Practicing Executive Function Skills in the Wild

Kids can't improve their executive function skills by completing worksheets.

I'm not knocking worksheets. A good one can have its time and place. But nothing comes close to real life experiences.

So instead of having your child practice planning or time management with hypothetical scenarios, have them do it in real life. (Be sure to read to the end to grab a free printable that will help your child plan for outings).

Here's an example of what this could look like:

This weekend we took a family trip to the zoo and practiced our executive function skills in the "wild."

I don't know about you, but I find it stressful to organize a family outing, even if it's only a day trip. It puts a lot of demand on my own executive function skills. So I've been working on spreading out that load and giving my children more opportunities to flex their own executive function skills.

Instead of packing the bags myself, I asked each child to pack a bag. Together we came up with a checklist of what we needed. (Water bottles, sunscreen, sunglasses, camera, sweatshirt, tickets).

Then we talked about what our plan would be when we got there. If you haven't been to the Bronx Zoo before, it's very large and hard to see the whole thing in one visit with young kids. I asked each kid what their top priority was for the visit. We even looked on the zoo's website to make a list of animals and attractions that we wanted to make sure we got to. My daughter's top two were flamingos and gorillas. My son picked the mouse house and Dippin' Dots ice cream!

When we got to the zoo, we looked at the map to plan a route that made the most sense for the time we had there. We also planned out our meal time and our snack times (and of course when we would get Dippin' Dots!).

Our visit to the zoo also included several opportunities to practice emotional regulation (no, we're not buying a giant stuffed giraffe from the gift shop!), and flexible thinking. My 3-year-old had her heart set on seeing flamingos. She even wore a flamingo shirt and brought a flamingo stuffed animal to show them. But apparently there is a bird flu going around and the flamingos weren't out for public viewing. We talked about how frustrating that was, but also thought about how lucky we were to have seen so many other amazing animals. We made a plan to look up some videos of flamingos and then picked another attraction to go to instead.

Through out the whole day, I made sure to label the skills that we were using. I pointed out how flexible my daughter was about the flamingo situation. I praised my son for prioritizing the attractions he wanted to see over the gift shops. At the end of the day we reflected on what had and had not gone according to our plan. By introducing our children to terms like flexibility, planning, prioritizing, and time management, we start to build the foundation for these skills that they will eventually be able to apply independently in other contexts.

How to develop executive function skills with younger children

While the frontal lobe of the brain where executive function skills reside doesn't fully develop until age 25 (on average!), it's never too early to start practicing strategies that will support these essential skills. Just know that it will take practice and support with young children.

Every day presents many opportunities to practice executive function skills. You don't have to wait for a big outing like going to a zoo. Even a simple trip to the playground can offer opportunities to practice almost all of these skills.

Here are a few ways you can practice executive function skills on an outing with younger children:

• Involve your child in packing a bag. Have them help pick out snacks, fill water bottles, and check items off of a list as you pack a bag together. Slightly older children can begin to be in charge of their own bag.

• Help develop your child's understanding of time. Look at the clock and the day's schedule together. Make a plan for when you will go out and when you will return. Towards the end of your outing, give your child a 10 and 5 minute head's up.

• Before you go out, ask your child to make a plan for what they would like to do while out. What do they want to be sure to do at the playground? What are their goals for their visit? You can even invite them to draw out their plan. It's okay if they deviate from the plan--the key here is that they are learning to make plans and be intentional.

• Playgrounds require a lot of impulse control and flexibility as your child waits for turns on slides and swings and navigates social situations. Be there as a guide to assist as needed.

• Help your child work towards goals, no matter how small. Remind him or her that practice makes progress-each time he tries a new skill, he gets better at it.

• Finally, encourage your child to reflect on your outing afterwards. Did it go as planned? What was his or her favorite part? Least favorite part?

Preparing for an Outing Printable and Guiding Questions

Grab a copy of this free printable to help your child prepare for an outing (big or small!). You'll also get a list of guiding questions to ask to help your child plan, prioritize, and reflect.

Get an instant download of a free printable outing planning sheet and guiding question for grown-ups by filling out the form below. You'll also be signed up to receive future printables in your inbox (you can unsubscribe at any time!)