Written by: Dr Tessa Grigg
What are ‘executive functioning (EF) skills’ and what does Christmas have to do with them? As you will see, the festive season offers multiple opportunities to help children develop these all-important skills.
Adele Diamond is one of the champions of the importance of EF. She heads the division of Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience at the University of British Columbia. The laboratory specialises in studying a region of the brain known as the prefrontal cortex and the cognitive abilities that depend on it, especially in young children.
Executive functions encompass cognitive control functions, which children require when encountering something new or when faced with changes. Children need executive functions when their initial response would take them in the wrong direction. Out of the basic executive functions come more sophisticated functions such as reasoning and problem-solving. They have also been shown to help children in later life (Poulton et al., 2015). The festive season presents numerous opportunities for the brain to engage in reasoning and problem-solving.
What are the basic executive functions?
- Inhibitory control is the ability to suppress instinctive responses and choose appropriate actions instead. It involves regulating attention, behavior, thoughts, and emotions to override internal impulses or external distractions. This skill represents a key developmental difference between children and adults, as young children typically exhibit limited self-control despite other cognitive strengths such as language comprehension.
- Working Memory is the ability to hold information in the mind and work with it. Working memory supports inhibitory control, and vice versa, as the child must hold the task in mind, pay attention to what is relevant, and ignore what must be disregarded.
- Cognitive Flexibility is being able to switch perspectives and think outside the box. That is, if one way does not work, then look for alternative solutions. This is also an aspect of creativity and is important to problem-solving. Cognitive flexibility builds on the other two executive functions and comes later in development.
How can the basic executive functions be supported during the holiday season?
Adele Diamond (2007) has found that practice, exercising and challenging executive functions improve them. Children learn by actively doing. She recommends that opportunities for executive functions practice be part of everyday play and learning, so children can develop these skills. The more the whole child is involved, encompassing the body, emotions, social, and cognitive aspects, the better it is for learning the three aspects of EF. Using the body and mind actively nurtures the brain, developing its ability to moderate behaviour, express personality, make decisions, solve problems, plan complex cognitive behaviour and process the current environment and past memories.
Does this sound like all the things that happen during the festive season? Having to wait to open presents? Learning about gratitude and respecting other’s feelings. Learning to be generous to others? Changes in routines and environments that are often associated with Festivities. One of the hardest things for young children is to cope with a disappointing gift. They usually do not have the skills to keep the information to themselves so that they do not hurt the feelings of the gift giver.
Diamond points out that parents can provide children with opportunities to develop their executive functions through pretend play and modelling the appropriate response. Storytelling (rather than book reading) encourages holding information in the mind. Talking about and planning the Festivities together, followed by a commitment to stay with an activity for an appropriate time, encourages self-regulation. Helping with tasks such as decorating the Christmas tree supports the development of Executive Functions.
Festivities hold many traditions but also many opportunities to learn and grow.
From the GymbaROO Family to yours, in the midst of all the festive chaos, we hope that this Christmas, you can find your ‘family’ and their traditions, where the energy is positive and the love is unconditional. Where differences are celebrated, and kindness and acceptance are abundant. We look forward to seeing you in 2026
Dr Tessa Grigg (PhD, Dip Tch Primary and ECE) is an experienced teacher and the Research and Education Manager at GymbaROO-KindyROO.
References:
Adele Diamond – A TEDSx talk https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=StASHLru28s,
On Being – In a room with Adele Diamond – Krista Tippett and Diamond discuss education, cognitive neuroscience, the importance of play and more. https://onbeing.org/programs/adele-diamond-the-science-of-attention/
Diamond, A. (2007). Interrelated and interdependent [Article]. Developmental Science, 10(1), 152-158. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-7687.2007.00578.x
Poulton, R., Moffitt, T. E., & Silva, P. A. (2015). The Dunedin Multidisciplinary Health and Development Study: Overview of the first 40 years, with an eye to the future. Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology, 50, 679 – 693. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00127-015-1048-8