Holidays give us all much-needed time to rest and recuperate after a period of hard work, but just because we are not at school doesn’t mean that we should let our brains (or, our children’s brains) get sluggish so that they struggle when they get back to school. Luckily, there are lots of ways to keep young minds sharp over the holidays, keep them learning, and have fun—and time can be carved out every day for at least one of these activities.
Why Can Holidays Stall Cognitive Progress?
Long holidays can stall cognitive progress, simply because we aren’t using our brains and practicing everything we have learned over the school year. In terms of academics, literacy and maths are the most prevalent areas where children lose progress, and up to 20% of the year’s learning being lost over the course of the holiday. However, there are steps that parents can take to prevent cognitive processes from stalling or being lost to ensure a smooth return to school without sacrificing a fun summer.
To keep young minds sharp over the holidays, parents, carers, and guardians will need to put in the work and take the time to come up with viable ways to incorporate activities into their child’s daily life, monitor them, and be present and supportive through it all. Get involved, have fun, spend time with your children, and improve your own cognitive processes while you are at it!
What Can You Do to Help Keep Brains Active Throughout Long Holidays?
Some of the most fun ways to prevent learning loss (or, summer brain drain) over long breaks could include engaging in creative hobbies like music or art or even reading, to exercising, having a structured routine, and trying out a brain training program can make a big difference.
However, keeping your brain active comes in lots of different forms, and from building on or learning languages, going on educational trips to historical locations or the museum, trying out DIY science projects, solving everyday maths problems (grocery shopping provides the perfect opportunity for this!), and so much more.
At the end of the day, finding options that work for you and your children might take a little while, and it could take some getting used to. Have patience, and work with your kids, and you will quickly see what a difference these changes can make over the summer.
1. Create a Simple, Flexible Daily Routine
You might be surprised to learn that creating a simple but flexible daily routine can help keep young minds sharp over the holidays by reducing stress, ensuring better sleep, and encouraging habits that are beneficial to their health in controlled ways. However, having a daily routine doesn’t mean that there is no spontaneous fun to be had—there will be plenty of time for that!
It’s crucial to have a strong foundation to work with, and making sure that your kids get the sleep they need is key. You will quickly find that your kids will be well-rested every day, and excited for what every new day has to offer, putting them in the perfect headspace for fun and activities to keep their minds active.
2. Encourage Reading Challenges or Book Swaps
Reading is incredible for our brains and also our mental health—and this includes reading comics, too! To help keep young minds sharp over the holidays, consider setting up reading challenges, book swaps with friends, daily out-loud reading, or personal reading goals to encourage them (and yourself).
Be sure to take the age and reading abilities of your kids into account, and come up with a reading programme for the summer that they will love by selecting appropriate books and comics that are going to engage their brains—and also keep them entertained.
3. Try Brain-Boosting Games and Puzzles
Another way to keep young minds sharp over the holidays is to introduce them to game-boosting games and puzzles, with fantastic options including chess, Sudoku, crosswords, scrabble, jigsaws, and so much more. These engage the brain quickly, and will get your kids thinking and exercising their minds in no time, and they are a lot of fun, even if it might take some convincing.
4. Use Tech Wisely: Educational Apps and Tools
Technology is a fantastic tool when used properly, and kids should be able to play age-appropriate games in some of their free time, but our tablets and computers can be used for more than that, too. Depending on what your child is interested in, you can try educational apps and tools like language learning apps, coding platforms, Quizlet, and so many more.
Wherever they are interested in, there will probably be an app or software out there that can help them further their knowledge. With that being said, do ensure that proper time management is exercised, and they don’t spend too much time with a screen in front of their faces—there is so much to see and experience during the holidays!
NOTE: on the topic of technology, be mindful of social media use during the summer, and try to encourage activities that don’t involve screens. Social media and doomscrolling can negatively impact anyone, with a stronger effect on young minds, and can result in bed rotting, worsened mental health, and low mood.
5. Get Moving with Physical Activities That Stimulate the Brain
Physical activity can be fantastic for stimulating the brain, with aerobic being especially good. This includes activities like dancing, walking, cycling, swimming, and more—doesn’t that sound like the perfect way to get outside and enjoy summer?
Exercising to keep young minds sharp over the holidays might sound like a cheap way to handle the holidays, but this method not only keeps brains going, it also improves overall physical and mental well-being while giving the family the perfect excuse to spend quality time together.
6. Explore Creative Hobbies Like Drawing or Music
Creativity is another useful tool that can be used to keep brains sharp over the holidays, and there are all kinds of ways to enjoy it. From learning instruments and singing, to trying out painting, drawing, and other forms of art (like pyrography, crochet, and so much more), the world is your oyster when it comes to creativity.
What’s more, letting kids lean into their creative side is beneficial for mental health and overall mood, and it is a fantastic bonding experience.
7. Try a Brain Training Program Like The Brain Workshop
Finally, why not try a brain training program to keep young minds sharp over the holidays? With The Brain Workshop, we can come up with a specialised program for your kids to help keep problem-solving, literacy, attention span, and other cognitive skills alive and thriving throughout the holidays so that they don’t feel left behind when school starts again in a few short weeks.
Keep Your Brain Active When You Work With The Brain Workshop
You can keep your child’s brain active during holidays by having a simple routine that they stick to, encouraging activities like reading, puzzles, music, or art, being responsible with technology, carving out time for physical exercise, and even trying out brain training programs. Depending on what your kid likes and is interested in, you could find that the trick to help keep young minds sharp over the holidays is much easier than you expect—and they might find a new favourite hobby to enjoy.
Keep your child’s mind active, engaged, and growing. Explore our online brain training programs at The Brain Workshop today.
Learn more about us at the Brain Workshop, meet our team, check out events, or read our FAQ.
