Kids Need Brain Fitness, Too

by Heather Long | More from this Blogger

17 Oct 2006 07:42 AM

The old motto of use or lose it applies to our brain as much as it does our body. We know that if we don't exercise our bodies regularly, they won't stay in tip-top shape. The same thought applies to our minds, especially the growing and developing minds of our children. Their brains are constantly developing, learning, growing and changing. We need to help them tone and strengthen it and this isn't just about education and going to school.

There are plenty of ways we can promote brain fitness in our homes and with our children. The following are a few tips on promoting fitness for your child's brain right at home:

• Play Word Games - Games like Scrabble and Boggle get their minds going and promote thinking processes
• Children's Dictionaries and Encyclopedias are full information, pictures and other stimulating material to help them explore the world around them - whether it's culture, art or more
• Puzzles are another way of getting a kid's mind stimulated, we start with the three or five piece puzzles when they are very young and then you move to the larger and more complicated puzzles as they get older
• Dominoes are another great mental stimulator, challenging kids to match up on numbers and learn about them and think strategically
• Card games such as Go Fish, Memory and more help stimulate the mind and teach the child about thinking strategically
• Sudoku for Kids is another way to get a child's mind stimulated and engaged

Learning comes in a variety of ways, but there is more to learning than just providing information. Learning is also about stimulating the mind so that it's got the strength to learn and to develop. So work on providing a good atmosphere that promotes fitness at home - both mental and physical.

How do you promote fitness at home for your kids?

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Learn more about Heather Long

Heather Long is 35 years old and currently lives in Wylie, Texas. She has been a freelance writer for six years. Her husband and she met while working together at America Online over ten years ago.

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