You ask your child to start their homework, and within minutes they are gazing out the window or fiddling with their pencil. Sound familiar? For children ages 5 to 7, staying focused for longer stretches of time is a skill still in development. At this stage, attention span is closely tied to brain maturity, interest level, and environmental factors. And it can vary greatly from day to day.
Understanding what is realistic for your child’s age and how to gradually extend their focus can help reduce frustration and make learning time more productive.
Attention span is the length of time a person can concentrate on a single task before becoming distracted. A person’s attention span depends on three core attentional abilities, such as:
In the early primary school years, sustained, shifting, and selective attention are still developing, and children are learning to use them efficiently. Young learners can focus well on engaging, hands-on activities, but may struggle with tasks that are abstract, repetitive, or less interesting to them.
While the core attentional skills are present across the lifespan, in young children, the capacity to focus is typically shorter. A general guideline is that a child’s attention span in minutes is about two to three times their age:
These numbers are not fixed – interest in the task, physical needs like hunger or tiredness, and environment can extend or shorten focus time considerably. It is also normal for children in this age group to need frequent prompts or guidance to return to a task when their attention drifts. Importantly, the capacity to focus is expected to improve considerably as children grow, especially with supportive routines and practise.
A variety of factors can shape how long your child’s attention span is:
While part of your child’s ability to focus and direct their attention comes with natural development, there is plenty that you as a parent and educator can do to help children strengthen their focus:
1. Break tasks into smaller segments
A 15-minute reading session might be as effective as three 5-minutes bursts
2. Alternate focus and movement
Short movement breaks (e.g., stretching, jumping, quick dance) can help reset the brain
3. Make tasks multi-sensory
Combining sight, sound, and touch keeps engagement high. For example, when learning numbers, write them in the sand, say them aloud, and clap the total.
4. Set clear, short-term goals
Tell your child exactly what to complete before the next break
5. Use visual supports
Timers, checklists, and visual schedules help children see progress and stay on track
6. Play attention-building games
Fun challenges can train focus without it feeling like work
Grabbit (ages 4+) – A colourful family game where hungry rabbits hop around the vegetable garden and players must remember what is hidden under each leaf. To succeed, children need to keep track of several positions at once. The game strengthens selective attention by helping them focus on the right vegetable while ignoring distractions. It is also great for practising memory by holding locations in mind even when it’s your opponent’s turn. Because play is short and turn-based, it naturally breaks the task into small bursts, keeping children engaged without overwhelming them.
In Smart Farmer (ages 5+) players separate animals into different fields, making sure each one has access to water. Success in the game depends on trying out different fence placements, understanding their consequences, and adjusting their plan accordingly. This requires sustained attention, since children must stay with the problem until it is solved, while also encouraging planning and logical reasoning. The game’s visual, hands-on format makes it multi-sensory, while its clear goal – “make sure each animal has water” – helps children stay motivated and engaged.
Another great way to encourage your child’s focus and practise concentration skills, is with IQ Puzzler Pro (ages 6+), a compact puzzle set with 120 challenges in both 2D and 3D. Each challenge calls for sustained attention, as children spend several minutes on a single task. Because the puzzles gradually increase in difficulty, IQ Puzzler Pro gives children the chance to progress at their own rhythm. This way, they are less likely to feel overwhelmed by seemingly difficult tasks and more likely to stay engaged, while building attentional capabilities along with problem-solving and visual-spatial skills.
Tic Tac Boom – Junior Eco Pack (ages 5+) is a lively, fast-paced word game where players race to come up with answers before the timer “explodes”. The ticking timer adds playful pressure, which trains shifting attention, as children need to listen to others while preparing their own response. The short rounds mirror the idea of breaking tasks into smaller segments, making it easier to stay focused without becoming overwhelmed. Because the game alternates bursts of concentration with quick movement as the bomb is passed around, it naturally integrates the rhythm of focus and activity. With its mix of sound (the ticking), movement (passing the timer), and word play, Tic Tac Boom – Junior Eco Pack also taps into multisensory engagement. Altogether, this game provides children with a great opportunity to practise and strengthen attention-building strategies, word skills, and memory retrieval under time constraints without it feeling like work.
