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Hey, Middle School students! Let’s Feed Your Brain (summer 2022 edition)

Posted on July 18, 2022

We’re in the height of summer, and as you continue to have what we hope is a restful and restorative break, we wanted to pop in (👋) and share ways for you to feed your brain while you’re away from school.

Below you will find suggestions from Beaver faculty and students to learn, move, connect, nourish, and be. The list includes indoor and outdoor options—as well as a variety of ways for you to engage with the world around you, try new things, practice self-care, and tap into your curiosity!

But before we jump into the list, here’s a refresher on the different elements that make up “Feed Your Brain” and the impact they have—mentally and physically.

Feed Your Brain Summer

  • Learn: Choose how and what you want to learn. Read, watch, listen, or do something new or connected to what you want to learn more about so you can add to your fund of knowledge. Prior knowledge helps you acquire and learn new information and improves your capacity for problem-solving.
  • Move: Exercise improves brain health, enhances focus, strengthens memory, improves mood, and reduces stress. (Read this fact sheet or listen to this TED Talk to learn more.)
  • Connect: Make new friends or strengthen existing relationships by sharing a common interest, developing a sense of purpose, learning new skills, and staying active physically and/or mentally.
  • Nourish: Cooking can enhance cognition by improving one’s memory, fine motor skills, attention, and ability to sequence and anticipate. Learn more about the seven ways cooking can boost brain power; try to choose foods linked to better brain health!
  • Be: Choose activities that help you slow down to have a calmer and clearer mind. This also will help improve concentration, memory, and decision-making. Examples include meditation, which decreases stress and increases focus; reading for pleasure, which increases brain connectivity and builds empathy; writing, which improves creativity, problem-solving, empathy, and self-monitoring skills; and listening to music, which elevates mood, reduces stress, and stimulate memories.

Are you ready to Feed Your Brain this summer? Let’s do it!

LEARN

General knowledge

Math skills

Language skills

Code

MOVE

CONNECT

NOURISH

  • Cook something!
  • Plant some vegetables, herbs, or flowers in your yard or a planter

Design & create

BE

Relaxation & mindfulness

Read

Write

  • Write a short story, poem, novel, or whatever you like.
  • Share your talents as a writer by exploring publishing options at Grub Street, New Pages, Stone Soup, or Teen Ink.
  • Keep a diary or journal. Write down feelings throughout the day
  • Keep a gratitude log. At the end of each day, write down what you are thankful for

Listen

Bonus: Exercise Your Brain

Play Brain Games to enhance the power of your brain

 

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Beaver Country Day School admits qualified students of any race, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, religion, creed, handicap status, national origin or ethnicity to all the rights, privileges, programs and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the school. It does not discriminate on the basis of race, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, religion, creed, handicap status, national origin or ethinicity in the administration of its educational, admission, financial aid, athletic or other school-administered programs or policies.