We need our memory to function in our daily lives. Without it we cannot remember facts, what we are doing next, or important events that happened in our lives. Since memory is so important for daily life, what can one do if they are having trouble with it? The five ideas below can help show how to increase memory power.
1. Avoid Certain Foods
There are some foods that are great for improving memory. Fish is one of these foods. Others include fruit, high-cocoa content chocolate, vegetables, dairy, and oatmeal. This is because they are low on the glycemic index (GI). Foods low on the GI take longer for your body to break down so they help keep your memory constantly active.
Some types of foods and drinks do the opposite for memory. These foods are on the other end of the GI. While okay in moderation, alcohol, soda, white bread, and sugars can decrease memory. So reducing the amount of these foods in one diet can increase memory.
2. Stay Physically Active
Because you increase your body's blood flow when you exercise, you also increase blood flow in your brain. This can help memory. If you continually stay active, your brain will too.
3. Exercise your Mind
Puzzles, like crosswords and video game teasers, can improve memory. By "exercising the mind" you can improve its performance for other tasks. Improving skills with puzzles suggests improvement in memory and brain function.
4. Use Supplements
Omega 3-fatty acids can help memory. They specifically improve brain function, focus, and communication between brain cells. Fish contains these acids, as do fish oil and flax seed oil supplements. Other supplements for memory are ginko biloba, folic acid, and sage oil.
5. Get Rest
If you get sleep your memory will work better. Sleep and relaxation help your brain function properly. Resting, meditation, and breathing exercises also improve memory.
As we are quickly learning from my series of articles on lines and their applications, the power of these mathematical objects should not be taken for granted because of their simplicity. Lines and more specifically, linear systems, find important applications in the fields of telecommunications, signal processing, and automatic control, the last field of which deals with such interesting things as the programming, guidance, and control of ballistic missiles. In the first article in this series, we examined how to solve a linear system by the method of substitution. Here we will look at some basic problems which employ such linear systems.
Let us look at the following example which deals with museum admissions at, let us say, the Museum of Natural History in New York City. Suppose that in one day, this museum collected $1590 from 321 people admitted to see its splendors. The price of each adult admission is $6. People between the ages of 4-17 pay the child admission of $4. Let us calculate how many of each type, adult and child, were admitted to the museum.
Linear systems give us a neat way of solving this problem. To appreciate the power of linear systems and the method of substitution, which we are going to use to solve this problem,
try to hazard a guess as to how you would figure this out. You will quickly see that there is no convenient way to get the number of adults and the number of children that were admitted. Yet by creating some linear models in the form of a system, we can quickly arrive at the answer to this problem.
Let us start with a verbal model and then translate this into mathematics. This is a convenient and helpful strategy which will allow us to solve the problem more readily. We have from the information that the number of adults plus the number of children is equal to 321. We also have that the number of adults times the price of an adult admission plus the number of children times the price of a child's admission is equal to the total amount collected.
If we let x represent the number of adults and y represent the number of children, we can translate the verbal model into a linear system of equations. Since the price for adults is $6 and the price for children $4 and the total number of people attending 321, we have
x + y = 321 and 6x + 4y = 1590. Notice that both of these equations are in standard form. We can easily take the first equation and put into slope-intercept form by writing
y = -x + 321 (moving x to the other side). We now substitute into the second equation to get
6x + 4(-x + 321) = 1590. Simplifying, we have 2x = 306, or x = 153. Using this value of x to get y, we have y = 168.
Thus 153 adults and 168 children attended the museum. And since all the children were so good in doing something educational with their parents, they all went home with very nice souvenirs. Now isn't that a nice way to spend the day!
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and see my challenging brainteasers here at Problem of the Week and Cool Brain Teasers
My mother-in-law had an extreme fear of developing Alzheimer's Disease as she got older. She had seen that happening to her own mother and was fearful that her brain function will deteriorate similarly. So she sought to continually challenge herself mentally through reading, attending seminars and staying engaged. She had nothing to fear as she remained sharp and alert even prior to her death at the age of 72.
She had impressed on me that to improve brain power, keeping mentally fit is the answer. It is true that many people, upon retiring or even as early as after formal school, fail to continue in their education. What is forgotten is that schools are not the only places for education.
