Inhibition Game for Kids: Lightning Categories

Today we launch a new game, called Lightning Categories, focused on improving inhibition, processing speed and sustained attention in children.

What does this activity involve?

This activity requires pressing as quickly as possible the words that belong to the indicated category and avoiding pressing those that don’t.

Below, we show an example of the Lightning Categories activity:

What does this activity train?

By performing this task, children train inhibition, processing speed and sustained attention.

As you move up levels, the time available to decide is shorter, so you must think quickly (processing speed), control the automatic impulse to press at every word (inhibition), and not lose attention at any moment so as not to miss any word (sustained attention).

This is an activity that we can easily see being useful in children’s real life. For example, when playing games with family or friends, children can practice processing speed to make quick decisions, inhibition to resist impulses, and sustained attention to stay focused on the game. Therefore, it is a highly recommended task to work with children who have difficulties with impulsivity and attention.

Play by levels

This inhibition game for children is divided into phases. The first phase is the easiest, progressing up to the most difficult, the ninth.

The user will move up or down levels automatically depending on their correct answers or mistakes. In addition, the professional can choose the phase manually.

Activity customization

Additionally, customized phases can be created to adapt them to the specific needs of the user.

Parameters

In this game of inhibition, processing speed and sustained attention, we can define some parameters of the activity such as:

• the display time of the E (sec),
• the maximum number of errors,
• the number of stimuli,
• the total duration (sec),
• the number of target stimuli,
• and the number of different elements.

General aspects

You can choose other general aspects such as:

• the number of exercises,
• the maximum time,
• an inactivity warning,
• a visible timer,
• and instructions.

Adult version

This game Lightning Categories is the children’s version of the adult game Categories Against Time, also focused on developing the same intervention areas.

If you liked this inhibition game for children, you may also be interested in these articles:

“This article has been translated. Link to the original article in Spanish:”
Juego de inhibición para niños: Categorías relámpago