"Can't sit still", "forgets things right away", "keeps looking around during homework": many parents worry that their child has trouble focusing or remembering. In young children, focus and memory are still developing, so this is mostly normal. Still, both can be trained through short, regular games.
How long can children focus?
A commonly quoted estimate is that children can focus for about 2 to 3 minutes per year of age on a task someone else gives them. A 4-year-old might focus for about 8 to 12 minutes, a 6-year-old for about 12 to 18 minutes. This is only a rough guide; your child may stay absorbed much longer in something they love.
It means that short exercises work better than long ones. Five minutes of full attention beats thirty minutes of sitting through it.
6 five-minute games for memory and focus
1. What's missing?
Put 4 to 6 objects on the table. Let your child look for 20 seconds, then close their eyes while you take one away. Your child opens their eyes and guesses which object is missing. Add more objects as your child gets better.
2. Matching pairs
Use pairs of identical cards (homemade is fine), place them face down and turn over two per turn. Start with 3 to 4 pairs for a 4-year-old, and move up to 8 to 10 pairs for older children.
3. Repeat after me
Say a sequence: "cat, fish, ball", and your child repeats it in order. Once that is easy, try repeating it backwards: "ball, fish, cat". This is excellent practice for working memory.
4. Spot the difference
Draw two almost identical pictures or set up two groups of objects that differ in only a few details. This game trains careful observation and attention to detail.
5. Listen and play back
Tap a simple rhythm on the table (tap, tap, pause, tap) and let your child tap it back. Or hum a few high and low notes for your child to copy. Listening carefully is also a form of focus.
6. Count in the picture
Pick a detailed picture in a book and ask your child to count the animals, the flowers or the red objects. Your child has to focus so as not to miss or double-count anything.
A few tips for playing
- Choose a time when your child is alert, not when they are hungry, tired or about to go to bed.
- Turn off the TV and put away phones you are not using, to reduce distractions.
- Stop while your child still wants to play. Ending on a high note makes them look forward to next time.
- Increase the difficulty slowly. Add one object, one pair of cards or one word to the sequence each time your child succeeds.
When to seek professional advice
If your child finds it very hard to focus on any activity, even things they enjoy, or if teachers report this over a long period, talk to your pediatrician for appropriate advice.
What does Dologi offer for memory and focus?
In Dologi, the Memory topic has card-flipping and remember-where-it-was games, the Focus topic has spot the difference, secret pictures and secret codes, and the Listening topic lets your child tell high from low and long from short sounds and play back melodies. Each session is short, matching the attention span of young children. You can try it on the web.
In short
- Attention span grows with age; short exercises work better than long ones.
- Five-minute games such as "what's missing", matching pairs and repeating sequences are great for memory and attention.
- Play when your child is alert, with few distractions, and increase the difficulty slowly.
Read more: How much screen time is right for children, and how to choose a safe learning app