There are many ways to improve brain power. The main idea is to constantly try new things and seek out the unfamiliar in an attempt to get the brain really working on figuring things out. A trip to an art museum is a great example; gazing at artwork which is open to interpretation forces the brain to come up with some sort of explanation for what it is seeing. Since most art tells some sort of story, there are always plenty of good brain teasers at places like this.
Playing a game of Sudoku or chess helps. You can improve your brain power with challenging puzzles, literary works, and computer games that encourage analysis and thinking. On the other hand, there are passive activities which do not use much brain power at all, such as resting quietly or watching television. It is far better to challenge someone to a game of cards or mahjong. The key is to find things which are enjoyable to do, yet also challenge the brain. Some of us fear the mental stimulation because we are afraid that we will "lose" in the game or that it is too "hard" to analyse. However, you improve your brain power each time you play and challenge yourself.
Reading is one of the best ways to improve brain power. It is an active activity for the brain as it works to process the information that is contained in the book. Still, what you read also plays a part. If you choose to stuff yourself with trashy romance stories, that can hardly be called mental stimulation. It is better to pick out a self help book, or one that increases your knowledge on a topic. When seeking out self improvement, it makes sense to invest time in goals which will serve to make the brain more able and clever.
You can give your kids a head start, in improving their brain power. You can introduce them to challenging games, puzzles and riddles. Encourage them to analyse, think and solve problems creatively. Giving them the opportunity to train many times over helps them become better thinking adults.
I was one of those who thought that my education stopped at formal school. For a period in my adult working life, I had spent my time partying and was more concerned about having a great time. I am glad that I am way over that now. I am in this rush to make up for lost time. Reading and challenging myself to think creatively are activities that I cannot do without on a daily basis.
Welcome to a Quick and Easy guide to being creative. First, you need to realize that there is a difference between creative and artistic. They are related, but not synonymous. Art is the symbolic, interpretive expression of your perspective on a given subject. Creativity is shifting your perspective to look at a given subject in a new light.
Let's say you need a creative solution to a problem. Say...you want to come up with a really cool theme so you can plan a killer birthday party for a young child. Okay, so you've defined your probl--
...oh no! My pen burst and now I've got ink on my shirt. Geez, I liked this shirt, too. It came from...what was that store. The one between Brookstone and the pretzel place. Structure? Abercrombie? Oh well, it doesn't matter. My wife would probably know what to do to get it out. But by the time I get home, it'll probably be set. Her cell phone's off. Shoot!
Hmmm. Gotta find a new pen...Hey! My little stress ball shaped like a brain...forgot that was in this drawer. Hee-hee. *squeeze, squeeze* Fun times. I wonder if it will bounce off the wall?
Oops. (Note to self: irregularly shaped objects bounce in irregular trajectories.)
"Sorry, Bob! Knocked over your coffee? My bad." That sucks. I should take him to lunch. Or at least pay for his dry-cleaning. Speaking of dry cleaning, I need to pick mine up. Where'd I put my ticket?
Not in my wallet or my drawer. I bet it's at home. It is! It's on the dresser next to my autographed Don Knotts necktie. Now there's a funny guy. They should show The Incredible Mister Limpet on TV more. 'Course, he's not as funny as Tim Conway...but then who is?
What was I doing again? Oh yeah, kids birthday (stupid pen). Like we have any money to spend. We just got back from Disney World with the kids. Pictures! Gotta transfer the pictures to the computer and get them online. Grandparents are about to have a stroke. You've seen the kids. You've seen Mickey Mouse. Use your imagination, people!
I bet I could use the pictures to make a cool invitation. What if it's not a Disney Theme? We've got other pictures. Photoshop, too. Not a problem.
Grrr. Who's calling? I've gotta come up with some ideas. "Hello? Um, no. I'd rather not donate money to the policeman's ball, thank y--" Huh. Hung up. Rude. I'm probably on some list to get a ticket now. Maybe I should call around to take donations to pay for this freakin' party? That would be sweet.
Actually, I could go for something sweet. Cookies? No. Granola bar? No. Marshmallows? *look at belt...can't see belt!* No. Celery and carrots it is. Rabbit food.
No rabbit food. Maybe I should get in the car and go pick up some groceries. I'd pass Chick-fil-a on the way. Who needs rabbit food when you've got waffle fries? I should probably get a salad, though. Or just work out extra hard...
And there we have it. Plenty of party ideas to choose from. What ideas? You mean you weren't paying attention? Okay, let's go though our thought process again...
