¡Ejercita tu cerebro! Juegos de memoria y concentración en vivo.

In this class, we will enjoy a brief icebreaker or fun warm-up activity, then engage in a game that will challenge your learner's memory, focus, and thinking. When relevant, I will also teach strategies to increase these skills, and thus your learner's confidence. We will then engage in an active brain break to allow learners to rest their minds, get the blood flowing, and arrive at our second game with a fresh focus. 

Along with increasing a child's memory, attention, concentration, and focus, some of these carefully developed games can also improve visual and auditory recognition, reaction time, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills. In a group setting, these games can also support skills such as communication, sportsmanship, and social skills. I will also ask students to share their strategies as we go along so they can learn from each other. The cognitive skill development supported in this class is important as a child matures. They not only learn new information, but also work to remember, think more critically, and process and recall what they learn, then apply it in a progressive way. 

Please know that while I do my best to end after our 50 minutes, there may be days where we run a bit over our allotted time if students are doing well and certain games naturally continue. I will not go into the next hour. 

This class is full of nteraction if your learner chooses to engage. If I see that your learner is engaged in the games, but simply more reserved and not wishing to share their answers, I may encourage them a bit, but will also respect their needs and comfort level and will not push for participation. There may be answer "shout outs" where everyone can answer,, though many times I will ask for hand-raises and keep careful track of who I've called on to be fair. If a learner wishes to direct message me their answers in chat rather than speaking, they can let me know this as well. 

I'm a teacher who is not only dedicated to having fun with my students as they learn, but I'm also sensitive to the fact that some learners dislike making mistakes or may believe they may look "dumb" to their peers when they do. I work hard to create a supportive classroom environment with no pressure to always be "correct" and certainly not perfect. We are to simply try our best, whatever that may be that day. Our games are not meant to be competitive, but instead focused on group enjoyment and supporting each other. 

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The games that we play in this class are as follows. Please see below this list to find your class schedule:

--What’s Missing? An array of objects are shown, studied, and after a distraction, some are removed. Students then need to recall what was missing. Learners will be asked what strategies they're using to recall objects, and I will also point out and teach some as we go.

--Name Game. Students will pretend they're going to a chosen location, bringing chosen items with them, but the items can only start with the letter their first name begins with. We will take turns and repeat all of the items that were stated before our turn and see how far we can go! 

--Photographic Memory. I will share a photo or video with learners for some time, then take it away. I will then ask questions about details in the video or photo, such as "What color was the dog’s hat?"  

--Zoom Out! I will show learners a photo of a common item, animal, etc, but it will be zoomed in on one spot. I will zoom out slowly as needed to support learners in guessing what the photo is, then reveal the entire photo when it's been guessed correctly. 

--What’s That Sound? I will play sounds from different types of animals, along with their picture and name. I will then play only the sound, letting them recall which animal it is. Learners will write their answers on paper or we will share answers after each sound plays.  

--Total Recall. A series of pictures, colors, shapes, or words will be displayed for a few seconds. Learners will then write, draw or share what the objects were, in a specific order. 

--What changed? Learners will be shown a photo or video and asked to study the details briefly. After a distraction, they will look again and decide what has changed. Learners will have an opportunity to take a turn changing something on themselves or in their environment for other learners to guess as well! 

--Number Strings. Learners will be shown a string of numbers. After time and sharing of strategies (noticing patterns etc.), the numbers will disappear, and they'll be asked to write or state the numbers in the correct order. Like many of the games, this will increase in difficulty as we go.

--Story Building. We will create a story together, taking turns and adding only five words each on our turn. We must repeat the story from the beginning on our turn, then add our five words. This gets silly!

--Name That Object! I will describe an object, slowly giving more information on the object until it is guessed. We will then switch it up and I will give learners a topic (food, animal, etc) that the secret word belongs to. They will take turns asking one question each turn to get closer to the item (e.g. Is it a dessert? Does it have four legs?) until it is known.

--What Can You Find? Learners will be asked to name things that they would find in a certain place, excluding the most common items (e.g. what do you find at a zoo that isn't an animal?) and see if they can beat the teacher! 

--Going on a picnic. We will take turns naming objects that we're taking on a picnic, starting with A and getting as far into the alphabet as time allows. The tricky part is that we will try to name all of the objects stated thus far, not always in alphabetical order!

--Same...Not The Same: We will look at four things and ponder how they are the same, then reason why one of them is different. This game uses both critical and creative thinking with no right or wrong answers. The way other learners interpret the puzzles should be interesting and can lead to great discussions! 

