What is executive function?

Executive functions (EFs) are mental processes controlled by the brain’s frontal lobe that help people prioritize, organize, regulate emotions, think creatively, plan, stay focused, set goals, adapt, and stay flexible.

Three key areas of executive function are:

• Working memory: Storing and using information.
• Cognitive flexibility: Thinking in different ways.
• Inhibitory control: Ignoring distractions and practicing self control.

Between ages 3 and 5, children’s executive functioning skills grow rapidly through play, like following directions in “Simon Says,” assigning roles in pretend play, or imagining a stick as a magic wand.

Strong executive functioning skills influence mental and physical health, academic success, job performance, and social connections.

Executive dysfunction can result from neurodevelopmental or mental health conditions, as well as stress, loneliness, lack of sleep, exercise, or aging.

Both children and adults can improve executive functioning skills through play and practice. Evidence shows that cognitively challenging activities improve brain function, and the concept of neuroplasticity— the brain’s ability to adapt—has led to the rise of gamified cognitive training programs for adults, like Lumosity and CogniFit.

These games can be accessed via a computer or mobile device, but many other offline games and activities can sharpen executive function skills.

Executive Function Skills and Play Activity Ideas

Working Memory

According to Psychology Today, working memory tends to decline in older age and research suggests it may begin to gradually decrease after early adulthood.

Examples:

• Following directions and remembering a series of steps.
• Calculating a math problem without pen and paper.
• Retaining storylines and concepts when reading.
• Making and following through with plans.
• Remembering names, items on a shopping list, or phone numbers.

Ways to Sharpen Skills

• Miniature golf – Keep track of the score in your head after each hole.
• Recall games with a group – where one person starts a story, grocery list, etc., the next person repeats what was said and adds to it, and so on.
• SIMON® – Electronic game where the player must remember the color pattern and repeat it.
• Bop-It!® – Electronic game where the player listens to the commands and quickly reacts.
• That’s Not a Hat! – Board game where players give gifts to each other while trying to remember who gave what and which gift they have in front of them.
• Rebus puzzle – This puzzle asks a question and then the clues to the answer are found in numbers, letters, pictures, and symbols. Players must have knowledge of and be able to remember cliches and expressions to solve the puzzles.

Cognitive Flexibility

Examples:

• Finding a new driving route to work when a road is closed.
• Switching tasks when a higher priority is presented.
• Learning a new language that has different sounds, letters, or sentence structures than native language.
• Handing out hard copies of presentation slides to participants when technology fails.

Ways to Sharpen Skills:

• Improvisational theater or dance.
• Escape rooms – An experience in which groups attempt to find clues and solve a series of puzzles to escape a room before time runs out.
• Chess – Requires players to think ahead, plan their moves, and anticipate their opponent’s moves.
• Sudoku – Requires attention to detail and a willingness to experiment with different solutions.
• Word scramble games – Players must spell several words using a series of letters.
• Duolingo™ – Gamified app for learning languages, music, and math.
• Think-outside-the-box games like listing creative, unusual uses for everyday objects (ex. Table – you can eat on it, bang on it like a drum, hide under it, use it for firewood, etc.)

Inhibitory Control

Examples:

• Resisting the urge to interject or interrupt others during a meeting.
• Ignoring noises in the office to continue focusing on tasks.
• Taking time to pause and think about a response.

Ways to Sharpen Skills

• Martial arts – Enhances a mind-body connection, problem-solving ability, and reduced impulsiveness.
• Slap card game – A fast-paced card game where players try to collect all of the cards in a 52-card deck to win.
• SLAPZI – Speed matching game that encourages critical thinking and self control to avoid mistakes.
• JENGA® – Players take turns removing one block at a time from a tower constructed of 54 blocks and replacing the block at the top of the tower.

SIMON and Bop It! are registered trademarks of Hasbro, Inc. 

DUOLINGO is a trademark of Duolingo, Inc.

JENGA® is a registered trademark owned by Pokonobe Associates.