There's the ink stain on the shirt: Maybe we have a tie-dye birthday so the kids can make their own party favors (we could do a cool tie-dye effect on the cake). Or an underwater theme with a cake shaped like a squid or an octopus. Or maybe we do Rorschach ink blots (with finger paint, of course) and let kids make their own works of modern art...a Picasso party?
Pretzel: A cake shaped like a pretzel? A kid "twist" (ha-ha) on Oktoberfest? Barrels of Monkeys, root beer, lederhosen...okay, no lederhosen. German chocolate cake!
Structure: Tinker toys? Legos? Erector sets? Brain teasers? Mazes? "house of cards" contest? Lots of different scheduled activities?
Brain Stress ball: hmmm you can get stress balls in all sorts of shapes for cheap at party supply stores...great party favors. Wonder what shapes they have? A cake shaped like a brain? A Dr. Frankenstein theme? Play pin the bolt on Frank's neck? The tail on the werewolf? Fun with static electricity? Operation!
Bounce: rent a space bounce? Get a trampoline?
Bob: can we get Bob the Builder? (yes we can!) Bob Barker (and remember: spay and neuter your pets!...maybe not). Bob Costas? Dylan? Marley? Bobsled? Bobbing for apples?
Coffee: Juan Valdez...piñata! Mexican hat dance. Jumping beans. Taco party! (and maybe a little Jose Cuervo afterward to help me cope...)
Lunch: Have the party at a restaurant? Maybe an ice cream parlor? Pizza?
Dry Cleaning: Chemicals....a kitchen Chemistry party? A dress-up party?
Ticket: Movie? Zoo? Carnival games? Speeding ticket...go carts?
Don Knotts: Mayberry theme? Cops and robbers? Jail? Fishin' hole? Floyd's barber shop? Mr. Furley... seventies/disco clothing theme? Ha-ha...bunch of five-year-olds doing the hustle!
Limpett: Come as your favorite cartoon character? A deep-sea fishing party? An underwater party? Fishsticks! Or not...
Tim Conway: Multitude of characters to spur countless ideas: orchestra conductor, office party, little kids pretending to be old people...hee-hee...
Money: Monopoly, play money, cash prizes (okay, maybe not), presidents, bank.
Disney: Pick a movie theme, backyard theme park, hire a character?
Pictures: pair with dress-up...photo-shoot party. Fashion show. Camera cake.
Stroke: swim party! Doctor-theme. Beach theme. Luau? Painting party?
Calling: Phone-shaped cake? Tin can & string phones?
Policeman's Ball: Again with the cops & robbers theme? Ballroom dancing? Masquerade ball?
Granola/Rabbit food: Nature...picnic? State park? Zoo? Farm theme? Garden...dirt cake!
Belt: Karate party? Alligator? Fan belt...mechanic/car party?
Waffle-fries: Waffles...breakfast party? Doesn't have to be in the morning...everybody likes waffles! Pull out the griddle, I could cook them on the grill...a breakfast barbecue?
Work-out: Exercise party? Trampoline, foam barbells, muscle suits....
See, tons of ideas. And that's just from five minutes of "thinking." When people try to get creative and brainstorm, they usually narrow their focus way too much. If you just sit there thinking "party, party, party" then all you're going to get are the same old ideas for parties. Take off the blinders. Let your mind wander. Let the distractions come...and then steer them gently back to your purpose and see what happens.
Don't judge anything too harshly. Write everything down, even if it seems silly. Plenty of the things I listed above are trite, boring or just plain impractical. But we're not done yet. Take your list and try combining two or three ideas. The less related the items you're combining, the greater your chance of discovering something magical.
Let's say you pick three ordinary ideas: dress-up, dirt cake and swim party. Can you dress up your pool? Can you get some plants, decorations and animal-shaped floats and turn it into a jungle watering hole? Dress up your dirt cake...turn it into a dirt-cake volcano, pair it with your jungle-themed pool and add a few kiddie pools filled with a couple of inches of sand...poof! Suddenly you're on a deserted tropical island.
Or another try: photo-shoot, cops and robbers, piñata. Decorate the party room like a jail. Have all the grown-ups wear sheriff's stars and make striped prisoner uniforms for the kids with white undershirts and black fabric paint. Be sure to "book them" as they arrive. Give them their shirt and an ID placard (use the date of your child's birthday as the number) and take their mug shot [send these out later with the thank-you notes]. Get creative with paper mache and make rock-shaped "piñatas" (sans string) with goodie bags inside. Towards the end of your party, get the chain gang together and let them have at it, breaking rocks to get at their prizes. Invites should be sent out as warrants.
