Boosting Brainpower: Why Active Games Beat Regular Exercise for Kids' Brains

Did you know that certain types of physical games can make a big difference in how kids' brains develop? Researchers found out that games which engage the mind while the body moves, called “cognitively engaging physical activities” or CEPA, are better at boosting kids' thinking skills than regular exercise alone. They looked at 1671 kids and teens across 15 studies to find out if these brain-body games really work. The study showed that CEPA had a positive impact on kids' thinking skills, with an effect size of 0. 50, meaning it significantly improved their ability to focus, plan, and remember things. However, the results might have been a bit exaggerated due to some limitations in the studies. Interestingly, the best results came from 45-minute game sessions, while playing less often or longer wasn't as effective. This suggests that kids might get the most benefit from short, frequent brain-body games. More large-scale studies are needed to confirm these findings and understand just how powerful these games can be.