4 Ways To Keep Your Brain Active During Winter Break
We’ve gotten through the chaos of the holidays, but there are still a lot of days left in Winter Break. It’s very important to spend some of this time resting and relaxing before we head into the second half of the school year, but it’s also important to keep your brain active to ward off summer winter learning loss.
Don’t freak out. We’re not suggesting any extra homework or spontaneous pop quizzes. In today’s post, we will highlight some fun ways to exercise your brain before you start your Spring semester.
1. Read Festive Books
Reading is FUNdamental, and it can help you grow in many different ways. Studies have shown that children who read for 20 minutes or more per day do better on tests than children who don’t. And it doesn’t even take that much time to see the benefits! Other research has shown that children who read for just five minutes per day learn over 280,000 new words every year.
More than that, reading has been shown to reduce stress, lower blood pressure, reduce anxiety, and even help you live longer. So crack open a good book and get started!
Here are some suggestions:
– 32 Wonderful Winter & Holiday Books for Kids of All Ages
– 25+ YA Books Perfect For Winter Holiday Reading
– Kids Books for Celebrating Winter Holidays
2. Learn A New Skill
Have you been thinking about taking up a new artistic endeavor? Think you could write the next Great American Novel? Maybe you’d like to learn a new language? Use your Winter Break to learn a new skill! Not only will you be adding a new tool to your toolbox, but you’ll also be changing your brain for the better.
Learning a new skill shifts your brain into overdrive and causes your body to create more myelin, or the fatty, white tissue that makes up 50% of your brain. Myelinated neurons increase the speed and the strength of the signals that are passing through them, so you’re LITERALLY making your brain stronger!
Here are some suggestions:
– Duolingo
– Coursera
– YouTube
3. Tease Your Brain
Never straight but always see-through. For some, I’m impossible no matter what they do. Some I make smile with a twist of my turn but others I amaze with how much they can learn.
What am I?
Give up? It’s a riddle! Brain teasers, riddles, and puzzles are some of the oldest games known to man, so there must be some reason they’ve stuck around for so long. Brain teasers can help boost memory, improve problem-solving skills, improve concentration, and work out both the creative and analytical sides of your brain. Plus, they’re just fun!
Here are some suggestions:
– 181 Fun Brain Teasers for Kids & Adults
– 101 Riddles For Kids and Adults to See Just How Smart You Really Are
– Entertaining Brain Games for Kids
4. Go On A Field Trip (From Home!)
Field trips are always a highlight of the school year. Thanks to the magic of the internet, you can experience that same fun without leaving the comfort of your own home. Virtual tours of museums, zoos, or whatever else suits your fancy are a fun way to keep your mind active over the long break.
Here are some suggestions:
– The Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History
Wrapping Up
Winter Break is a time for relaxation, but that doesn’t mean you should turn your brain off through the holiday season. Whether you’re solving puzzles, learning a new skill, taking a virtual tour of Yosemite, or just reading a good book, these activities are a fun way to exercise your brain during the holiday downtime and help you stay sharp for the Spring semester.
No matter what you choose to do with your time off, we hope you all have had a great Winter Break, and we can’t wait to see you in January!