See? The initial brainstorming is simply gathering the raw material. Then play with those ingredients to develop truly unique ideas. Don't work; play!
We live in a day and age where children are watching TV and playing video games all of the time. Sure, it may seem as if video games and television stimulate a child's brain, but many times kids are sitting there like zombies. Unless the television show is an educational show that doesn't bore the child or the video game is something that involves a certain degree of strategy, they're not getting too much out of these two things. Most of all, they are not exactly using their imaginations in a world that requires its occupants to be imaginative in order to survive personally and occupationally.
As convenient as television and video games are at keeping the kids busy and behaved, it is time for parents to rebel. The revolt begins as the child develops by using such things as educational toys. Adults use puzzles, brain teasers, and other things that require thought to keep their minds sharp. It has been shown that adults who stay on top of their game with activities that make them think are taking an active measure toward preventing Alzheimer's. By incorporating such things into a child's life and keeping those activities as part of their life, a parent is taking an active role in ensuring that their child's mind stays sharp. It is also important to emphasize to that child how important such activities are as an adult so that they can take a preventive measure toward diseases such as Alzheimer's and dementia.
Educational toys
Educational toys come in many different types and are available for children as soon as they learn how to grab things. They can be something as simple as a puppet or matching shapes. The child is forced to think and the colorful pieces that come with these toys make the activity interesting. What makes these activities even more interesting is when the parent is involved and praising the child when the child is successful.
Starting these activities early means that the child is going to get a developmental head start and will be using strategy easily by the time he or she begins kindergarten. Your child will have the mental maturity needed to make it through the world if you start stimulating their brains early and making it fun to learn. When kids don't have fun learning is when they have learning difficulties throughout their entire lives. This isn't always the case, but it has been known to happen. Many children loathe learning for one reason or another, so using educational toys can make it fun and rewarding.
Keeping it up
There are educational toys for children of all ages, so it is good to always make sure there are fun educational toys around the house that are age or intelligence appropriate. And yes, there are some wonderful brain teasers and other educational games on video game systems and computers. When the child reaches a certain age, using these as learning tools can be great. There are also great television programs that make a child think and make learning fun. It is just a matter of placing restrictions on how much time is spent using these electronic tools and making sure there is plenty of time that you and your child are doing fun learning activities together. By taking a time out and doing these activities with your child, you are not only stimulating their brain, but you are actually stimulating your own. The two of you are also spending quality time together in a world that makes quality time very difficult. So it is easy to see how educational toys can benefit you and your child in more ways than just learning.
Imagine seeing a top sheik from Dubai, wrapped in traditional Arab clothing, exclaim "Yes We Can" in front of the 800 experts gathered during the Summit of the Global Agenda that just took place in Dubai on November 7-9th, co-organized by the World Economic Forum and the Government of Dubai. This same sheik added that "we build the future with our own hands".
As previously announced, the "Global Agenda Councils will challenge prevailing assumptions, monitor trends, map interrelationships and address knowledge gaps. Equally important, Global Agenda Councils will also propose solutions, devise strategies and evaluate the effectiveness of actions using measurable benchmarks."
You will read more about this event in the media. But let me share some of my own still-jetlagged reflections.
The financial crisis has made obvious the obvious: that we live in a truly new and global world.
And that business as usual will lead to global disaster - we need new approaches to collectively adapt to and thrive in this new environment. The answer is not to go back to any old paradigm, which simply will not work in a new reality, but to imagine and build a better new way of doing things. And we all need to participate.
Some of the attendants urged us to "reboot" the system. I don't think that a "reboot" is enough - we need to upgrade to a new operating system. We can call it Planet Earth 2.0. Based on the group discussion we had on Sunday morning, let me propose some of the architectural principles that should underlie any emerging Planet Earth 2.0 operating system. And let me present those principles using a "Yes We Can" value-based approach:
Yes
- From Business As Usual to Imagination-led Action.
- From Analysis to Synthesis.
- From Talk to Walk.
We
- From Financial Hegemony to Human and Natural Capital.
- From Us vs. them to Win-win Diversity.