--Do You Recognize Me? This game will challenge learners to remember faces to increase facial recognition skills as well as work their memory and focus on details about the animals or humans we’re working to recall. 

--The No-Go Game: This game will challenge your learners' focus and memory as well as their brain flexibility and quick thinking. Learners will be given instructions on what to do when certain objects appear on the screen (and what to do/not do) when they see others...but nothing stays the same for long, and some things are downright strange and the opposite of what our brain would expect!  

-- It's All in The Details: I will show photos of around forty objects, one at a time, in quick succession. Learners will work to visually remember the state of each item as they see them. The objects will be shown again, yet some will be in different states (now open, different angle, etc.) and learners will need to identify which items have changed. In another trial, learners will be asked to choose which specific item they saw in a line-up of very similar items.  

--Sound Matching: Testing our audial (hearing) memory isn't something we do very often, our brain is much better at recalling visual information, but learners will challenge themselves with this twist on the classic "flip two" memory game using sounds only. 

--Dual Tasks: This game will challenge our focus, memory, and attention! Learners will master one mental task, then a physical task, individually. Learners will then work to combine those tasks, side by side, then, adding even more challenge. We will try for three tasks at once! This game utilizes a completely imaginary tic-tac-toe board on the floor, so students will need a bit of room to move. If your learner has physical challenges, please let me know and I will happily adapt our game for them.  

--Memory Mad Lib: In this hilarious twist on an Outschool class-related Mad Lib, we will fill in the unknown blanks with nouns, verbs, and adjectives, then work to recall those blanks from our memories as we go. This game naturally challenges our minds as it progresses, and often becomes funnier, too!  

--Memory Missions: Learners will be given both word and picture lists of items and a set amount of time to memorize as many as they can. After a brief distractor, learners will then write as many words as they can. I will teach strategies to increase this skill.

--Color Capture: Learners will be tested in several ways in this game. Our visual memories, attention to detail, and even our audial memories will be tested. 

--Memory Draw: We will test both our visual and hearing memory in several different ways during this game, studying photos for shapes, color, and placement as well as drawing a scene from memory. 

--Spot The Difference: 
Can you tell the slight differences between seemingly alike photos, side by side? Bring your best focus, patience, and attention to detail to this challenging game! 

–Riddles, Brain Teasers, and Mysteries: Learners will use their critical thinking in this game to find the answers to riddles, brain teasers, and mysteries. Some riddles may seem very easy at first, but we must slow our thinking down to figure out what is *really* being asked.  These are great for growing the brain!

–Name That Noise: Learners will test their audial memory to recognize and then name every day (and perhaps some rather strange and unusual) sounds without the support of visual cues.

–Find The Mistake: Learners love detecting little mistakes that adults and others have made! This game will challenge learners to use what they know to locate purposeful errors in text and pictures via their critical thinking. 

–Mystery Bag: Learners will use their critical thinking and recall to ask logical questions as well as to remember what has been said by others before them. This will help us decipher what mysterious item is inside each bag. 

–Map Quests: This memory game with maps and scenes will be have us recalling directions, things we saw and where, how to navigate from one place to another, etc. 

[This game is currently retired, but may return in the future]: Twisted (and Distracted!) Fairy Tale: I will read a strange version of a favorite fairy tale, then ask them to recall details in the story, BUT...there will be many twists to this game that add challenge and also relate to real life! 

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I expect that all of these sections will continue and repeat on the same day and time, indefinitely.

MONDAY 1:00 pm EST Class

January 20th: Riddles, Brain Teasers and Mysteries, and Name That Noise
January 27th: No Go Game and Do You Recognize Me
February 3rd: What’s Missing and Name Game
February 10th: Photographic Memory and Total Recall
February 17th: What’s That Sound and Zoom Out! 
February 24th: Name That Object and What Changed  
March 3rd: Find the Mistake and Mystery Bag
March 17th: Memory Draw and Spot the Difference
March 24th: Same...Not The Same and Map Quests
March 31st: Number Strings and Story Building
April 7th: What Can You Find and Going on a Picnic
April 14th: It's all in the Details and Sound Matching
April 21st: Dual Tasks and Memory Mad Libs
April 28th: Memory Missions and Color Capture


With sufficient learners, we will cycle our games and continue indefinitely.
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TUESDAY 12:00 EST Class

January 21st: What Can You Find and Going on a Picnic
January 28th: Same...Not The Same and Map Quests
February 4th: What’s That Sound and Zoom Out
February 11th: Number Strings and What Changed?
February 18th: Name That Object and Story Building
February 25th: It's all in the Details and Sound Matching
March 4th: Dual Tasks and Memory Mad Libs
March 11th: Riddles, Brain Teasers and Mysteries, and Name That Noise
March 18th: Find the Mistake and Mystery Bag
March 25th: Memory Missions and Color Capture
April 1st: No Go Game and Do You Recognize Me? 
April 8th: Memory Draw and Spot the Difference
April 15th: What’s Missing and Name Game
April 22nd: Photographic Memory and Total Recall 

