The world is becoming highly competitive, and we expect more out of our next generations. However, becoming more innovative is not just a product of our genetic makeup. Scientists suggest that children up to 10 years of age are still within the “window of opportunity” to form most neural networks.
This means it is the perfect time for activities that make your kids sharper. Here’s a list of four activities that you can do with them to get their grey matter growing.
1. Music-making
Studies have concluded that learning music makes children more intelligent. On average, children that take up music score better on standardized tests and have higher overall performance. One specific research showed that children that took piano lessons turned out to be more innovative. Encouraging your kids by motivating them on learning new skills and singing or playing the instruments along with them will make it more enjoyable for them.
Music is undoubtedly one of the activities that make your kids smarter. The earlier you start, the better it is for them!
2. Learn a second language
It’s observed that children who learn a second language perform better under pressure and pick up relevant information faster. Many also argue that the peak age for learning new languages is before puberty.
Learning a new language not only helps children to communicate with ease but also helps them to contribute towards cultural awareness and cognitive development.
3. Solving Puzzles
According to Sanesco Health, an industry leader in neurotransmitter testing has concluded that while solving a jigsaw puzzle both sides of our brains is engaged together. While the left brain is logical the right brain is intuitive.
Solving puzzles helps kids in their emotional skills by teaching them patience to solve a certain puzzle as well as problem solving skills which helps them to understand whether the puzzle fits correctly or not and how to solve the same.
4. Allow unstructured playtime
Free play is a child’s way of interacting with the world. It teaches them essential social skills while improving their cognitive abilities. A special report by American Academy of Pediatrics has outlined that allowing unstructured playtime enables children to grow up into happy, healthy adults.
These are the four activities that make your kids smarter. Along with these, you must also add plenty of sleep, a healthy diet, and a good amount of exercise to make sure they are at their fittest all the time.
Got your own activities that work effectively to help children develop? Mention it in the comments below!