- From Regulation/ Deregulation to Mindful Architecture.
- From Top-down Authority to Shared Responsibility.
Can
- From Selfish Genes to Committed to Improving the state of the world.
- From Accounting Rules to Values and Standards.
- From Being Stuck to Learn and Evolve.
Given that each of us are in fact part of that new operating system, we could start by pledging to live by principles like those. How can we refine them?
In short, no more Business as Usual. We need more Imagination, and Action. By each of us.
Family vacations are incredible experiences that produce good memories to last a lifetime. No matter the destination or the fun on tap, however, there is one problem. Getting to the destination with children in tow can be a real pain in the neck. There are preemptive strikes parents can take to make long distance road trips go a little easier. When the kids are occupied with games and are having fun along the way, the miles will practically melt away.
There are tons of games that can help ease the boredom and discomfort of taking a road trip. Depending on the age of the children in question, these games might help add a little fun to hours stuck in a car:
The license plate game - Challenge the kids to keep an eye out for license plates from all 50 states. Award a prize for the child that spots the most. To keep track, print out a list of the states. A variation on this is the vanity plate game. In this one, the kids look for the funniest or strangest vanity plates they see on the road.
Road trip scavenger hunt - Create a scavenger hunt list of things the kids might find and/or see while on the road. Give them the sheets before leave home for the destination and promise a prize for the winner(s) upon arrival. Think outside the box on things the children might encounter along the way. The first to spot a white cow, for example, might get a point.
Trivia - Grab a box of trivia cards designed for children and read off the cards as the miles go by. This can engage everyone in the vehicle and make for a lot of fun if the cards are age appropriate.
Car bingo - Print out some bingo cards before heading on the road and load the kids up with markers. Call out numbers for a fun game and award small prizes to the winners.
Arts projects - Challenge the kids to make the most creative costumes they can out of aluminum foil while you are on the road. They can also make aluminum foil creatures without the need for scissors or glue.
The Can You Guess Game - Pick an item in the car or on the road that everyone can clearly see and give hints about what you might be looking at. Take turns picking the item and giving clues to so others can guess what it is. To vary this game, think of a favorite animal and give clues.
Teaching your children financial skills is critical for their future. 80% of parents believe that their children are being taught personal money matters in school, yet 90% of high school students and 87% of college students say that whatever they know about money they learn from their parents. Among parents with children 5 and older, only 26% feel well enough prepared to teach their kids about personal finances. Jump$tart Coalition for Personal Financial Literacy measured 12th graders' knowledge of personal finance basics and found that only 10% of high school graduates could satisfactorily answer questions about personal finance.
Not sure where to start in talking to you kids about money? You're not alone. But, much like teaching your kids to look both ways before crossing the street, managing money, is a parental responsibility that safeguards kids' future. Good habits start early in life and the savings habit brings lifelong benefits. Kids are interested in money and they can learn by example and by doing. Sharing how and why your family is saving emphasizes the importance of this positive, lifelong habit.
Engage your children using some of these simple, fun suggestions and help them learn the value of money:
1. Explain to your kids what money is all about.
You can start doing this once you see that your kids are already able to learn how to count. The earlier you can teach a child or teenager about money, including earning money, saving money, and spending money responsibility, the better prepared they will be to manage their own money.
2. Talk to your child about the family budget.
Allow them to ask questions about household finances and how you manage the household budget. Reinforce the learning process by budgeting for a family outing or a purchase.
3. Encourage children to start saving by opening a savings account for them.
If they are younger, you can still make savings "real" to them by having them build their savings in a piggy bank or clear jar. You can motivate them to allot a portion of their allowance to their savings. If you have multiple children, one way to keep them motivated is by giving a prize to whoever earned the highest amount in their savings.
4. Explaining the value of spending money can also be done at home.
You can assign some household chores and pay a small amount once they were able to do it. This will help them realize that money is not earned easily and should be spent wisely.
5. Show your children how an ATM machine works.
While many children know that money doesn't grow on trees, they may think it comes out of a wall. Help your kids understand that you must put money in the bank before you can take it out.
When you discuss money with kids, you help them develop a sense of limits. You're teaching kids that the family has to make choices about how it can spend money. There's only so much money to go around -- if you spend it on some things, you won't have it to spend on others. Teaching your children about saving money doesn't have to be a difficult task. Remember to be patient and consistent, and your children will be able to learn this critical skill in an easy and fun way.