With sufficient learners, we will cycle our games and continue indefinitely.
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TUESDAY 7:00 pm EST Class

January 28th: Memory Missions and Color Capture
February 4th: No Go Game and Do You Recognize Me?
February 11th: What's Missing and The Name Game
February 18th: Photographic Memory and Total Recall 
February 25th What’s That Sound and Zoom Out
March 4th: Riddles, Brain Teasers and Mysteries, and Name That Noise
March 11th: Find the Mistake and Mystery Bag
March 18th: Number Strings and What Changed?
March 25th: Memory Draw and Spot the Difference
April 1st: What Can You Find and Going on a Picnic
April 8th: Name That Object and Story Building
April 15th: It's all in the Details and Sound Matching
April 22nd: Same...Not The Same and Map Quests
April 29th: Dual Tasks and Memory Mad Libs

With sufficient learners, we will cycle our games and continue indefinitely.
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THURSDAY  3:10 EST and 6:00 p.m. Classes

January 30th: Memory Draw and Spot the Difference
February 6th: Riddles, Brain Teasers and Mysteries, and Name That Noise
February 13th: Find the Mistake and Mystery Bag
February 20th: Dual Tasks and Memory Mad Libs 
February 27th: Same...Not The Same and Map Quests
March 3rd: Memory Missions and Color Capture
March 6th: No Go Game and Do You Recognize Me? 
March 13h: What’s Missing and Name Game
March 20th: Photographic Memory and Total Recall 
March 27th: What’s That Sound and Zoom Out
April 3rd: Number Strings and What Changed?
April 10th: Name That Object and Story Building
April 17th: What Can You Find and Going on a Picnic
April 24th: It's all in the Details and Sound Matching 

With sufficient learners, we will cycle our games and continue indefinitely.
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FRIDAY 4 p.m. EST

January 24th: Find the Mistake and Mystery Bag
January 31st: What’s That Sound and Zoom Out
February 7th: Number Strings and What Changed?
February 14th: Dual Tasks and Memory Mad Libs
February 21st: What Can You Find and Going on a Picnic
February 28th: It's all in the Details and Sound Matching
March 7th: Memory Missions and Color Capture
March 15th: Name That Object and Story Building
March 21st: No Go Game and Do You Recognize Me? 
March 28th: What’s Missing and Name Game
April 4th: Photographic Memory and Total Recall 
April 11th: Memory Draw and Spot the Difference
April 18th: Same...Not The Same and Map Quests
April 25th: Riddles, Brain Teasers and Mysteries, and Name That Noise

With sufficient learners, we will cycle our games and continue indefinitely.
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FRIDAY 8 pm EST Class 

January 24th: Riddles, Brain Teasers and Mysteries, and Name That Noise
January 31st: Find the Mistake and Mystery Bag
February 7th: Memory Draw and Spot the Difference
February 14th: Name That Object and Story Building
February 21st: What Can You Find and Going on a Picnic
February 28th: It's all in the Details and Sound Matching
March 7th: Dual Tasks and Memory Mad Libs
March 15th: What’s Missing and Name Game 
March 21st: Memory Missions and Color Capture
March 28th: No Go Game and Do You Recognize Me? 
April 4th: Photographic Memory and Total Recall 
April 11th: Number Strings and What Changed?
April 18th: Same...Not The Same and Map Quests
April 25th: What’s That Sound and Zoom Out

With sufficient learners, we will cycle our games and continue indefinitely.
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SATURDAY 12 pm and 7 pm EST 

January 25th: Find the Mistake and Mystery Bag
February 1st: Number Strings and Story Building
February 8th: What Can You Find and Going on a Picnic
February 15th: Same...Not The Same and Map Quests
February 22nd: No Go Game and Do You Recognize Me?
March 1st: What’s Missing and Name Game
March 7th:  Photographic Memory and Total Recall 
March 14th: What’s That Sound and Zoom Out!
March 21st: It's all in the Details and Sound Matching
March 28th: Dual Tasks and Memory Mad Lib
April 5th: Memory Missions and Color Capture
April 12th: Name That Object and What Changed
April 19th: Memory Draw and Spot the Difference
April 26th: Riddles, Brain Teasers and Mysteries, and Name That Noise

With sufficient learners, we will cycle our games and continue indefinitely.