Vicki Hazelwood 7/21/26 Vicki Hazelwood 7/21/26

Understanding Adolescent Brain Development

Adolescence is a major period of transformation in brain development. Although teenagers may begin looking and acting more like adults, their brain is still undergoing important reconstruction. Understanding these changes can help parents, caregivers, and educators better support teenagers.

Vicki Hazelwood 7/14/26 Vicki Hazelwood 7/14/26

What I’ve Learned Working for Building Brains

Find out what Niobe, one of our Building Brains Together summer staff, has been learning this summer through her work and play.

Vicki Hazelwood 7/2/26 Vicki Hazelwood 7/2/26

What Makes an Indigenous Athlete? Beyond Physical Skill

Real athletic growth happens when kids feel like they truly belong while being grounded by their language, their mentors, and the land beneath their feet. In this blog you’ll learn about two Indigenous athletes experience in sport and how positive experiences and relationships can building athletes brains, lifting up their spirits, and helping them grow into awesome people long after the game is over.

Vicki Hazelwood 6/24/26 Vicki Hazelwood 6/24/26

What is play? One definition among many

Research into play has struggled to create a single, all-encompassing definition for play that can directly answer the question: What is play? In this blog, I will cover some of the important features of play that have been developed in scientific literature and connect these features to Building Brains Together (BBT)’s definition of play.

Vicki Hazelwood 6/15/26 Vicki Hazelwood 6/15/26

What Makes a Game Executive-Function-Building?

Have you ever wondered how we choose which games to include in our curriculums? While all kinds of play improve executive function, there are specific reasons why we’ve promoted each of our games as EF-building. Read this blog to learn more about what makes a game executive function building!

Vicki Hazelwood 6/10/26 Vicki Hazelwood 6/10/26

Demystifying University for Indigenous Youth Through Mentorship

Learn about the value and impact of the University of Lethbridge’s Indigenous mentorship program - not just on those being mentored but also on the person mentoring.

Building Brains 6/26/25 Building Brains 6/26/25

Brain Foods

This blog will explore the facts and fiction behind “Brain Foods” as well as what real additions you can make to your diet to support your brain health.

Building Brains 5/29/25 Building Brains 5/29/25

Building Brains Community Action

As this blog will highlight, we return to LHA every week (in rain or shine, snow or wind) with a team of dedicated volunteers to bring our mission and opportunities to play outdoors to LHA families. Learn more about this community program by reading this week’s blog.

Building Brains 5/8/25 Building Brains 5/8/25

Neurodiverse Play

Is there a right way to play? This blog will explore the concept of neurodiversity and its implications for play, and likewise the development of executive function.

Vicki Hazelwood 4/24/25 Vicki Hazelwood 4/24/25

Improving Executive Function in Everyday Life

Learning about your Executive Function skills contributes to your self-awareness which has been positively correlated to the ability to effect change.

Vicki Hazelwood 4/17/25 Vicki Hazelwood 4/17/25

Bilingualism: Lifelong brain benefits

Read about the incredible role of bilingualism in supporting executive function, and consider the diverse ability of acquiring a second language to alter brain outcomes.

Vicki Hazelwood 3/19/25 Vicki Hazelwood 3/19/25

How Childhood Friendships Shape the Brain Forever

In this post, we explore how different types of childhood friendships, both supportive and challenging, contribute to emotional growth, mental well-being, and the development of executive function.

Building Brains 2/27/25 Building Brains 2/27/25

Student Mental Health and Finding Time to Play

This blog looks at post secondary students need for concern both with taking care of their mental health (however this looks for each student individually), while also finding time to play within a surely rigorous academic schedule.

Vicki Hazelwood 2/19/25 Vicki Hazelwood 2/19/25

Brain Benefits of Reading

It is crucial that children gain literacy skills and develop the “reading parts” of their brains at a young age so that they can be well-equipped to navigate their education, their relationships, their passions, and their future adult lives.

Vicki Hazelwood 2/6/25 Vicki Hazelwood 2/6/25

Games on the Go!

The goal of this blog is to provide you with a list of games that require no materials, and so can easily be done on the go and in or out of the house to help you find time to play every day!

Vicki Hazelwood 9/19/24 Vicki Hazelwood 9/19/24

What is Emotional Intelligence?

If emotional intelligence can both serve as a tool to help us understand and express our thoughts and feelings, clarify our behaviours and interactions with others, and make us more resilient, then we really ought to find some ways to practice.

Vicki Hazelwood 9/5/24 Vicki Hazelwood 9/5/24

Brain Benefits of Mindful Moments

Have you ever felt overwhelmed in the middle of your day, had a hard time falling asleep, or experienced difficulty expressing your emotions? If so, you may benefit from learning about mindfulness and taking time for a mindful moment the next time you experience one of these common issues.