Asking yourself how do I improve my memory is a sensible question. There are some simple and sensible answers to it. There are easy steps you can take to increase your memory and mental ability.
If I wanted to enhance my memory one of the first things I would need to do is increase my mental activity level. You may think that we use our minds all day, what do you mean increase our activity level? The problem is most of our activity is either routine or not terribly challenging to our brains. Like your body, the mind needs to engage in some strenuous exercise in order to stay fit and increase strength. The mind needs to be challenged and asked to do things out of the routine in order to stay fit.
So If I want to improve my memory then I need to look for activity that helps work my mind. Learning to recite a poem or perhaps memorizing part of a play may help work the mind. Also doing brain teasers or puzzles also stimulates the mind and helps build healthy neural connections. Studies have been done that people who do crosswords and other mental games tend to retain memory and brain function as they age longer than those who don't. Use it or lose it.
My goal of trying to improve my memory may also lead me to learn a new skill every so often. Learning how to do something new, like play an instrument or learn to dance, can also strengthen the mind and help memory.
Eating right and physical exercise, while not directly related to memory is also something I'd consider when trying to enhance my memory. The mind uses more oxygen then any other organ and consumes a lot of food energy trying to work, so it is greatly impacted by how well your body functions. exercise also helps keep up the blood flow to the brain which is crucial in maintaining oxygen flow.
Eating foods high in vitamins like C, E and B complex are also an important way to improve my memory and help cognitive function. Many of the chemicals in the brain and the neurotransmitters that allow nerves to communicate rely heavily on a steady supply of vitamins and minerals.
In addition to foods to enhance my memory there are various herbal supplements that have been shown to improve memory and mental functioning. Studies have confirmed that using supplements with Ginkgo Biloba, Ginseng and Gotu Kola provide noticeable improvement in memory, focus and cognitive function.
These herbs work to increase blood flow to the brain, support memory and nerve cell function. They are becoming more popular as scientists are proving their abilities. Though they have been used for generations in other parts of the world they are gaining acceptance here in the US only recently.
The steps outlined here are easy ones that I can take to improve my memory. If you are asking yourself the same question about how to improve your recall then perhaps these ideas will be your starting place too.
Parents often complain about the amount of money spent on toys for their children because the toys are nothing more than cheap plastic that quickly falls apart. Worse than just the lack of quality, many toys present safety and health hazards for the children. Fortunately, both problems can be solved with handmade wooden toys.
Handmade wooden toys make a unique gift for any child. Because they are handmade, no two toys are completely identical. In addition, the toys do not look like the toys currently available in retail stores. For example, a wooden train does not bear any resemblance to mass-produced plastic trains. Wooden toys stand out from other toys a child may have.
Pretending and using imagination stimulate intellectual development, and they are essential accessories for wooden toys. The toy does not automatically perform every action and sound for the child, so children are required to pretend as they play with the toys. Because the limitations of a wood toy are set by a child's imagination, rather than the manufacturer's instructions, children often engage in play for hours with handcrafted wooden toys.
In addition to being unique and stimulating, wooden toys come in a variety that includes something for everyone. Little girls fall in love with handmade doll cradles, while little boys get excited at the sight of logging trucks and tool kits. There are pull toys and push toys for toddlers, and alphabet block toys for the little ones. Wooden trains, helicopters, trucks and cars are great fun for any child who likes toys that move.
Wood toys for children are of a higher quality than toys that are mass produced. Because each piece is individually made, the craftsman is able to control the design and building process, as well as check for potential flaws in the toy. Wooden toys are much harder to tear apart, and are less likely to simply fall apart. Wooden toys are similarly priced to other toys, and they can be enjoyed for a lifetime.
Because handcrafted wooden toys are made with quality parts in the U.S.A., there is no need to worry about safety hazards. Parts are not as small, and small pieces like wheels are more difficult to remove, making it less likely for a wooden toy to present a choking hazard. Corners and edges are rounded, and the wood is thoroughly smoothed and sanded, taking away the danger of injury due to sharp edges.
Health risks that exist in mass-produced toys are not a danger from handmade wooden toys, either. For example, there is no danger of the toys being recalled because of lead-based paint. All paint used on the wooden toys is completely lead-free and safe for children, and the finish is government certified non-toxic. For those who do not want to even risk having paint on the toys, the option to have an organic natural finish is also available.
