How to Keep Executive Functioning Skills Sharp During Summer (Without Killing the Vibe)
Ah, summer.
That magical stretch of freedom where shoes disappear, time becomes meaningless, and your kid thinks “breakfast” means goldfish crackers at 11:42 a.m.
As a parent, you want your middle schooler to enjoy a well-earned break. But you're also quietly watching their time management, planning, and motivation evaporate like sidewalk chalk in the rain.
Here’s the good news: You can help your child keep their executive functioning skills sharp this summer—without turning your kitchen into a bootcamp.
Let’s break it down into simple, low-pressure strategies that sneak in skill-building (like zucchini in brownies).
🧠 What Are Executive Functioning Skills Again?
In short: they’re the brain’s air traffic control system. Executive functioning helps kids plan, organize, remember stuff, manage time, and regulate emotions. Kinda important for, well… life.
These skills are still developing in middle school, which means summer is an ideal time to practice in real-world, low-stress ways.
1. ✏️ Make a “Loose Routine” (With Their Input)
Summer doesn’t have to be scheduled down to the minute, but a simple daily rhythm helps.
Try this:
Morning = movement, a chore, and breakfast
Midday = screen time, socializing, or camp
Afternoon = reading, a project, or downtime
Let your child help design the routine! Giving them ownership builds planning and flexible thinking.
🎯 EF Skill Boost: Time management, task initiation, organization
2. 🧺 Give Them Real-World Responsibility
Summer is ripe with opportunities for executive functioning practice—especially through things like:
Planning a meal (hello, math and sequencing!)
Running a lemonade stand
Creating a packing list for vacation
Even having them be the “calendar boss” for the week (keeping track of camps, birthdays, or appointments) gives a sense of independence and a reason to check the date.
🎯 EF Skill Boost: Planning, sequencing, self-monitoring
3. 📚 Make Reading More Like Netflix
If your tween stares at books like they’re written in ancient runes, try a more flexible approach:
Let them pick graphic novels, audiobooks, or fanfiction
Read the same book and discuss it like a mini book club (with snacks, obviously)
Listen to audiobooks together on road trips
No pressure. Just exposure.
🎯 EF Skill Boost: Working memory, focus, verbal reasoning
4. 🎲 Gamify Boring Stuff
Turn tasks into challenges:
“Beat the Clock” tidying races
“Chore Bingo” for small daily wins
“Plan a Day Out” scavenger hunt with a budget
When they’re playing, they’re practicing skills like flexible thinking, prioritization, and follow-through. Sneaky, right?
🎯 EF Skill Boost: Cognitive flexibility, prioritizing, follow-through
5. 🧘♀️ Practice Mindful Moments (Even Tiny Ones)
Emotional regulation is a biggie in executive functioning. Summer is a great time to build tiny habits that support self-awareness:
Name emotions out loud ("I'm feeling bored and itchy for something to do")
Use breathing apps or stretch breaks after a meltdown
Reflect on the day at bedtime (“What went well today?”)
🎯 EF Skill Boost: Emotional regulation, reflection, impulse control
6. 📱Keep Tech in Check (Without the Showdown)
Let’s be honest: screens happen. But how they happen makes a difference.
Try:
Creating tech boundaries together (like "no screens before breakfast" or "one screen-free day a week")
Using screen time as a reward for completing priorities (vs. the default setting)
Talking about the why behind limits. Middle schoolers are way more likely to cooperate when they feel respected.
🎯 EF Skill Boost: Self-regulation, delayed gratification, prioritization
Final Thoughts: Let Summer Be Summer… and Build Skills
Summer doesn’t have to be the “Great Forgetting.” With just a few intentional tweaks, your child can strengthen their executive functioning skills in ways that feel natural, empowering, and—dare I say—fun?
And remember: they don’t have to do everything perfectly. You don’t either.
You’re already winning by reading this and caring. The rest is just one sticky popsicle moment at a time.
