How parents can help their preschooler concentrate

concentration

Encouraging concentration at preschool age

Preschool children usually have limited concentration spans and are easily distracted by their surroundings. However, as they get older, they become better at maintaining their concentration for longer periods, finishing activities, and listening attentively. Good concentration makes learning at school easier and helps children absorb and understand information more effectively. As a parent, you always have the opportunity to support your child's concentration. A structured environment and a daily routine with set times for sleeping, eating, and playing can significantly improve concentration. Educational games, puzzles, and creative activities such as crafting, coloring, or kneading in a quiet learning environment without distracting noises, along with a well-organized play area, also have a positive effect on concentration. Remember that regular exercise is particularly important for children to reduce stress and feel good as a result. Equally important is a supportive environment where children feel safe and valued. Take time for your child, listen to them, and answer their questions. In this way, you will promote both your child's concentration and self-confidence.

A smiling boy in a striped shirt against a blue background.

Support activities

When preschool children have great difficulty sitting still and listening, parents can playfully promote their children's concentration with simple activities at home. Encourage your child to finish started works in crafting or painting before they start something new. This way, children learn to concentrate on a task for longer periods and will be able to endure better later in school. It is crucial to create everything in a relaxed atmosphere and not to build up any pressure.

Focus and fun with a card game

Some children are easily distracted, restless, and lose interest in a playful activity after just a few minutes. With regular physical activity, enough sleep, and less screen time, they usually show more persistence. Also, simple card games help them settle down and learn to stay focused on one thing for a while. Children love card games with cheerful animal pictures or colorful designs. Such games are simple and suitable for children aged 3 and up. For example, the aim is to collect as many picture pairs as possible. First, Mum or Dad shuffle the cards and deal them evenly to all players. Each player then sorts out any picture pairs they have. The youngest child starts and draws a card from another player. If the cards match, the child names the animal, puts the pair aside, and draws another card.If no pair is formed, it's the next player's turn. The player who lays down all their cards first wins the game. As with all preschool games, it's important that the child sometimes wins, so they continue to enjoy playing.

Traditional shell game with three white cups.

Where is the marble?

The cup game is a great way to enhance children's concentration skills through play and is always a lot of fun. To play, place three inverted cups next to each other on the table. The child places a marble, a die, or a coin under one of the three cups. Start by slowly changing the position of the cups. The child concentrates on the cup under which the marble is hidden. After you have moved the cups several times, ask the child which cup they think the marble is under. Then, lift the chosen cup to see if the marble is underneath. If the answer is correct, increase the speed at which you move the cups in the next round. It is important to give the child a sense of achievement as they learn to concentrate. Accompany the game with encouraging words and praise the child for their concentration. This will make the game even more exciting and ensure further feelings of success.

Girl in jeans and yellow shirt sitting in a squat.

Simon says

For every child, attention from parents is very important in everyday life. A little concentration and movement game like »Simon says« makes valuable family time possible and always delights children. This game promotes skills that are important in everyday life and later at school, such as listening carefully, understanding and carrying out instructions. The game begins by saying »Simon says« and adding an instruction. The child carries out the instruction as quickly as possible. For example, if you say: »Simon says squat!«, the child will squat quickly. Or you say: »Simon says go two steps to the left!«, then the child moves two steps to the left accordingly. Make the game more interesting by calling out several instructions: »Simon gets wet!« The child must then react quickly and jump onto the sofa, for example. Explain this rule before the game starts: »When I shout ›Simon gets wet!‹, imagine there's water all around you. So you quickly get to safety by jumping onto the sofa.« This game is not only entertaining, but also promotes your child's ability to concentrate and react quickly while having fun and spending valuable time with the family. Here are some instructions:

... clap three times!
... wave with both hands!
... hug me!
... stand on one leg!
... take three steps backwards!
... run on the spot!
... sing a little song!
... walk like a penguin!
... jump like a jumping jack!
... spin in circles!
... shake your whole body!
... touch your toes!
... jump on the spot!

UNO junior

The game UNO is not only fun but also promotes children's concentration skills. UNO Junior is a simple card game suitable for children aged three and over. First, shuffle all the cards well and deal five cards to each player. Place the remaining cards face down in a pile. Turn over the top card and place it face up beside the pile; this forms the discard pile. The child begins by placing a card on the discard pile that matches the card on top of the discard pile in color, number, or animal image. If there is no matching card, the child draws a card from the face-down pile and places it on the discard pile if it matches. Then it is the next player's turn. As soon as a player has only one card left, they must shout »UNO« out loud. If they forget, they must draw two additional cards from the face-down pile. The game ends when a player has no more cards; this player wins the round. UNO Junior can be played with or without action cards and penalty cards, which add extra excitement to the game. Support your child in winning the game to enhance their enjoyment and motivation.

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