Handmade wooden toys make unique, unforgettable gifts, and they are perfect for any child. Because they are handmade in the U.S.A., parents can rest assured that the toys do not contain harmful materials and are safe for their children. Finally, wooden toys are an incredible value because they are made with love to be enjoyed, and treasured, for a lifetime.
As children begin to engage with, and enjoy maths games and puzzles, they realise that reaching the correct answer is not the greatest source of satisfaction, or indeed of paramount importance. What really matters is the speed with which the problem is solved and the elegance of the solution. People who aren't mathematicians sometimes struggle with the concept that some answers to maths problems are elegant and others ugly, when both result in the correct answer. More perplexing still is the idea that sometimes a child who produces a wrong answer using a mathematically correct approach should be awarded higher marks than a child who arrives at the right answer by guesswork or, dare one suggest, cheating.
Revisiting the Lily Pond Problem
In the opening article we considered a maths problem or brain teaser involving a lily and a lily pond. Stripped of its accompanying narrative, the mathematical bones of the problems are a pond 15 feet by 8 feet, in which has been planted a lily which doubles in area each day. After seven days the plant covers half the area of the pond. How long does it take before the pond is completely covered? The problem can be solved logically, mathematically or practically.
The Mathematical Approach
To approach the problem using conventional mathematical techniques, one would develop a formula using the variables to first work out the area of the lily when planted, and then to determine the number of days needed for it to cover the pond. The initial formula would read
Area after n days = Initial Area x 2^n (two to the power n)
By substituting the area covered after a known number of days, which is 60 square feet when n equals 7, one can calculate the initial area of the pond as being 0.46875 square feet. Having substituted the final area that is covered by the lily, 120 square feet, it is calculated that it takes 8 days for the lily to reach an area of 120 square feet. All very mathematically correct and all very long winded.
The Logical Approach
Children who grasp that both the size of the lily pond and the initial area covered by the lily are irrelevant to the problem will quickly arrive at the solution, which has an elegant simplicity. If the lily doubles in size every day and covers half the area of the pond in n days, the time taken to cover the whole are is n plus one days. A child who immediately sees the logical path may answer the question in only a few seconds but be unable to explain the problem's solution; 'well it's obvious' and 'it just is' are typical responses.
The Practical Approach
The practical approach to the problem might involve drawing a scale model of the lily pond on squared paper and then dividing the area successively in half to show the area covered after 7, 6, 5 days etc. For some children, the process of visualising the problem will provide a short cut to the logical solution, but nearly all will arrive at the correct solution eventually if they persist with the practical approach.
The Dangers of Cheating
Earlier, I mentioned cheating. Perhaps cheating is a strong word to use, but if you set maths games as homework you must be prepared for the fact that a proportion of children will seek the solution to the problems online, rather than using their own mental capabilities. For this reason I would advocate using maths games and puzzles as fun classroom activities, rather than as homework exercises.
The Educational Value of Maths Games
There is no doubt that some children find this type of maths game or puzzle enthralling, whilst others find them extremely frustrating. We've also discovered in our detailed analysed of the solution to the 'the lily pond problem' that some puzzles which are presented as maths problems are best solved using a non-mathematical approach. This leaves us to consider, in the final article in the series, how best to use maths games in an education context and how to integrate them effectively with other classroom activities.
During the different states of the human mind and body the brain produces electromagnetic waves of different frequencies - the alpha brain waves in particular are produced when a person is in a relaxed state and when they feel drowsy usually before falling asleep and right after awaking from a sleep. On the other hand, the gamma waves in the brain are associated with high mental activity while the beta brainwaves occur when a person is anxious and active. The theta waves are experienced during states of dreaming and deep meditation and the delta ones are present during the deepest sleep and when a person is unconscious.
As it can be clearly noticed you can feel best when your brain is producing alpha waves. It is possible for this organ to be stimulated to produce them in a number of ways such as through the practice of yoga and of other kinds of meditation. Still, for those of us who have the time to participate in such spiritual practices the best way for the brain to be stimulated is the use of binaural beats. These are most often in pleasant or even musical sound forms, but they actually affect the brain directly setting the right tone with the same frequency as the alpha brain waves.
