How to Hone Executive Functioning Skills This Summer: 4 Fun, Easy Ideas

As parents of children with ADHD, you’re always looking for ways to strengthen their executive functioning skills – the mental abilities that allow us to plan, organize, remember, and self-regulate.School is one sure setting where these skills come into play, but it’s not the only place to practice and hone them.

Everyday life — even during summer vacation — offers some of the best opportunities to practice planning, organization, and inhibition skills.Summer presents ample beautiful weather for basketball, tennis, soccer, and basketball tournaments.

Organizing a friendly sports competition is a great way to practice all of the components of executive functioning skills.To successfully pull off the tournament, your child will need to set aside time each day to work on this task (and will need to practice inhibiting, or choosing not to participate, in other desired activities like watching TV or scrolling on their phone).Working memory comes into play when setting up the different teams/races and bringing together tournament logistics (where the tournament will take place, how players will get invited, what awards the winners will receive).