Your child’s Maxi Mind Brain Training Course is designed to be effective on its own.

But if good is good… better it better!

One of our supplemental strategies to help your child get the most out of his or her Maxi Mind Experience is Family Dynamics.

Here are some additional tips (in no special order) that clients and/or professionals have found effective and we welcome you to jump in and try them whether it’s pre-course, mid-course, during a break or after the course is over:

1. Get enough sleep – Maxi Mind Brain Training stimulates brain development and that is a biologically demanding process. Growth happens when we sleep so to optimize that growth allow for some extra ‘z’s during the course. If your child has trouble getting to sleep, try melatonin – it’s safe and it’s effective most of the time.

2. Focus on food – Here are some things to cut back on:

a. Sugar – that’s in general but during the Maxi Mind Course itself consider relaxing that rule somewhat or at least upping the simple carbs – brain growth requires energy – on any given day 30% of our energy food goes to the brain – that proportion increases during brain growth.
b. Food colouring
c. Many of these kids are sensitive to dairy or gluten – experiment

3. Good nutrients

a. Zinc
b. Omega-3’s

4. Client-recommended supplements

a. LTO 3
b. Focus Formula and Bright Spark by Native Remedies

5. Brain Boosting Activities – Yes, there are toys and games that can make you smarter.

a. Juggling 3 balls (or bean bags or hackeysacks or tangerines): Believe it or not, this is very powerful brain training. Here is a great video to teach it step by step:
http://youtu.be/kCt1bmSASCI.

b. Wobble Board – the $8 ones are just as good as most of the $80 on the market. Let your kid experiment on it. Now if he can get to the point where he can juggle three balls while standing on it then he’s ready for the next level – a unicycle!

c. Superbrain Yoga – This medically endorsed movement routine has been shown to help learning in disabled children, cognitively impaired seniors and college students looking for higher marks.
See: https://youtu.be/KSwhpF9iJSs and learn: http://www.wikihow.com/Do-Superbrain-Yoga

d. Brain Beat – Don’t let the consumer electronics presentation fool you. This hardware/software ‘game’ system is bonafide brain training in a box. Scientifically developed, medically endorsed, good value at $249 US and (oops) only available in the US. Anybody going to Buffalo?
www.brainbeat.com.

e. Standing Blindfolded – When done regularly for up to 20 minutes, this simple activity has been proven to be as effective as the most advanced technology for correcting vertigo and restoring the sense of balance, which in turn provides a major boost for mental and emotional stability as well. Then try walking (safely!)

f. Book on your head – A hundred years ago, this was a ‘finishing school’ must – but in the light of recent neuroeducational discoveries, walking around with a book on your head helps you get the contents into your head as well ;-!

g. Bop It and Bop It XT – These games are great for boosting brain speed, auditory processing, motor planning, reaction time and the fact is.. they are FUN! For the older or more coordinated kids, get the XT. It’s pricey but it’s much more challenging AND it has an earphone so parents don’t go nuts from the noise.

h. Simon Swipe – You can actually download an app that mimics this classic toy. The hands-on version is great for boosting auditory processing, which in turn boosts language skills.

i. SET – this multiple award-winning card game boosts working memory and visual processing and it’s lots of fun to play.

j. The classics – Checkers, Chinese Checkers, Chess, Othello, Connect Four, Pictureka, I Spy, Etch-a-Sketch, Boggle, Battleships … anything to get them thinking in their spare time.

k. Settlers of Catan – a great strategy game – addictive like Risk and Monopoly but adds a level of negotiation and socializing that’s really fun for family and friends.

l. Armadillo Run – This is an oldie but goldie – it’s a Windows software download for the desktop, absolutely free, brilliant for your creative engineer type kid. Very simple to impossibly challenging.

m. Rush Hour and Rush Hour Jr. – A great visual-spatial problem solver – from easy to hard – and hands on.

n. Fine Motor Skills and Coordination – We have documented over 150 activities you can do at home for hand strengthening, enhancing pincer grasp, body and shoulder stability, dexterity and bilateral coordination. Most are for younger children but many are also suitable for older kids and adults. (pdf available on request)

Did you know? About one half of Maxi Mind clients believe that their child would benefit from a second Maxi Mind Course or a Booster Course in order to get to an even higher level of focusing and academic success. Keep in touch post-course. We are here to help.