Game Ideas for Focus & Concentration for Teenagers

Many teenagers struggle with focus and concentration. You can help them work on these skills by playing. Interactive games are a fun way for teens to increase their ability to focus and concentrate. Organize a variety of games that will keep them interested in playing along to help them succeed at school and work. You can offer small prizes to game winners to entice the teens to try their best.

Ask the teens to sit in a circle and select one player to go first. The teen must perform an action, such as clapping his hands. The next teen in the circle must clap his hands and add another action, such as touching his nose. Each player must do the previous actions and add one of his own. If a player makes a mistake or performs any action out of order, he is out of the game. The last player remaining wins the game. Alternatively, create a rhythm pattern and select a teen to copy it. If he copies it correctly, reward him with a small prize.

Place an assortment of different coins on a table in a pattern. Have the teens look at the coins for about 30 seconds. Cover the coins up, then give the teens a bowl of coins. The players who can re-create the pattern win a prize. Make the game more challenging by adding more coins to the pattern or allowing only 15 seconds to look at the coins. The card game Memory, or Concentration, in which you try to locate matching pairs of cards, also will help teens build focus and concentration skills.

Divide the teens into two teams. Tell the teens they must count to 10 aloud, but only one teen can talk at a time. If two players talk at the same time, the team must start over. The players must use their eyes to focus and communicate with one another about who will go next. The first team to get to 10 wins the game. Alternatively, have all the teens sit in one large circle and count to 20 in the same manner. Time them to see how long it takes them to complete the task. Each time, have the teens try to beat their best time.

Teach teens a variety of tongue twisters to improve their concentration and focus. The teens must think about what they are saying as they say it. For example, have the teens practice saying, “She sells sea shells by the seashore.” Tell them to keep practicing it. Once they think they are ready, have them say it to you five times as fast as they can. If they do it without making a mistake, they earn a small prize. Other tongue twisters include “Cheap sheep soup” and “Red leather, yellow leather.”