Our cognitive skills are used throughout our daily life, even now while you’re reading this article. Cognitive function is crucial to our being, and as children, cognitive skills are what allow them to learn and grow into their personality.

It’s never too early to begin the learning process! While quality child care can improve a child’s cognitive functions, it’s important to continue their education outside of the school environment. There are multiple exercises that children can participate in that appear to be everyday activities—but are a ruse to build their cognitive skills!

Ask Questions

Asking questions is a simple activity that doesn’t require anything more than a mind and a voice! Questions such as which toy the child likes the most or why it’s important to look both ways before crossing a road will develop critical thinking skills.

Asking questions is something that parents can do daily or on a whim to help grow and improve their child’s cognitive function. Questions allow children to think for themselves, which improves problem-solving skills and helps them better understand the world around them.

Play with Everyday Items

Everyday item play is a cost-efficient, fun, and interactive approach for children to strengthen their cognitive skills. Activities such as pointing out their facial features, fitting lids to the corresponding containers, and matching food to the right color can develop a child’s deeper thinking as they learn how the world correlates and begin to grasp their surroundings.

Matching Games

Memory games like Go Fish or matching cards can promote memory, problem-solving, and identification skills. These games require children to hone in on their ability to solve a problem as they flip cards and use their memory to identify an object and match it to the corresponding object.

Puzzles

Puzzles are fun and easy activities that children and parents can participate in together. Puzzles hone problem-solving skills as children work to comprehend which piece fits where. And, since there’s only one way to solve a puzzle, children improve their patience and think logically for themself. Puzzles teach children the importance of taking time to solve problems because forcing pieces together will not make the whole image.

Imaginative Play 

What better way to boost cognitive function than to get the brain rolling by using the imagination? Imaginative play is a fun and interactive method for children to express their creativity and natural curiosity through charades, performing or watching a play, or playing pretend. Imaginative play enhances a child’s problem-solving skills as they work to identify who someone is pretending to be while also improving their focus and attention.

Childcare Can Improve Cognitive Skills

For parents who are looking to improve their child’s cognitive skills but are often too busy working, childcare can help! Wonderschool is an all-in-one childcare program that gives parents the ability to find the best childcare program based on their child’s needs. Wonderschool promotes in-home childcare and daycares alike, offering a wide range of options for parents to choose from in their area. Finding Omaha childcare has never been easier! Visit Wonderschool to find the perfect Omaha childcare centers in your area.