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3 activities that stimulate the brain!
I think, therefore I test! The child enters the world of knowledge through experience and manipulation. In other words, through play.
Introduction to chess, from 5 years old
Can a very young child really enter the world of chess? Some teachers remain skeptical, pushing back initiation to the CP age; others, based on successful experiences in nursery school, claim that it is possible from the age of 3. But one thing is clear: the little ones will not learn such complex rules of the game in the blink of an eye. In the clubs, we adapt and we cunning, during awareness sessions that rarely last more than thirty minutes. Examples: to arouse the interest of children, they are told the legends linked to the birth of the game; we start with a reduced number of pawns, which we gradually increase: and, leaving aside the abstract concept of “checkmate”, we only set the goal of “eating” the opponent’s pawns (aspect very stimulating game!). Or, to make the movements understood, they are materialized by coloring the boxes as the young player progresses on a paper chessboard. The “buffs” gradually show themselves capable of grasping the stakes and playing a real game.
The benefits : hard to imagine an activity requiring more concentration! This is both its advantage and its disadvantage, because not all children will comply with the exercise. Like in a sport, the goal is to beat an opponent – but fairly. No cheating possible: the most ingenious will win. So failures develop both logic and a sense of strategy, stubbornness and the courage to lose gracefully.
Good to know : if the failures are not reserved only for the “gifted”, not to appreciate them does not denote any intellectual weakness. Quite simply, a matter of taste. Do not be sorry if your child is reluctant to make the necessary efforts to access this universe.
Equipment side : even if it is not essential, having a game at home allows you to progress more quickly.
Scientific awakening, from 5 years old
The various workshops are organized around a theme: water, the five senses, space, the body, volcanoes, climate, electricity… Eclecticism is essential! However, the themes tackled remain chosen from among those which fascinate young audiences the most. There are some very complex ones, which may even seem inaccessible, but the speakers have the art of making their explanations clear, without departing from the strictest rigor. They sometimes bring children into their domain through a tale or a legend, which solicits their imagination, captivates their attention and puts them at ease.
There is no question here of inviting the young participants to sit down to attend a lecture. Taking into account their need for concrete demonstration (which until then has presided over their psychomotor development), they are offered the opportunity to observe phenomena and carry out experiments, always surprising and amusing. Children use high-performance equipment for this that is just as attractive as the most sophisticated toys.
The benefits : knowledge acquired while having fun is better remembered. And even if “infantile amnesia” (mechanism of the memory of the little ones which permanently erases the memories of the events of the first five years of the life) caused the child to lose the precise data, he would have understood that learning can bring d ‘immense joys. What better engine than pleasure? This notion will remain in his mind, deeply marking his way of considering learning.
In addition to concentration, logic and a sense of deduction, experiences and manipulations develop dexterity and delicacy. Far from encouraging competition, these workshops encourage team spirit: everyone benefits from each other’s discoveries. In addition, when managers approach environmental issues, they embed respect for the planet in concrete terms, because we only really respect what we have come to know and love.
Good to know : workshops are more frequently offered “à la carte” during the day or as a mini-course than weekly meetings throughout the year. Rather practical for those whom regular attendance would tire of or whose interest is limited to certain themes. As for the others, nothing prevents them from following the program in full.
Equipment side : do not plan anything in particular.
Multimedia, from 4 years old
Children can learn how to handle mice at a very young age (from 2 and a half years old). The interactivity, which leaves so many adults so perplexed, the “branches” immediately. If you have a computer at home, there is no need to enroll your child in a multimedia workshop only for the purpose of working on his dexterity: your support will suffice.
Attending a workshop becomes interesting when the child knows how to use the tool and can appropriate it and set off to discover its multiple uses.
So what do we do with a computer? we play educational games, often very imaginative. We learn about music, and it even happens that we “make” it. We discover the arts of all times and all countries, and often, we improvise as an artist to create our own works. When we know how to read, we build interactive stories, most of the time collectively. And when you’re older, you venture into the wonderful world of animation.
The benefits : IT has become essential. So much so that your child quickly becomes able to take advantage of his possibilities and knows how to use them intelligently. The Internet also opens a window to the world for him, which can only arouse his curiosity.
Multimedia workshops help develop responsiveness. But, for this type of activity, there is no need for particular sporting or manual skills. No risk of failure therefore, which reassures anxious children.
Good to know : IT is just a tool, not an end in itself. While we shouldn’t demonize it, we shouldn’t mythologize it either! And especially not to let a child get lost in a virtual world. If yours also has activities (physical, in particular) that are well anchored in reality, then he will not run this risk.
Equipment side : do not plan anything in particular