• Chess & other strategic games 

Engaging in strategic games like Chess, Go, or even Mastermind can greatly enhance cognitive skills. These games challenge your analytical thinking, planning, problem-solving, and decision-making abilities. Regularly playing such games not only sharpens your mind but also improves your memory, your ability to focus and your pattern recognition skills!  Keen on learning chess as a beginner or improving your chess skills as an intermediate player? Join our 2024 June Holiday Chess Camp!

• Writing

Expressing your thoughts through writing can be a powerful tool to boost brain function. Whether it's through journaling or creative writing, writing helps to enhance your language skills, memory, and critical thinking. You can also experiment with various mediums like blogging or even scrapbooking. Combining writing with other mediums of expression helps you flex your creative muscles as you use various parts of your brain to convey your experiences, emotions and insight. Writing also encourages you to articulate ideas clearly and logically, stimulating various cognitive processes. Regular writing practice can improve your overall communication skills and put you on the path of becoming a better speaker as well! Writing can also be a form of self-care if you use it as a tool to tend to your emotional well-being!

• Arts & Crafts 

There is a reason human beings have been making art ever since we were cave dwellers! Engaging in arts and crafts nourish multiple systems in our brain like our integrated sensory, attentional, cognitive, emotional, and motor capacities. All kinds of art from drawing and colouring to sculpting and pottery can boost your brain function in different ways. In fact, knitting and crocheting have been known to increase neural connections in the brain, leading to improved cognitive function and memory retention. If you struggle with brain fog and feel like you are moving through life in a daze, all you have to do is engage in a craft you enjoy and give your brain a boost!

• Gardening

Gardening may seem like a simple and relaxing pastime, but it offers a multitude of benefits for brain health. Being in nature and nurturing plants has a calming effect, which plays a role in relieving stress and anxiety. The process of planning and organising a garden requires creativity, attention to detail, and spatial reasoning. Additionally, gardening involves physical activity, which boosts blood flow to the brain, and improves cognitive function. In a society where most students have fixed schedules and hobbies, gardening introduces a sense of novelty and a way to directly connect with nature - two things our brains love!

• Physical exercise

We all know that physical exercise is beneficial for our bodies, but its effects on our brains are under-appreciated! Engaging in activities like aerobic exercises, dancing, or sports releases endorphins which reduces stress and improves mood. Exercise increases blood flow to the brain, promoting the growth of new neurons and enhancing cognitive abilities, including memory and attention. Getting at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise per week can help you reap these benefits fully! Sports are also a great opportunity to socialise and work as a team which is great for mental health!

• Practising musical instruments

Playing a musical instrument stimulates various regions of the brain simultaneously. It requires coordination, memory, and concentration. Learning to read sheet music and play chords exercises the brain's executive functions and enhances cognitive abilities. In fact, just the process of developing a sense of rhythm has numerous benefits on the brain. The discipline and perseverance involved in mastering an instrument also contributes to improved focus and sharpens your mind.

• Learning new languages

Learning a new language is like a workout routine for the brain! It challenges memory, attention, and problem-solving skills as you make use of these skills to learn a whole new set of vocabulary, grammar rules and sounds that may not be present in your native tongue. In fact, studies have shown that bilingual individuals have better cognitive flexibility and improved executive functions. Learning a new language enhances overall communication skills and broadens cultural understanding. If you take a holistic approach to learning a new language, you will also be making connections to the customs, cultural ideologies and even the geographical conditions of the places these languages originate from. This is almost like being reintroduced to the world like a newborn, making language learning an exciting and brain-stimulating hobby!