What’s clear today, that wasn’t very obvious even a decade ago, is that the brain can generate new brain cells and connections throughout life. Even better, we can encourage new connections simply by giving the brain proper mental stimulation.

Everywhere you look, there are products dedicated to improving brain health. But many scientists believe that just challenging the brain in new ways can help. "The brain loves novelty," says Dr. Doraiswamy, chief of biological psychiatry at Duke University Medical Center. "It doesn't have to be complicated." Activities that challenge your brain on multiple levels – like learning a new language or playing strategy games – offer great stimulation.

Challenge your kids to:

• Lay out their clothes the night before school and have them get dressed with their eyes closed.
• Eat food with their non-dominant hand.
• Try a new language. Sign language is a great one because it requires the brain’s visual cortex to associate hand gestures with meaning.
• Play games like charades that focus on improvisational skills.
• Do an entirely different activity than they’re used to. If your child is a reader, sign them up for a sports camp. If they love sports, challenge them to paint a picture, for example.
• Open the car door, get in, and buckle the seatbelt – all with their eyes closed.
• Identify different foods and spices using only smell, taste, and touch.
• Use their non-dominant hand when holding the remote or phone (or iPod).
• Arbitrarily rearrange a few things in their bedroom (this little bit of disorder forces the brain to memorize the new position).
• Ignore all distractions are the dinner table (electronics, newspaper, or television for example) and focus entirely on conversation.

*These exercises were adapted from “Keep Your Brain Alive” by Lawrence C. Katz, Ph.D. and Manning Rubin.

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