Cognitive Stimulation Activities for Children:

1. The Magic Word

The classic word search puzzle remains the cognitive stimulation activity most chosen among professionals to improve attention in kids.

NeuronUP offers therapists the possibility of customizing the word search to stimulate patients by using words from their daily life. For example, creating a customized word search with the names of their school friends:

2. Follow the path

Follow the path is an activity to improve alternating attention and inhibition. The child must follow the steps marked on the pictures to reach the castle. A range of difficulty levels is also available so that the professional can adjust the task to the needs of each child.

Basic Level

Advanced Level

3. Common items

Common items is the perfect activity for improving selective attention and semantic memory. Children have to select a number of specific items from among a group of stimuli. For example, in the next picture, children have to identify objects that are typically found in a kitchen:

4. Hide-and-seek with letters

This cognitive stimulation activity for children involves searching for the given letter among a group of letters. It targets selective attention in particular. Be careful: it is easy to leave some out!

5. Animal Pairs

Matching cards, another classic in cognitive stimulation, consists of finding the matching pairs among the face-down cards. In this case, the professional trains the child’s episodic memory, selective attention, as well as working memory.

NeuronUP also provides the professional with the ability to put a number on the cards in the case that this is a group activity, thus making the identification of the exact card to which the children are alluding to easier.

Child Neurological Development

The development of the nervous system is a complex process resulting in the maturation of brain structures, the acquisition of cognitive skills, and ultimately, the formation of individual personality. In the early years of life, our brain undergoes a maturation process where new neural connections are continuously established and structural growth occurs. At early ages, the brain has greater plastic capacity, promoting a period that favors the acquisition of both cognitive functions and motor skills, linguistic abilities, and social and emotional skills. This plastic capacity of the brain also facilitates the recovery of any altered capacities and functions.

Although we often refer to maturation and development as similar terms, we must remember that maturation is a genetically determined process that involves the gradual organization of neural structures, while development refers to the increase and refinement of functional skills. Therefore, genetic and environmental factors influence the maturation of the nervous system, which translates into the development process.

Both in the initial phases of growth and development and in the later stages of aging, a series of changes occur in the organization of the central nervous system (CNS). Furthermore, both physiological stimulation and environmental conditions and experiences can also provoke these changes in brain plasticity (delve into brain plasticity and neurorehabilitation).

The key biological phenomenon in development is the consolidation of cortical circuits. Myelination of these circuits begins at 8 months of gestation and is practically complete by 2 years of age. During this period, neural circuits exhibit great plasticity, as previously mentioned, being highly sensitive to external stimuli, allowing for early intervention in neurodevelopmental disorders.
The refinement and acquisition of skills depend on the child having opportunities to observe, copy, and experiment with their peers, as well as on the interaction between their genetics and the surrounding environment, all of which contribute interactively and complexly to the development process. Potential harmful genetic, intrauterine, and environmental events (especially sensory under-stimulation) during this time affect the organization and refinement of neural structures and can be responsible for delays in cognitive development.

Brain Plasticity in Childhood

Brain plasticity or neuroplasticity is generally defined as the brain’s ability to reorganize its patterns of neuronal connectivity, readjusting its functionality; it refers to how our central nervous system changes through its interaction with the environment and in response to its diversity. It has been demonstrated that the brain is a dynamic organ capable of experiencing significant modifications after suffering injuries or environmental changes. Because of this, there is currently a great emphasis on providing effective rehabilitation in cases of brain injury or adequate stimulation for early intervention in children to improve neurodevelopment.

In childhood, the brain is in a maturational process with great modifiability influenced by the numerous experiences and new knowledge occurring. Thus, brain plasticity at these ages is at its maximum, allowing for the acquisition of new learnings and capabilities.

It is important to understand the characteristics of brain plasticity to comprehend how the development and evolution of cognitive abilities occur from the earliest ages and to seek the most appropriate cognitive stimulation strategies for each child.

Neuropsychological rehabilitation takes advantage of this phenomenon to generate new synapses, although the effect is sometimes limited. To date, there is no established consensus regarding the effects produced by leveraging this phenomenon, as it depends on multiple factors: type of impairment, age, recovery process, cognitive reserve –and associated connectivity–, genetic factors, etc.

Child Cognitive Development

A child’s brain is not a miniature replica of an adult’s brain; rather, it is a brain in continuous development, sometimes experiencing rapid growth and subject to countless modifications and connections due to the ongoing stimulation provided by the environment in which it develops.

Cognitive development evolves progressively through different stages until adolescence, where it becomes fully consolidated. According to the Theory of Piaget, the different stages and sub-stages through which cognitive development progresses (stages of cognitive development) are as follows:

• Sensorimotor period: from 0 to 2 years.
  In this stage, knowledge is gradually acquired through sensory experience and motor activity. Imitation is the basic learning strategy. It consists of six sub-stages:
  • Reflexive exercise (0-1 months): the newborn uses innate reflexes to interact with the environment.
  • Primary circular reactions (1-4 months): repetition of simple actions directed towards the body that the child repeats because they are enjoyable.
  • Secondary circular reactions (4-8 months): repetition of actions aimed at producing an interesting effect on external objects.
  • Coordination of secondary schemes (8-12 months): intentional behavior emerges; the baby is able to coordinate their secondary schemes, meaning they can coordinate several previously learned actions to achieve a specific goal.
  • Tertiary circular reactions (12-18 months): the child introduces changes and variations in previously learned actions to provoke new experiences and results.
  • Invention of new means through mental combinations (18-24 months): internal experimentation occurs, meaning the child has the ability to imagine what will happen if they carry out certain behaviors.
• Preoperational period: from 2 to 7 years old.
  Between the ages of 2 and 7, children develop language and use a system of symbols to communicate. At this stage, both the child’s thinking and language are egocentric, meaning the child perceives and understands the world around them from their own perspective without considering that of others.

