Basic Exercises

• Concentration, like other abilities, is something that develops as people age. It is defined by the ability to direct the mind to one single thought or task. This is something that many people, both adults and children, have a difficult time doing because of distractions, such as cell phones and computers, which cause their attention to the divided between different subjects. There are a number of cognitive exercises that kids can start with, which can help them to develop better concentration so that their memory and ability to focus improves. They will want to do these exercises while they are in a room by themselves, with no other distractions. This means that their computers and cell phones should be shut off when they are doing these exercises.
  
  Children should take deep breaths, to relax their bodies, and begin by doing the exercises for about ten minutes and working their way up to 15 minutes. They should work up to doing a number of exercises for at least three minutes each without distraction, practicing different ones each day to switch up the routine. The ultimate goal is to do exercises for a full five minutes each without distraction. It can take days, weeks or months to master the exercises, depending on whether the individual has neurobehavioral disorders or problems concentrating in his daily life.
  
  One exercise is for kids that already know how to read. They should open a book to any page and count the number of words in each paragraph before working their way up to the whole page. This should be done without the help of a finger to count.
  
  Two other exercises involve counting backwards from 100. One starts with 100 and goes backwards to one, and the other involves skipping every three numbers in the sequence when counting back from 100.
  
  Another exercise kids can do is taking an object, such as an apple, and trying to concentrate fully on it without letting other thoughts enter their heads. While they are doing this, they can look at the object from different sides and focus on the smell and feel of it. After doing this exercise, they can follow up by doing an exercise where they close their eyes and visualize the object.
  
  

Memory Exercises

• There are a number of exercises that have developed for kids with ADHD, which can be effective for other children as well who are having a difficult time concentrating. These exercises were designed so that parents and children could work together to improve kids' attention spans.
  
  One game that parents and kids can do together is the coin game, which can improve children's memory and concentration levels. For this game, you need coins of different values, something to cover the coins with, such as a cardboard sheet, and a stopwatch. First the parent should pick up five coins and place them in a sequence, showing his child the order. Next he should put the coins under a cardboard cover, mixing up their order. After this, the child should pick up the coins, arranging them in the same order while the parent times him with a stopwatch and repeat the exercise if he gets it wrong.
  
  Games such as Simon and Memory have been found to be effective in teaching kids better concentration. Memory is a card game where kids are asked to find matching cards, such as two queens. Cards are laid out face down and picked up. The goal is to match up all of the pairs. Simon is a game where children need to remember sequences of colors and sounds, which are found in a circular device. These exercises are helpful because they exercise the brain's circuits, which can help to strengthen the interaction between the mind and body.