🧠 Executive Function in Action: Building Brain Skills Through Summer Activities
By: Corrina Schader, LEP
Owner of Mindful LEP
Website: www.mindful-LEP.com
Email: info@mindful-LEP.com
Phone: (408) 797-5597
Executive function skills are like the CEO of the brain - they help children plan, focus, remember instructions, manage time, and juggle multiple tasks. These skills are essential for school success, but they don’t develop automatically. The good news? Summer offers the perfect opportunity to help your child build them in fun, real-life ways… without a worksheet in sight!
🧠 What Is Executive Function?
Executive function includes three core areas:
Working Memory – Holding and manipulating information in the mind
Cognitive Flexibility – Shifting focus or adapting to change
Inhibitory Control – Thinking before acting or staying focused despite distractions
Children with ADHD, learning differences, or anxiety often struggle with these areas, but they’re teachable, especially with consistent practice!
🛠️ Real-Life Activities That Build Executive Function
📅 1. Let Kids Plan the Day
Have your child help create a daily schedule or choose their own summer activities.
Use calendars or visual schedules
Discuss time estimates and priorities
Reflect on what worked or didn’t each week
Mindful LEP Tip: This builds planning and time management—two key executive skills often overlooked.
🧑🍳 2. Cook or Bake Together
Cooking involves:
Following multi-step directions (working memory)
Measuring ingredients (attention to detail)
Cleaning up (task completion and sequencing)
Let your child lead a meal: from recipe selection, to shopping list, to cooking.
💸 3. Start a Mini Business
Lemonade stands, dog walking, or selling handmade crafts are great for:
Planning and goal-setting
Managing money
Problem-solving and flexibility
Bonus: It boosts confidence and independence, too!
🎯 4. Play Strategic Games
Board games and card games promote:
Focused attention
Impulse control
Decision-making
Try Games Like: Uno, Chess, Clue, Simon, Memory Match, or cooperative games such as "Outfoxed."
🧩 5. Chore Charts and Checklists
Introduce personal responsibility with daily or weekly checklists.
Break tasks into small steps
Use visual cues or timers
Praise effort, not just outcomes
🧘 Bonus: Include Mindfulness
Mindfulness helps strengthen the prefrontal cortex—the “executive” part of the brain. Try:
Breathing exercises
Body scans
“Mindful moments” before transitions or bedtime
Apps like Headspace for Kids or Smiling Mind are great, age-appropriate options.
🧠 Executive Function = Life Skills
By weaving executive function practice into your child’s summer routine, you’re doing more than preventing the summer slide—you’re helping them build the tools they’ll need for independence, confidence, and long-term success.
👩🏫 Want Extra Help with Executive Function?
Mindful LEP has you covered! Did you know that Mindful LEP offers virtual executive functioning coaching? Help your child develop the critical skills needed for academic success with personalized executive functioning coaching from Mindful LEP. Our expert coaches work one-on-one with students in grades 5-12 to build organization, time management, and focus skills that last a lifetime. Contact us for more information and pricing!
Coming Next Week: “Supporting Learning Differences During Summer Break”
Have questions about your child’s learning needs over the summer? Please feel free to contact me directly—I’m here to help!
Corrina Schader, LEP
Owner of Mindful LEP
Website: www.mindful-LEP.com
Email: info@mindful-LEP.com
Phone: (408) 797-5597
