Five Things Every Smart House Needs

Do you want your kids to be at the top of the class? According to FamilyFun Magazine November 2006 you need the following items at your house to increase learning and help kids boost their brain power.

1. A World Map, posted on the wall for easy access. What to do: Name a country and see who can find it first. Ask trivia questions like, what countries border China? or What is the skinniest country in South America?

2. A Good Dictionary. What to do: Play the dictionary game, choose an unusual word and challenge each family member to come up with a definition, then everyone votes for the one that sounds most convincing. Even teens will play this one.

3. A Jigsaw puzzle place. A table or a roll-up mat. Puzzles build visualization skills, and memory and pattern recognition. What to do: Make sure puzzles are challenging without begin to hard.

4. A Library, of course! Stock your library with books of crossword puzzle, mazes, brain teasers, and Sudoku, as well as books to read aloud together. What to do: Work on harder puzzles together and when your kids become familiar with the different types of puzzles challenge older kids to try making their own for others to solve, you can find puzzle makers online.

5. A Dominos set. Play this classic game to reinforce counting and number skills or create knock 'em down courses to enhance creative thinking. Even children as young as five can play, especially with color coded dots on some sets.

Giving your kids some mental exercise doesn't have to be boring. Make your house a fun and interesting to spend time in and your kids will learn without even knowing it!

Michele