OH! Magazine - Australian Version September 2018 | Page 26

( FOCUS ON FAMILY )
KEEP BRAINS ACTIVE
THESE SCHOOL HOLIDAYS
Matific’s Brent Hughes shares these tips to keep little brains occupied
these school holidays.
hildren are constant learning
machines, continually taking in
and processing new information. Every
time they construct a Lego tower, climb
the equipment at the park and even
make a mess in the kitchen, they are
creating pathways in the brain that help
them develop even more skills. All this
activity helps them supplement learning
alongside the more formal environment
of school.
C
Rituals and routines are important in the
classroom
because
they
provide
structure and certainty for kids – but
they can also help at home, and
especially during the holidays. Having
some rituals around eating, playtime,
packing-up time, relaxation time and
sleep helps create a healthy learning
environment for kids. Ensuring limited
but good quality screen time is also
important too.
Kids are natural learners, so during the
school vacation there is lots parents can
do to support children’s learning. Check
out these tips which Brent Hughes,
former teacher and education expert for
Matific, has pulled together to help them
fulfil their potential out of the classroom
during the holidays, and prep them to
return to school, hungry for more!
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OH! MAGAZINE ( SEPTEMBER 2018 )
1. Put screen time to good use
We know how much kids love their
devices, but often we don’t want our
children to spend hours of time in front
of the screen. Although it’s important to
include a range of vacation activities,
not all screen time is bad and there are
tons of apps and games that help
reinforce and teach maths concepts in
an engaging and educational way for
children. Matific Galaxy is available to
download now on all iOS devices, from
either Google Play or the App store, and
allows your child to learn and love
mathematics through gamified activities.
Here, they are tasked to complete fun
and stimulating activities to help save
little creatures in a space-like setting
that
are
educationally
engaging.
Gamifying maths has been shown by
research and real-world practice to have
a significant impact on maths
engagement and outcomes, says
Hughes.
2. Get messy (Creatively!)
Many parents are put off by messy play,
as although the idea of crafts or finger
painting sounds fun, the reality of a
major post-play clean-up of the glue,
paint and glitter (that inevitably gets
everywhere) soon sets in. But please
don’t let this deter you as it’s so
important to embrace messy play as it
allows children to explore and experiment
with different objects and raw materials
without any end goals to restrict them.
Unlike toys, raw materials (paint, play
dough, paste, sand etc) enable children’s
imaginations to run wild, allowing them
to make their own discoveries,
stimulating their curiosity and developing
their knowledge.
With messy play, the sensory experience
also helps children to understand their
senses. By exploring how things feel,
smell and taste, this type of play nurtures
an awareness and understanding of the
world that surrounds them.
Note: Don’t discount the importance of diet
and regular meals
A healthy, balanced diet isn’t just good
for kids’ bodies, it’s fantastic for their
brains too. Making sure they eat the
right foods and at regular times can
improve brain function, memory, and
concentration, all ensuring they are
starting with the best building blocks for
learning. Like the body, the brain absorbs
nutrients from the foods we eat. Make
sure that when the holidays arrive they
don’t just gorge on treat foods but have
nutritional meals too. Top foods to help
kid’s grey matter include: fatty fish -
(such as salmon), eggs, peanut butter,
oats, berries, beans, colourful veggies,
milk and yoghurt and lean beef (or a
meat alternative).
For even more tips read the full version
of this article at www.ohmagazine.com.au