Brain teasers and riddles will keep your brain in shape. From playing “Brain Age” on your child’s Nintendo DS, to solving riddles in the Sunday paper, keeping your brain going will benefit tremendously in the long run. The value of these exercises in terms of cognition is vast.
The cognitive skills that brain games can help, according to Sharp Brains includes:
- Perception
- Attention
- Memory
- Motor
- Language and Auditory
- Visual and Spatial
In need of a brain “tune-up?”
If you read the above list and you think your brain might need a little work in one of the six areas, you don’t have to look far to find brain teasers and riddles.
Where to look to challenge your brain:
–Sharp Brains: Access to 50 brain teasers and games to stimulate your mind and get your brain back into top shape.
–Brain Bashers: Mystify your mind with a wide variety of puzzles, ranging from easy to difficult.
–Smart Play: Engage your students and children with boggling brain games, such as the “Stacking the Dice Puzzle.”
–ELT Teacher’s Corner: Read about 12 teasers you can use in your classroom.
More Brain Teaser Benefits
Keeping your brain fit doesn’t have to include a super cognitive workout. Working your brain can be as simple as playing a classic Memory game with your students. The Web site Play with Your Mind suggests that activities such as meditation and dancing can have profound effects on brain functioning.
5-Day Brain Game Challenge
To get yourself started with teasers and riddles, give yourself or your students a “5-Day Brain Game Challenge.” Take a few minutes of class time, or encourage your students to spend about ten to 15 minutes daily of brain and memory work, for five days in a row. Direct them to the proper Web sites, or create a list of teasers yourself to send home. Starting off with a simple five day plan to jumpstart your brain work will make sure your students don’t get bored too easily.
Depending on the age and grade level of your children or students, you can find games online they can play during the challenge. A few starters include Word Order and ReMemory game, two brain teasers and riddles featured on Play With Your Mind.
Riddles for Cognition
Besides brain traditional brain teasers, riddles are also a quality option for enhancing cognition. Brain Den offers general logic riddles as well as Einstein Riddles for more advanced brain power enthusiasts.
The Big Deal with Riddles
Riddles pose challenges for some students. But just like everything else, practice makes perfect. Pondering a riddle once a day versus once a year can make a huge impact on your solving abilities. As with any sport or hobby, your brain will grow accustomed to the riddle solving process with regular exercise. Those who solve riddles quickly often enjoy them enough to read them regularly and pass them onto others. “If you want to be an impressive riddle solver, you’ll want to become a brainteaser enthusiast,” 2020site.org said.