R is for Remember (Primary)

The brainy bit!

Our memories are a big part of our experience of being a human! And there’s a part of our brain that’s really good at remembering things - it’s called the hippocampus!

the memory game

When we remember something, the parts of our brain work as a team to recall our experiences - was it good, was it bad, did I like it, did I feel happy or sad? In these changing times, we might be remembering all the things that didn’t happen but how about we develop our resilience by also remembering all the great stuff too!

The challenge is that our amazing brain tells us stories and we sometimes need to work out which part of our memory is a story and which part is true and another challenge can be that we forget just how strong we are! The really good news is that, with practice, we can train our minds to remember!

Fun

and games

Fun things to practice

1. Let’s play the Memory Game! It really helps us see things, notice things, remember things! Play with someone else who arranges 12 objects on a tray. You need to look carefully at the objects for 10seconds. Then the objects are covered and you write down as many as you remember! Play this game with the same objects three times a week over a fortnight. See how many you can remember and whether your score improves over time, we bet it does! You might also find it great fun & notice that your ability to concentrate improves!

2. Let’s play the ‘Alien chocolate practice’! First of all, imagine you’re an alien who’s only just arrived on earth! You notice something in front of you and you’re not sure what it is (spoiler alert - it’s a small piece of chocolate). Pick up this object with your alien hands and look at it with your alien eyes. You still don’t know what it is. Smell it with your alien nose and place the object against your alien lips! What’s your alien body telling you?!? Then finally place the object in your alien mouth and bite into it. You still don’t know what it is! Enjoy your piece of food as if you’re never seen it before!

3. Remember the Positives! This is a lovely practice to do particularly when we’re busy or there’s lots going on for us. Try three things:

• do something that you enjoy doing alone (reading, listening to music, watching TV, being mindful)

• do something that you enjoy doing with others (go out with your pals on your bike, watch a movie with your family)

• do something that you think is worthwhile or important (help a neighbour out, do a random act of kindness)

At the end of the day write down what happened during each activity, notice how you felt! Did you feel happy doing one type of activity? How do you feel when you remember the activities - which one stays in your memory the most?

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The not-so-small small print

There is none! Simply return to this part of the website daily to get the next part of the practice.. No payment or subscription required. This is a resource we are sharing with all of you through the website and aiming to help our youngsters, in the various stages of their lives. This program contains information and practices that are aimed for two different age groups and we intend to mostly post the primary level information in the morning and the secondary level in the afternoon. Please leave us a comment and let us know how you are getting on or get in touch if you require additional support.

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