CL-September 2024 - 28

KIDSKORNER
KEEPING A
" Buff " Brain
M
aybe you feel that your academic abilities
have become a bit sluggish over the school
vacation break.
It is not unusual for children to experience a
summer slide or learning loss while away from school.
When the rhythm of instruction is broken, kids tend
to forget what they have learned. This is why there is
so much reviewing of old material during the early
weeks of a new school year.
UPPING YOUR BRAIN POWER
As you return to the classroom, you will want
the most important organ of your body to be in
tip-top shape.
Not surprisingly, there are cerebral workouts you
can do that will help keep your brain fit, robust and
ready to tackle new school tasks.
Scientific research has shown that the brain has
some muscle-like qualities - it can actually change
its structure and get stronger when used. Just like
weightlifting improves the body's muscle strength,
learning new things keeps the brain buff!
Here is how it works. At birth, your brain came
with many nerve cells called neurons. Throughout your
life, as you are learning different things, the brain sends
messages from one neuron to another. The neurons
reach out with specialized arm-like projections called
axons sharing information through electrical signals at
a space called a synapse. (Sounds like kids passing notes
in the classroom.) If you repeat the same thing many
times, the brain makes a connection or path between
the neurons. These tiny connections grow and become
stronger as you learn new things like riding a bike or
learning to type. Eventually, the activities become easier
story and artwork by Anne M. Dellinger, Contributing Columnist
With another school year beginning, you might be wondering ...
" Is my brain really ready to go back to the classroom again? "
and you can do them
better and better.
That is why practice
makes perfect!
Brain workouts can be any activity that helps improve
these three abilities:
* memory recall * problem-solving * focus and
concentration
Playing a sport, mastering a musical instrument
or learning a new language are all great examples of
challenging brain fitness exercises that make these
three skills get better.
But even sitting at a table playing board games or
completing a jigsaw or crossword puzzle will
also deliver brain bonuses. And, of course,
never forget the powerful brain-building
benefits of reading.
If you are ready to stir up your neurons
right now, look over the following Mind
Games and Brain Teasers, which are just a
small sample of the tons of brain workouts
available online and in puzzle books. Ask a friend or
family member to join you.
COLOR CHALLENGE
Name the colors as fast as
you can but DO NOT READ
THE WORDS. Looks easy
but can be very tricky.
CONCENTRATION
Place a tray of 8-12 random objects in front of the
player for 30 seconds. Remove the tray and ask the player
to recall as many items as possible. Or, remove
only 1 or 2 items from the tray and ask
player to name the missing item(s).
APPLE TREE (paper and pencil game)
This is a less gruesome version of
Hangman. One person thinks of a word and
draws dashes to represent each letter in the
word. Above the dashes, he draws
26 ● Cooperative Living ●
September 2024
co-opliving.com
KIDS! CLIP AND KEEP YOUR KIDS KORNER COLUMNS IN A THREE-RING BINDER AND YOU'LL HAVE A NOTEBOOK CHOCK FULL OF FUN IDEAS AND ACTIVITIES FOR THE FUTURE!

http://www.co-opliving.com

CL-September 2024

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of CL-September 2024