Research indicates that a person's psychophysical state significantly influences their ability to concentrate. The more relaxed we are, the more information we can absorb. Therefore, while training concentration, it's essential not to forget about play and relaxation. Here are several exercise ideas for daily activities.

Games for preschool and early school-age children:

• Rhythms.
  
  We clap out a simple rhythm. The child's task is to replicate the heard sound. Start with 2-3 claps and gradually increase the difficulty. Then switch roles.
  
  
• What's That Sound?
  
  Ask the child to close their eyes. Then, hit different objects with a stick or pencil, like a ball, the floor, a cardboard box. The child tries to guess the sound's origin. Switch roles afterward.
  
  
• What Do You Hear?
  
  Ask the child to sit or lie down comfortably on the floor and close their eyes. Instruct them to listen to specific sounds: their breathing, heartbeat, the bathroom's hum, the noise of cars passing by the window.
  
  
• Magic Bag.
  
  Prepare a large, opaque bag and fill it with many small objects (e.g., a tape measure, ear swab, hairbrush, keys, toy bottle). The child reaches into the bag and, using touch only, guesses the object's name. Then switch roles. Repeat until the bag is empty.
  
  
• How Do I Look Today?
  
  Sit back-to-back with the child, touching backs. Then, describe each other's outfits in as much detail as possible. Turn around to see how accurate you were.
  
  
• Today for Breakfast I Ate…
  
  Start the game with, "Today for breakfast I ate...," and add an item, like a bun. The next person repeats the sentence and adds another product. Play several rounds.
  
  
• My Room.
  
  Encourage the child to carefully observe a chosen room. Then ask them to leave for a moment while you rearrange small items. The child's task is to spot the changes.
  
  
• Drawing in the Air.
  
  Ask the child to draw an object in the air with both hands, such as the sun, a heart, a tree, or a flower.
  
  
• How Much Do You Remember?
  
  Arrange several objects (the number depends on the child's age and abilities). Have the child memorize them. Then cover the items and ask the child to recall as many as possible.

Games for children who can read:

• How Much Do You Remember?
  
  Give the child a paper with object names written on it. Ask them to memorize these names. Then cover the names and ask the child to write or draw as many as they can remember.
  
  
• Find It.
  
  Give the child an old newspaper or a simple text printout. Ask them to find and underline all instances of the letter a, A (or other known letters). Increase the difficulty by changing the task to finding verbs.
  
  
• Mirror Writing.
  
  Give the child a paper with a word written on it. Using a mirror, ask them to view the reflection and write it next to the original. Repeat several times, gradually increasing the word length. Once the child masters this skill, challenge them to imagine the mirror image of the word and write it without using a mirror.

These games not only aid in developing concentration skills in children but also provide a fun and engaging way to spend time together.

Pedagogue Klaudia Sokołowska-Baryś for Marioinex Education