How to develop attention in children. Activities, games and worksheets

Attention is one of the most important qualities, which helps us learn something new. Initially, children have only involuntary attention: they are unable to control their attention and are easily distracted by everything new or bright. They are entirely under the power of external impressions. Parents mustn’t neglect the development of voluntary attention in the child.

Attention in children is inextricably linked to such qualities as perseverance and concentration. Developing and improving attention in kids, the parents help them master the skill of concentration and be more diligent. Well-developed attention as well as well-developed early math and logic skills are the key to successful learning in school! There are plenty of games, tasks and exercises, activities and worksheets for the development of attention. This set of games, activities and worksheets will help develop all the types of attention (visual, auditory and motor) for children from 2 to preschool age.

Doing activities for the development of attention in children, use the principle «from simple to complex». Make sure that the tasks are not too difficult for your kid. If the child’s interest in the activity disappears — do not insist, offer him another one. Don’t forget to praise your child for success and the right decisions.

Worksheets for attention development.

There are some types of worksheets for attention development. Let’s mention some of them.

Find a pair. Ask your child to find pairs of objects in the pictures. You can also use real objects, for example different shoes.

Find the same pattern. This is a bit more difficult than just to find a pair, as the objects are the same and only their pattern or color differs. You can use not only pictures, but real objects (different pairs of mittens, hats, cups and saucers, towels, etc.

Find the shadow

Find the difference

Find and circle.

Help the girl find all the flowers. Circle them in the picture.

Find all the candies in the picture.

Find all the bees in the picture.

Simple activities for attention development in kids.

Many of the activities you can do both at home and outside. You can also engage neighbors’ children in your activities to teach your kid socialize.

«Find!»

Ask the child to find an object in the room, in the street or in the picture.

Find your Teddy bear!
Where is the red cube?
Look through the window and show me a dog!
Can you show me a red car?

You can do this activity anytime and anywhere. It is very simple, children of all ages like it. It develops attention and ability to concentrate.

«Construct!»

Ask your kid to build a house or a tower according to your plan. Start with simple construction plans.

«Find by a feature!»

Ask your child to find something red, heavy, soft, round, large, etc. You can do this anytime and anywhere. For preschoolers complicate the activity and ask them to find objects by several features. Find something large and white, small solid and heavy, etc.

Games for improving attention.

Attention games and activities are perfect for entertaining children on holidays and birthdays. Adults can also be active participants and give their children good example. Come up with rewards for the participants of the games.

Visual attention development games.

«Monkeys»

For the game you’ll need two identical sets of 5−7 cubes if the game is played with one child. If you play with more children, each child should be given the same set of cubes. The younger the children are, the less cubes should be in each set. All the sets must be identical.

Before the game, ask the kids some questions:

Have you seen monkeys?
What do monkeys eat?
What do they like to do most of all?

Most of all monkeys like to repeat and imitate everything they see.

Let’s play monkeys. I will build something, and you repeat everything after me: my movements and the way I put the cubes.

Then you start to build something, and the children should repeat your movements. If you place a small yellow cube on a bid red one — they must do the same.

«Invisible writing».

Explain your child that you will draw different shapes in the air with your finger, and he is to guess what you are drawing. Draw the outline of the circle, square, triangle, oval, etc. with your finger in the air. The kid needs to guess what you’ve drawn. Draw only what the child knows. If he knows numbers and letters, you can draw them in the air. During the game, change roles, let the child draw in air, and you guess.

If the game is played with several children, each child draws one by one. The game can be played anywhere, it can entertain your kid during a long trip.

«Store».

Create a model of a supermarket on the floor or on the table with your child. Choose some things, which will be sold in your store. It can be toys or any other things (books, pencils, spoons, cups).

When everything is ready, ask the kid to go somewhere for a new product. While he’s away, take away something from the «store». When the child returns to the «store», say: «Some buyers came. Guess what they bought». The child should guess what is missing.

The younger the child is, the less items should be in your store. You can start with 3 to 4 items and gradually increase to 7 to 8. To complicate the game, you can also give your kid a list of «goods» that he should bring to your store.

Auditory attention development games

«Do in order».

Let the child stand still, carefully listen to you and do all the tasks in the order, in which he heard them. Give him, for example, such tasks:

clap your hands, stamp your feet and turn around;
take the doll, comb it, put it on the table, and then bring me the red car.

Playing with three-year-old kids, start with two tasks and gradually increase the number of commands.

«Jumping frog».

This game is useful for the development of auditory attention in preschoolers.

For the game you’ll need a sheet of paper with a square table 3X3 or more for preschoolers. In the center of the table draw, glue or place a paper frog.

Put the sheet in front of the kid and let him listen to your words and mentally to move the frog in the table. Don’t touch the frog! It mustn’t actually move. You say: «up», «right», «down», «left», «left again». The child claps his hands when frog «jumps» outside the table. After that the game starts again.

Before the game, make sure that the child is focused on a sheet of paper. Show him once again what up and down, right and left means. By the way, I also have some nice activities for teaching left and right. For the first time «show» how the frog follows your commands and clap with your baby when it jumps outside the table.

«Don’t say».

Such, а game for the development of attention in children is a bit complicated but very useful not only for attention improvement, but also for the ability to think quickly in a difficult situation. Before you start the game, think of some words, which will be forbidden during the game.

Example: the forbidden words — yes, no, black, white.

Think of a situation.

You are a young lady. You have $ 100 and want to buy a dress.

After that, begin to ask the child questions, trying to force the respondent to say the forbidden words.

«Do you want to buy a white dress?» Possible answer: «I want to buy a red dress».

«But isn’t a white one more beautiful?» — Possible answer: «But red is my favorite color».

«Do you like an evening dress?» Possible answer: «Evening».

«Will it be short?». — «No, long». This response is considered a defeat, as the kid said «No».

For little kids have only one forbidden word.

Motor attention development games.

«Magic bag»

For the game you’ll need a bag and various small items: toys, cubes and so on. Put all the selected game objects into the bag for. Let the child put his hand into the bag. Ask the kid to pull something definite out of the bag. He should find the object to the touch.