“Can’t you just stop fidgeting and finish your homework?”

I’m sure we’ve all asked our children this at least a few dozen times while they’re studying. I know I have!

As a mother of a vibrant, fun-loving, talkative eight-year-old girl, it is often a challenge for me to get her to sit in one place, teach her how to focus on her homework and finish it without getting too distracted.

And yes, I say “too distracted” because children are naturally energetic and exuberant and we cannot expect them to focus completely and not get distracted at all!

But, having said that, it IS possible to help a child focus on a task and increase concentration skills for a longer period of time.

Before we head there, here are a couple of things you need to understand…

Children are naturally curious with unmatchable energy…

And the main reason they face these concentration issues is that they are wired differently.

“And the main reason they face these concentration issues is that they are wired differently.”

When the task they’re given isn’t fun, they get bored and quickly shift their attention to something more interesting — unlike us adults where we complete tasks whether we like it or not!

So first let’s understand what the signs are of low concentration in children:

Lack of interest
Inability to sit still and maintain a train of thought
Easily distracted
Appears to be daydreaming
Difficulty following instructions
Inability to keep things organised

1. Play focus games & exercises to build attention
Concentration games - Games can be effectively used to build concentration. Since children learn more by playing, it is always a good idea to try and make their activities a little more fun.
Keep away gadgets, tablets and computers and allow children to play with regular toys, activities that improve attention and concentration, and concentration exercises.
Studies have shown that gadgets actually reduce attention span and memory power of children so they should be used sparingly or not at all. Take a look at these powerful concentration games and activities for kids:

Thinking games

You can train and strengthen a child’s ability to concentrate and focus by playing concentration games that require thinking, planning and the use of memory. Crossword puzzles, jigsaw puzzles and card games such as ‘Memory’ and ‘Uno’ actually improve attention for words, numbers and pictures, while picture puzzles—in which your younger child has to look for things that are ‘wrong’ in the picture or look for hard-to-find objects—also improve attention and increase concentration.

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Sequencing

The link between sequencing and concentration is a strong one. Following recipes, setting the table and putting things in alphabetical order are great activities for kids who have concentration difficulties.

Just sit
This game involves challenging your child to sit in a chair without moving or fidgeting to see how long he can do it. Another concentration improvement game in this category is ‘Statue!’ Through repeated play, the child’s brain is ‘exercised’ and challenged, which strengthens mind-body connections and improves focus.

Spot the difference
These help in making your child concentrate for long and helps to improve focus as your child looks into the details. You can choose puzzle boards that are right for your child’s age! And hey, you can join your child for the game too!

Tongue Twisters
Betty bought a butter?! Oops! Your child needs a lot of focussing to get this right! Surf the internet for tongue twisters of varying levels of difficulty to give your child a good concentration workout. What’s missing?
Read a sequence of numbers, alphabets or words from their favourite rhyme — but here’s the catch — skip a number/alphabet/word in the process. Your little detective needs to focus closely to spot the missing item! Another option is to make them count backwards or narrate a story in reverse (based on their age group)

Memory game
Pick a theme, and you and your child take turns to add to a sequence of items in that theme. As your child tries to recollect each, they will put to use their memory, thus boosting their concentration power.