Can you remember your first memory?
How about what you ate for dinner last Thursday?
Our memory is so important to us. It’s our very own filing cabinet where we’ve stored all images, all occasions, all important events. Christmases growing up, your first job, your child’s first steps, special birthdays, holidays…the list is endless. And it’s also useful for remembering mistakes made so you don’t repeat them or remembering the mundane like Mufti day for your kids, bringing cakes to work for a coffee morning, collecting dry cleaning.
But retaining memories takes training, brain training. Some people can recall minutiae detail whilst others can’t remember what they’ve just watched on TV! So how do you go from having a poor memory to an excellent one?
- Plenty of sleep and exercise will help but so will doing these little brain exercises as well. Write out a shopping list then leave it at home and see how much you had managed to memorise.
- Do a maths problem in your head. As tempting as it is to use a calculator, give it a go in your head first.
- Learn to play a musical instrument or join a choir. Learning something long and complex is good for your mental strength overall.
- Take up knitting! An activity that involves hand and eye coordination is good for your fine motor skills. This could include knitting, jigsaw puzzles or drawing.
- Learn a new sport. As well as the physical health benefits, it will also keep you mentally alert.
Suduku, crosswords, spot the difference, happy families are all great games to test the old grey cells and the earlier you start playing memory games the better.
At Beehive Toys we have a bestseller called Memory Matching Game which is enjoyed by children and adults alike. It can be played together or solo to help memory and focus abilities. It’s all about testing your memory and if you can remember which honeycomb fits which bee!
So remember, keep your memory alive with fun, games and play!