You can effectively create the beneficial brainwave activity and enjoy all the benefits from it. Above all you will be in a state of greater awareness of yourself that will allow you to move your focus away from external factors and events. This simply means that you can take life and all its misfortunes more lightly. You can feel complete relaxation that affects both your mind and your body when alpha brain waves are produced by the brain. The stress levels are reduced to the bare minimum while the feeling of fear, anxiety, nervousness and the tension in all muscles and organs is gone.
Another aspect that most people certainly appreciate is that the alpha brain wave activity can effectively increase the level of content and provide for positive and optimistic thinking. These brainwaves also improve the functioning of the immune system. All of these effects are extremely beneficial for the general health of a person both in physical and psychological terms.
Apart from your health this type of brainwave activity can help you become more successful in the different spheres of your life in a number of ways. The cognitive ability of a person is considerably increased and being a fast learner always helps. The more abundant production of brainwaves alpha allows you to focus more easily and quickly as well as to solve all kinds of problems through clear thinking and better communication. Your creative state is more easily accessible and the chances of you simply getting stuck are substantially reduced.
A number of studies have shown that the stimulation of alpha brain waves and their increased production can be used for the curing of different kinds of addictions as well as for the accomplishing of goals such as weight loss.
If you want to keep your brain in good working condition and sharpens it from time to time, it is very important to indulge in to some brain exercises. These exercises are always recommended by the experts to keep the brain functional.
These days, you would see almost every newspaper and magazine filled with brain twisters, word games, brain teasers and thinking games. These activities are very important to activate the mind of an individual and help enhancing your memory. In short, all these activities are important to make an individual, a more interesting person.
Human brain requires regular exercises just as any other part of your body. You may find it very difficult to start something new at first. However, there is nothing to worry because when you continue to try your brain tends to become fitter. Once your brain reaches a fitter state, you will find it very easy to undertake a task. This is the most important part of enhancing your memory.
One of the most effective exercises for brain is laughter. Laughter is capable of stimulating the whole body of an individual. It tends to free energy from brain and relaxes the muscles and makes one a lively person. This person is more aware of all around him.
There are several interesting brain exercises that you can opt for in order to sharpen your logical skill. This will also help you to retrieve information from different areas of life.
- Here are some of the ways:
a) Logical argument
Indulging in a logical argument would definitely enhance your brain power and sharpen your reasoning skills. It contains one or more statements that are later followed by conclusions. So, next time you read a newspaper or a magazine, make sure that you determine the arguments that logically follow the premises and the arguments that do not.
For any of the invalid arguments, try to provide missing premises that may make their look valid. Also try to look for any hidden assumptions in the article you are reading.
b) New activities
Try to indulge in new activities as often as possible. You can also take up your favorite activities. Try cooking, painting, gardening etc. Don't perform these activities in the usual way. In fact, try to be creative come up with new ideas.
c) Find solutions
If you are surrounded with problems, try to segregate then in to smaller problems and then solve them.
d) Object functions
All you have to do is to take a simple object everyday and write down as many benefits of the object as you can.
e) Give Suggestions
Don't be afraid of giving suggestion when required when you start giving out these suggestions, you tend to think and this will enhance your brain power.
Drama and the Performing Arts are excellent methods of building confidence in children and adults alike. Learning through drama allows children to explore their creativity and have fun whilst leaving their shyness and worries behind. Drama also works by stimulating and supporting the growth of imagination and other skills.
Entertainment has become rather passive with cinema, television and video games becoming more popular. These screen-based methods have had a negative impact on communication. However, drama puts the "get up and go" back into entertainment. Children have the opportunity to connect with others in a more meaningful way as drama encourages speech development, awareness of body language and allowing the child to become more socially aware.
Play and drama are closely linked. When a child plays a game they are pretending and using their imagination and so are moving away from reality to create their own story. Drama is a vehicle through which children can express themselves more freely through mime, gesture, movement and speech to make education fun.
Children gain confidence by understanding that there is no final answer in drama and that their opinion and contribution is valued. Children are able to give a personal response to many issues and situations such as poverty, bullying, global warming and recycling. The issues that drama can tackle are endless. Drama and education have a strong link as drama can encourage children to take an active interest in other subjects such as Geography, History and English and so have a more rounded education.
As a drama teacher, I have witnessed children at their first class holding onto their parent's arm-unwilling to let go. To then see the same child running into my class with a beaming smile is an excellent sight. Drama installs confidence in children by allowing them to improvise and experiment. Everyone is given the opportunity to shine within Drama.
