8 Ways You Can Keep Your Childs Brain in Shape

The human brain follows a straightforward rule - use it or lose it. The synapses that are not wired together through stimulation can get lost during a child's school years. Thus, engaging them in activities that provide more opportunities to become wired together and stay in shape is essential.You can engage in simple activities that help keep your child's brain sharp and skilful. This, in turn, will keep your child agile and stimulate their mental development. Let's take a look at eight such activities.

Engage in Reading Activities

Reading brings about numerous positive changes in your kid's brain and helps keep it in shape. It helps develop vocabulary, enhances imagination, improves listening skills, and even helps improve parent-child bonding.
Thus, foster an early passion for books and reading in your kids. Expose them to books on different genres. See what they are most interested in. Surround them with reading materials on the same.
You can even make use of reading apps for children to develop a reading habit in kids. Many apps make reading fun with visual storytelling and a host of other features. 
Similarly, AI-powered reading apps have voice identification, live follow-up, and word recognition technology that help improve your child's reading skills.

Buy Interactive and Stimulating Toys

There are various learning and educational toys available for kids of all ages. These toys help stimulate your child's brain. They help develop logical reasoning and decision-making skills in your child.
You can buy toys like chess, checkers, puzzles, push and go toys, shapes and slots, building blocks, and other toys depending upon your child's age. These toys are designed to provide age-appropriate brain stimulation exercises.
You can also design custom games that can help stimulate your child's brain and keep it in shape. You can also make these games a fun, family activity.

Try Artistic Activities

You can get your child's creative skills out that can help with their brain's development. Studies have shown that visual arts promote healthy brain development in kids. There are various artistic activities you can try for the same. For example, you can get your child involved in activities like painting, drawing, doodling, or clay modelling.
Similarly, performing arts, too, brings a tremendous positive impact on a child's brain. Music, singing, dancing, acting, and other performing art forms help kids with self-expression and embracing individuality. Thus, enrol your child in a performing arts class from an early age to keep your child's brain in shape.

Let Them Explore Nature

Kids have a natural tendency to explore the world around them. This curiosity can benefit them with intellectual, social, emotional, and physical development.
Thus, allow your child to go out and explore their surroundings. It will provide the real, authentic learning that nothing else can. Some of the brain development activities that you can try for your child are:

1. Cloud Gazing
2. Jumping in puddles
3. Building with dirt and mud
4. Listening to the birds sing
5. Climbing trees
6. Swinging from tree branches

You can also join in with your kids in their nature exploration. Reserve a day to spend some time with your child in nature. You can go to the local park and spend a few hours there.

Keep Distractions Away

Today, we all, including kids, spend too much time in front of electronic devices. As per a report, kids in the United States spend about seven hours in front of a device daily. This can lead to negative consequences for your child.
Studies have found that spending time on cell phones is bad for your child's brain. It can also affect their psychology, sleep cycles, and behaviour, and shorten their attention span.
Thus, limit the time your child spends in front of electronic devices. If possible, eliminate electronic devices from your child's life. This will aid with your child's brain development and keep it in shape.

Make Them Learn a New Language

Learning a new language can help with your child's brain development. Studies have shown that children who know two languages are sharper than kids who know one language. 
Moreover, children acquire essential skills when learning new languages. For example, children who are exposed to a second language are skilled at classification and categorization. 
Children who are familiar with multiple languages also have better attention, memory, and cognitive flexibility. Thus, if you want to keep your child's brain in shape, enrol them in a language class. You can also teach them a new language yourself, if possible. 

Provide Them with Nutritious Meals

Good food is the key to good physical as well as mental development. Nutrition plays an important role in concentration, learning, and brain function, in general. Certain foods contain nutrients crucial for the early development of a kid's brain.
For example, research has shown that eggs are important for infant development and brain function. Similarly, fermented foods can help with brain development. Green, leafy vegetables, oats, beans, and other food items, too, play a vital role in keeping your child's brain in shape.
In a nutshell, ensure a healthy, well-balanced diet consisting of natural foods. Stay away from junk and processed foods to look after your child's brain development.

Ensure Sound Sleep

Sleep problems can have a major effect on your child's brain. If your child does not sleep properly, they can suffer from poor concentration, low memory, and behavioural issues. This can impact their day-to-day functioning. This can also impact their relationships with parents, teachers, friends, and schoolmates.
Having a healthy sleep pattern can help with learning, memory, cognitive skills, emotional regulation, and other related brain structure development.
Thus, make sure that your child gets adequate and good-quality sleep. Establish a bedtime routine. Make sure they get the recommended eight hours of sleep daily.

Key Takeaways

You can try out a blend of the activities mentioned above to keep your child's brain in shape. They will help with your child's mental development. Some activities will require fewer efforts, and some will require more, but your efforts will be required. In the end, the efforts will be worth it.So which activities are you planning to try? Let us know in the comments below.