Simple, evidence-based activities you can start today
These activities are designed to be:
- Quick: 5-15 minutes each
- Easy: No special materials or preparation needed
- Fun: Kids enjoy them (they don’t feel like “work”)
- Effective: Based on research showing what actually builds executive function skills
Important: Pick activities appropriate for your child’s developmental level, not their age. If your 10-year-old is struggling, start with activities for younger children and build up.
Ages 3-5: Preschool
Activity 1: Red Light, Green Light
Skills: 🛑 IC (Inhibitory Control)
Time: 5-10 minutes
What you need: Just space to move
How to play:
- You’re the “stoplight” and your child is the “car”
- When you say “green light,” they move toward you
- When you say “red light,” they must freeze immediately
- If they move during red light, they go back to the start
Why it works: Children must hold the rules in mind, pay attention to your commands, and inhibit their impulse to keep moving. This directly builds impulse control.
Level it up: Add “yellow light” (slow walking), call out colors faster, or let your child be the stoplight.
Activity 2: What’s Missing?
Skills: 🧠WM (Working Memory)
Time: 5 minutes
What you need: 4-5 small objects (toys, household items)
How to play:
- Place 4-5 objects on a table or tray
- Have your child look at them for 10 seconds
- Have them close their eyes or turn around
- Remove one object
- Ask: “What’s missing?”
Why it works: Holding visual information in mind and retrieving it strengthens working memory—the foundation for following directions and learning.
Level it up: Use more objects, reduce viewing time, or remove multiple objects.
Ages 6-8: Early Elementary
Activity 3: Backwards Day
Skills: 🔄 CF (Cognitive Flexibility) + 🧠WM
Time: 10 minutes
What you need: Just creativity!
How to play:
- Pick a simple routine (getting ready for bed, making a snack)
- Do it completely backwards
- Talk through each reversed step together
Example: For bedtime—put on pajamas, then brush teeth, then take off clothes, then take bath
Why it works: Reversing familiar sequences requires mental flexibility and planning. Your child must hold the normal sequence in mind while executing it backward—a powerful executive function workout.
Level it up: Reverse more complex sequences, have your child direct YOU through backwards routines, or reverse a story they know well.
Activity 4: Simon Says (Strategic Version)
Skills: 🛑 IC + 🧠WM
Time: 10 minutes
What you need: Nothing!
How to play:
- Give commands starting with “Simon says…”
- Children only follow commands that start with “Simon says”
- Mix in commands without “Simon says” to catch them
Strategic additions:
- Use multi-step commands: “Simon says touch your toes, then hop three times”
- Add memory element: “Simon says remember this number: 7. Now touch your nose. What was the number?”
Why it works: Children must hold rules in mind, process language, inhibit automatic responses, and remember information while doing actions. This integrates all three core executive functions.
Level it up: Faster pace, longer command sequences, or let your child be “Simon.”
Ages 9-12: Late Elementary/Middle School
Activity 5: Planning Dinner Together
Skills: 🧠WM + 🔄 CF + Planning
Time: 10-15 minutes
What you need: Recipe or meal plan
How to do it:
- Choose a simple recipe together
- Have your child list everything needed
- Help them sequence the steps: “What needs to happen first? What can we do while that’s cooking?”
- Let them check off completed steps
Why it works: Real-world planning exercises multiple executive functions: holding information in mind, sequencing steps, adjusting when things don’t go as planned, and seeing a task through to completion. Plus, you get dinner!
Level it up: Have them plan an entire meal, estimate timing for each step, or work backward from when you want to eat.
Activity 6: Card Game Marathon
Skills: 🧠WM + 🔄 CF + 🛑 IC
Time: 15 minutes
What you need: Deck of cards
Games that build EF:
- Uno: Working memory (remembering what cards others played), cognitive flexibility (strategy changes), impulse control (not playing the first card you want)
- Go Fish: Working memory (remembering who asked for what)
- Speed: Quick shifting and inhibitory control
- Crazy Eights: Strategic planning and flexibility
Why it works: Card games require holding rules in mind, planning strategy, adjusting tactics, and controlling impulses to win. Research shows regular game-playing improves executive function.
Level it up: Introduce strategy discussions: “Why did you play that card?” or try games with increasing complexity.
Ages 13-18: Adolescence
Activity 7: The 5-Minute Brain Dump
Skills: 🧠WM + Planning + Organization
Time: 5 minutes (but do it daily!)
