Tuesday, February 25, 2014

Strengthen The Brain With These Kid-Friendly Activities

By Madeleine Bridgeman


If you are searching for ways to improve your child's academic success or just wish to improve their ability to think, reason and solve problems, there are many ways to achieve this goal. Children's grades and test scores tend to improve if they get enough sleep, eat a healthy diet and exercise, but there are also some additional activities that you can add easily to their schedule that have been shown to have important benefits.

Chess is an activity that has been shown to have a positive effect in many areas. Obviously, learning chess will improve one's critical thinking skills, but it actually has been shown to improve verbal skills and mathematical skills. Many schools offer Academic Chess classes after school for a small fee and the instructors quickly teach children all the skills they need to play. This is a great lifelong skill that has been shown to possibly inhibit dementia and diseases such as Alzheimer's.

Family game night can be an activity that serves two important purposes. The first, of course, is to spend some quality time with your children, and while that is reason enough to start up a weekly game night, there are more benefits. You can choose games that boost their ability to strategize and think critically or expand their vocabulary. Games such as Scrabble help them improve spelling and vocabulary skills, while games such as Boggle or puzzles can improve their spatial skills. Yahtzee can help them improve math skills and critical thinking skills. Balderdash and Apples to Apples can improve verbal skills. In addition, children learn how to be gracious winners and good sports, which will serve them well throughout their lives.

You also could switch up your game night activities to include a Lego night. Using Lego blocks is a great way to develop those fine motor skills as well as building creativity. Playing with Legos can even help improve problem solving skills. Not only can kids play with Legos at home, many schools have after-school Lego classes, and there are even Lego summer camps where children can build machines out of Legos, learn stop-motion filmmaking with Legos and much more.

There are many benefits your child can derive from music lessons, and students who play an instrument have been shown to have better grades and higher tests scores than children not involved in a music program. Developing discipline and improving spatial skills and even math skills are other reasons why you might consider opting for music lessons. There are dozens of instruments to consider, from popular instruments such as clarinet, flute and violin to more rock-oriented instruments such as the guitar, drums or keyboard. Whether you want to learn a traditional instrument or something a bit more unusual, Los Rios Rock School has teachers that can provide top-notch instruction.

At this San Juan Capistrano music school, students not only enjoy a weekly lesson in the instrument of their choice, the tuition includes a true rock band experience. Student bands are formed and after weeks of practice, these bands perform at real local music venues such as the Coach House, the House of Blues or perhaps Stillwater. If you are searching for a Dana Point music school, a Laguna Niguel music school or a San Clemente music school, Los Rios Rock School might be the perfect place for your child to excel.




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