• Concrete operations period: From 7 to 11/12 years old.
  Children in this stage use the system of symbols logically, allowing for problem-solving. At this stage, they are able to perform classifications and relationships using the principles of conservation, seriation, symmetry, and reciprocity.

• Formal operations period: From 11/12 years old onwards.
  At this age, the ability to carry out mental tasks that require thinking to formulate hypotheses about problems and reach solutions develops.

It is essential to understand the development of the nervous system and its different stages to comprehend the deficits that may arise from abnormal brain development or damage at an early age. Depending on when these abnormalities or damages occur (during pregnancy, in the perinatal period, or during childhood), their repercussions will vary.

Some of the disorders included in this classification can be completely resolved through appropriate intervention. Others are chronic, but in this case, correct intervention is also crucial, as it is possible to mitigate to a greater or lesser extent and, in some cases, even eliminate the negative consequences or symptoms produced by the disorder in question.

* Intellectual disability meets all criteria to belong to this category, but we have considered it justified to assign it a separate section.

Cognitive Stimulation Exercises and Activities for Children

In addition to improving cognitive skills as such, cognitive stimulation positively affects other daily aspects:

• Improvement of self-esteem.
• Improvement of personal and social autonomy, both in the family and at school.
• Increase in social skills (interpersonal relationships, respect for rules, respect for others, knowing how to listen, etc.)
• Improvement in the understanding of abstract terms.
• Improvement of communicative capacity: understanding and expression, both oral and written.
• Increase in motivation without boredom.
• Learning of abstraction and symbolization of concepts.
• Generalization of different learnings to other contexts.
• Understanding the importance of learning to navigate life.
• Acquisition of school skills and, subsequently, work skills.

Cognitive stimulation activities for children are usually integrated within a cognitive intervention designed by professionals.

1. Cognitive Stimulation Through Play

The basic way to stimulate a child in their childhood and adolescence is through play. Play is an innate activity, typical of childhood, that allows the child to learn and interact with the environment. It is spontaneous and voluntary, guided by internal motivations and needs. Play has an end in itself, which is its own realization that is pleasant and enjoyable for the child, who takes an active and interactive role. In addition to being a rewarding activity in itself, play is a stimulating activity that requires the functioning of different components of child development. The learning that takes place through play is assimilated more quickly and effectively, activating the cognitive abilities that will facilitate the child’s understanding of their environment.

Among the various objectives of play related to the development of cognitive abilities, we can highlight: stimulating abilities such as reasoning, reflective and representational thinking, and comprehension; working on memory and attention through interaction with environmental stimuli; fostering the decentration of the child’s egocentric thinking; developing imagination and creativity as well as the distinction between fantasy and reality; enhancing the development of language and abstract thinking; and fostering personal autonomy.

2. Cognitive Stimulation Through Sport

Sport, something that is usually associated with physical activity, is also fundamental for cognitive development. The motor training and cognitive work involved in sports, as well as the frequency and intensity with which it is practiced, produce modifications at the brain level that aid in the development and improvement of cognitive abilities. While engaging in physical exercise, certain neurotransmitters and endorphins are released, the latter being related to the reduction of stress and anxiety levels, resulting in a state of well-being.

3. Cognitive Stimulation Through Exercise Books and Sheets

Cognitive stimulation books for children are used by educators to work on each of the cognitive abilities such as selective attention, working memory, and orientation, among others. NeuronUP offers exercises of varying difficulty that adapt to the cognitive development level of children to encourage their motivation.

4. Cognitive Stimulation with NeuronUP

Another way to stimulate the brain with NeuronUP, which is more entertaining for both children and adolescents, is through the use of new technologies. NeuronUP offers an extensive catalog of games and other digital activities that allow for the regulation of difficulty levels and adjustment to the developmental level of children, even working with them on daily life activities.

References

• Shaffer, D. R. (2000). Developmental Psychology: Childhood and Adolescence. (5th edition) Mexico: International Thompson. Chapter 7: “Cognitive Development: Piaget’s Theory and Vygotsky’s Sociocultural Perspective.”
• Rice, P (2000). Human Development: A Study of the Life Cycle. Retrieved from http://books.google.com.pe/books?id=ZnHbCKUCtSUC&pg=PA44&dq=desarrollo+cognitivo+piaget&hl=en&sa=X&ei=6IFnVKykCMKjgwSCtoO4Ag&ved=0CCMQ6AEwAQ#v=onepage&q=desarrollo%20cognitivo%20piaget&f=false
• Stassen, K. (2006). Developmental Psychology: Childhood and Adolescence. Retrieved from http://books.google.com.pe/books?id=sGB87-HX-HQC&pg=PA46&dq=desarrollo+cognitivo+piaget&hl=en&sa=X&ei=6IFnVKykCMKjgwSCtoO4Ag&ved=0CBsQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=desarrollo%20cognitivo%20piaget&f=false
• Gutierrez, F (2005). Theories of Cognitive Development. McGraw Hill: Buenos Aires.