Executive Function

Help kids thrive by building executive function skills like focus, memory, & self-regulation. Try games, pretend play, & talking about feelings to grow their 'wizard brain.'

“What I'm concerned about is how to help kids thrive. One of the ways is to help them have healthy executive functions." - Adele Diamond

Executive function (EF) skills are responsible for things like focusing, working memory, thinking flexibly, adapting, remembering rules, perspective taking, and self regulation. Toddlers' big reactions are age appropriate and come from an immature prefrontal cortex, where EF skills are housed. An easy way to think about brain development and EF skills is to use the wizard-lizard analogy. A lizard only has a limbic system - and is capable of basic brain functioning: flight, flight, or freeze. Your toddler's "lizard brain" reacts to the world around them, but isn't capable of the thinking and reasoning skills that make up the prefrontal cortex, or the "wizard brain".
EF skills are the skills children need to thrive, but they aren’t automatic. You grow them over a lifetime - with lots of practice and support. With time, practice, and understanding, your toddler will get to a place where they can feel empowered to call on their wizard brain for help.

Try rhyming and hand-movement games where you child remembers patterns and matches words with movements. This helps them learn to pay attention and remember the rules of the game while they play!
Play hide and seek, with objects, and people! Tracking your location helps toddlers to create a map in their minds and promotes working memory. Start by hiding objects around the room while toddler watches you.
Encourage pretend play. When your child is pretending to be someone else, they are practicing perspective taking and inhibitory control.
Talk about what others may be thinking or feeling. This helps your child begin to practice perspective taking (your feelings, your child's, a girl's across the playground, a character in a book).