Simple Exercises to Boost Your Child’s Memory Naturally

Why memory matters—and what’s really getting in the way

You've likely watched your child sit down to study, spend what seems like ages reviewing a worksheet, and then—for no clear reason—fail to recall anything the next day. It's not laziness. It's not unwillingness to try. The truth is, memory and learning are skills, and like all skills, they need to be developed, especially during the elementary years.

Between the ages of 6 and 12, children are laying the foundation for how they will process, organize, and retrieve information—skills they will carry into adolescence and adulthood. If your child seems to forget lessons quickly, repeat the same mistakes, or struggle with studying, it's not because they're incapable. Often, it’s because their memory mechanisms haven’t been activated in a way that works for them yet.

Memory is not one-size-fits-all

Many parents are surprised to discover that memory isn't just about repetition. Some children thrive on visuals, others on movement, and many on sound. Recognizing how your child absorbs and recalls information is the first step toward helping them build true memory confidence.

Take Liam, for example—a bright 8-year-old whose parents came to me worried that he "didn't retain anything." He could listen to explanations all day long but blanked out on exams. Turns out, Liam had strong auditory memory but was overwhelmed by written tasks. We slowly shifted his review methods to include more listening, puzzles, and movement-based games.

This realization led them to start using tools that turned his lessons into stories and even audio adventures that he could hear during car rides. Some great apps take a written lesson and transform it into an audio story with your child as the hero—Liam became obsessed with hearing his name in the story, and without even trying, he was storing information more effectively.

Exercise #1: The Power of Retelling

One of the most effective ways to reinforce memory is also one of the simplest: ask your child to explain what they’ve just learned in their own words. Retelling transforms passive intake into active recall. This process strengthens neural pathways and builds confidence.

But don’t turn it into a test. If they get stuck, help by asking open-ended questions like:

• "What happened first in the story?"
• "Can you tell me what that word means in your words?"
• "What part was your favorite—and why?"

Encouraging your child to teach you—even in playful ways—also leverages emotional memory. Kids remember what makes them feel empowered, not what stresses them out.

Exercise #2: Move the body, unlock the brain

Movement and memory are surprisingly connected. If your child seems fidgety while doing homework, that might not be a problem to solve—it might be a resource to use.

Try turning multiplication tables or vocabulary lists into physical games. Jumping jacks per answer. Sock-toss spelling. Or even walking around the living room while reciting facts. It's not silly—it’s strategic. Movement boosts blood flow to the brain and can increase retention dramatically.

For more on how movement and learning through play fuel cognitive development, we dove deeper here.

Exercise #3: Layer repetition in different formats

It’s one thing to re-read a text. It’s another to review it in ways that stretch the brain. A child might read something once and remember almost nothing—but when they see it, hear it, speak it, and play it in multiple ways, the brain starts mapping those ideas in lasting ways.

Instead of having your child simply read over their lesson a second or third time, consider snapping a picture of the page and turning it into a short quiz. An app like Skuli lets you do exactly that—instantly transforming a photo of a lesson into a set of 20 personalized questions. This turns repetition into a game of exploration, not just memorization.

These varied interactions with the same content build what's called semantic encoding: the brain creates different tags for the same memory, making it easier to retrieve on command.

Exercise #4: Build sleep into your memory plan

It might not look like an "exercise" in the traditional sense, but regular, quality sleep is one of the most powerful tools for memory consolidation. The hippocampus—the region of the brain responsible for storing new information—does the bulk of its work while your child is asleep.

If your child is staying up late, tossing in bed, or not getting deep sleep, chances are their brain is not properly filing away what they learned that day. You can learn more about the link between rest and learning in this article.

Some families build a nightly review ritual into their bedtime routine—often through storytelling or playing a soft audio version of that day's lesson. It’s gentle, yet it gives the brain a final "file" to process while drifting into sleep.

Memory takes time—and patience

Even with these exercises, progress may feel slow. That’s okay. Memory isn’t a race, and each child develops at their own pace. What matters most is safe repetition—helping your child revisit information in ways that make them feel competent and curious, not stressed.

And finally, remember this: if your child remembers song lyrics, TV plots, or video game steps but struggles with school facts—it’s not a memory problem. It’s an engagement one. Help school learning feel as vivid, full-color, and interactive as those other experiences, and memory will follow.

If you're also grappling with how your child plans their homework or space out their study time, you may find practical guidance in our resource on homework planning struggles.

Consistency, kindness, and creativity are the greatest tools you have. Your child may not remember everything today—but with your support, they’re learning how to remember for a lifetime.