What you need: Paper/phone, timer
How to do it:
- Set timer for 5 minutes
- Have your teen write/type everything in their head: tasks, worries, ideas, reminders
- Then: “Circle the three things that MUST happen today”
- “Put a star next to anything that can wait”
Why it works: Working memory has limited capacity—when it’s cluttered with “don’t forget” items, there’s less room for learning and thinking. This externalization clears working memory and teaches prioritization.
Level it up: Do it together and model your own process, help them transfer the “must do” items to a planner, or add evening reflection: “What got done? What didn’t? Why?”
Activity 8: Cooking Without a Net
Skills: All executive functions + Problem-solving
Time: 30-45 minutes (but worth it!)
What you need: Ingredients, recipe, kitchen
How to do it:
- Give your teen a recipe and tell them dinner is at 6:00pm
- They must: figure out when to start, gather ingredients, follow steps, problem-solve issues
- You’re available for safety/questions but DON’T take over
Why it works: Cooking integrates all executive functions: planning (when to start, what order), working memory (hold steps in mind), flexibility (adjust when something goes wrong), impulse control (follow recipe, not shortcuts), time management (be ready by 6:00).
Level it up: Have them plan a week of meals within a budget, grocery shop, and execute multiple recipes.
All Ages
Activity 9: The 2-Minute Tidy Challenge
Skills: Task Initiation + Sustained Attention + Planning
Time: 2 minutes
What you need: Timer, messy space
How to do it:
- Set timer for 2 minutes
- Challenge: “How much can you organize/clean in 2 minutes? Ready, go!”
- Celebrate what got done (not what didn’t)
Why it works: Breaking down overwhelming tasks (cleaning a room) into tiny chunks reduces executive function load and builds task initiation—the ability to START even when you don’t feel like it. The time limit creates urgency without overwhelm.
Level it up: Race against yesterday’s count, do it together, or gradually extend time as they build stamina.
Activity 10: Mindful Minute
Skills: Attention + Emotional Regulation + Inhibitory Control
Time: 1-5 minutes
What you need: Nothing (optional: timer)
How to do it:
- Sit comfortably together
- Close eyes or look at one spot
- Focus on breathing: “Breathe in slowly… breathe out slowly”
- When mind wanders (it will!), gently return focus to breath
- Start with 1 minute, build to 5 minutes
Why it works: Mindfulness directly strengthens the prefrontal cortex—the executive function control center. Research shows regular practice improves attention, emotional regulation, and impulse control. Even one minute daily makes a difference.
Level it up: Try body scan (notice sensations from toes to head), mindful eating (focus completely on taste/texture), or mindful walking.
Tips for Maximum Impact
Make It Regular
Frequency beats intensity. Five minutes daily is better than 30 minutes once a week. Build these activities into routines—during dinner prep, before homework, at bedtime.
Keep It Playful
If it feels like work, they’ll resist. Frame activities as games, challenges, or time together. Laugh when mistakes happen. Make it fun, not a test.
Start Where They Are
Don’t start at their age—start at their ability level. If your 12-year-old struggles, begin with activities for younger children. Build success, then increase difficulty.
Notice and Name
Help them see their growing skills: “Did you notice you remembered all five items this time? Your working memory is getting stronger!” Awareness builds motivation.
Model Your Process
Let them see YOU using executive functions: “I need to plan dinner. First, I’ll check what we have. Then I’ll decide what to make. Then I’ll see if I need to go to the store.” Make your thinking visible.
Don’t Expect Perfection
Progress isn’t linear. Some days will be better than others. Stress, fatigue, and emotions all impact executive function. Be patient with setbacks.
Celebrate Effort, Not Just Success
“You kept trying even when it was hard” is more powerful than “You got them all right!” Executive functions grow through effort, not just achievement.
When to Do These Activities
Daily Opportunities:
- Morning routine: Red Light/Green Light, 2-Minute Tidy
- Before homework: Mindful Minute, Brain Dump
- Dinner prep: Planning Dinner, Cooking Without a Net
- Evening wind-down: What’s Missing?, Card Games
- Anytime transitions: Backwards Day, Simon Says
Make It a Habit:
Pick ONE activity and do it consistently for two weeks. Once it’s a habit, add another. Don’t try to do everything—consistent practice of even one activity makes a difference.
Remember:
✓ Executive functions develop slowly over 25+ years
✓ These activities support development—they don’t force it
✓ Play and connection matter more than perfect execution
✓ Every child develops on their own timeline
✓ Progress comes from consistent practice, not intensity
The goal is to support the amazing brain development already happening.