I have written in IEP book that can help you know your writes and understand how to success at this skill. Click HERE to order.

   Break down tasks. If your child struggles to perform tasks from start to finish, find ways to help her break them down into smaller, more manageable tasks. It may take longer to complete school assignments, but that’s what IEPs are designed for. Take regular brain breaks. Also know as ‘sensory breaks’, brain breaks are designed to provide calming or active input to help a child concentrate. Whether your little one gets distracted easily, appears hyperactive, or struggles with impulse control, or appears tired, disinterested, or lost in her own world, engaging in regular brain break activities throughout the day will help her gain the sensory input needed to stay alert and focused both in the classroom and at home.

   Use visual schedules. By giving your child a visual representation of what his/her day will look like, you are empowering her by allowing her to look to the visual schedule and move from one activity to the next without prompting, which lessens the chance she will be caught off guard and react poorly.

   Use props. In addition to visual schedules, there are lots of other things you can do to help your child develop her executive functioning skills. For example:

   • If he/she struggles with completing school assignments on time, buy her an age-appropriate planner and get him/her into the habit of setting specific school goals and show her how to break them down into manageable, bite-sized tasks that feel less overwhelming.
   • If he/she struggles with time management, invest in a Time Timer to help teach him/her the concept of time, and encourage her to work in shorter intervals with regular breaks scheduled in between to help her stay focused.
   • If he/she struggles to follow directions, get her into the habit of verbally repeating the things that are asked of her to ensure she understands, or take it a step further and have her write the directions down so she can refer back to them if needed.

   
   

   5 executive functioning activities for kids

   In addition to the ideas above, there are HEAPS of fun activities to improve executive functioning in kids, and you probably already have some of these games lying around in your basement!

   
   

   1. Distraction. This game is equal parts hilarious and educational, and can be enjoyed in the classroom or as a family. Players take turns drawing number cards and must remember the growing sequence of numbers until a player pulls a ‘distraction card’. This person must then answer a silly question before reciting the sequence of numbers in the exact order they were drawn. It’s so much fun!
   2. Executive Functioning Task Cards. If you’re looking for education-based activities you can use with your students and/or children, Teachers Pay Teachers offers a whole range of excellent ideas you can buy for a minimal fee and then print off, laminate, and use over and over again. I recently found this collection of executive functioning task cards, and I highly recommend it. It includes over 160 task cards and covers things like planning, time management, working memory, self-control, organization, attention, and flexibility. You can use these to create group activities in the classroom, as a topic of conversation around the dinner table, or as journal prompts to help kids who struggle with one or more executive functioning skills.
   3. Blurt! If you Google ‘executive functioning activities for kids’, one of the FIRST things that always comes up is the game Blurt! , and for good reason. Not only is this a fun game the whole classroom (or family) can participate in, but it’s also a great way to teach kids self-control. The premise behind the game is simple – one person reads a definition, and the person to blurt out the corresponding word first wins – and when you organize the game such that only 2 people are playing against one another at a time, it forces the rest of the class/family to exercise self-control as they refrain from yelling out the answer. Brilliant, right?!
   4. Scrabble. Scrabble is a great game for kids who struggle with planning and organization. As the game progresses, they must strategize and anticipate how they can build their own words off of those already played by others. This is also a great game for kids who struggle with spelling and/or vocabulary!
   5. Team Sports. Another great way to help a child develop her executive functioning skills is to sign her up for team sports she enjoys, like soccer or basketball. Organized activities such as these require kids to practice a whole range of executive functions, like following directions, planning, strategizing, and even controling their emotions in the event that they lose a game.