Summertime Fun & Brain Building Activities
Activities Guide: Enhancing and Practicing Executive Function Skills with Children from Infancy to Adolescence
Executive function and self-regulation (EF/SR) skills provide critical supports for learning and development, and while we aren’t born with these skills, we are born with the potential to develop them through interactions and practice. Our activities guide offers a variety of age-appropriate activities and games to support and strengthen various components of EF/SR in children. Each chapter contains activities suitable for a different age group, ranging from 6-18 months to adolescents.
How-to: 5 Steps for Brain-Building Serve and Return
Child-adult relationships that are responsive and attentive—with lots of back and forth interactions—build a strong foundation in a child’s brain for all future learning and development. This is called “serve and return,” and it takes two to play! Follow these five steps to practice serve and return with your child:
- Notice the serve and share the child's focus of attention.
- Return the serve by supporting and encouraging.
- Give it a name!
- Take turns…and wait. Keep the interaction going back and forth.
- Practice endings and beginnings.
"By noticing serves, you’ll learn a lot about children’s abilities, interests, and needs. You’ll encourage them to explore and you’ll strengthen the bond between you."
--5 Steps for Brain-Building Serve and Return