Classroom Teachers Need Fun Halloween Activities to Use For Homework Assignments

Halloween comes at the perfect time in the school year to give students a break. Teachers might give their students homework that includes fun Halloween activities without losing progress in their educational curriculum. Some teachers will take the time to create these on their own, others will purchase an activity to download. Here is a list of the sort of fun activities teachers should look for in products they create, purchase or download as a printable worksheets or games.

Word Search Puzzles These are easily created with programs found online or customized by hand using graph paper. Pre-made puzzles can be purchased, downloaded and saved for future use. The key here is to be sure the words are at the reading level of your students.Never just assign a word search puzzle without also including a way for the students to use the word independently. An example would be to write ten sentences, trying to fit two or three words in each sentence.
Fill in the Blank Word Puzzles These usually involve a particular word with some letters left blank and some additional activity to find the correct letter. It might be unscrambling. Often these worksheets include secret messages that are solved using letters from the words. Again in order to help build vocabulary, the students need to use the words from their assignments, may-be during an in class review or orally reciting a sentence as they go over homework in class.

Math Worksheets Normally math worksheets for Halloween are a worksheet pages decorated with pumpkins or ghosts and possible a secret word. What would be perfect for math Halloween homework is something different, where you might work with place value, or factors or review order of operations. Take the time to look for some quality math ideas to use as a fun Halloween activity assigned for homework.

Writing Prompts Teachers are always looking for new and different prompts to use for writing assignments. A motivating writing prompt pre-written on a Halloween designed worksheet that students to use for homework is an essential resource to have on hand.

Story Starters It is very common for higher elementary and middle school classes to begin the school year with a review of the plot chart. Halloween is perfect timing to put those to use and have the students write their own short story, with characters, conflict, the climax and a Resolution. With graphic organizers plan that provides the plot elements has long been a thorough review of these conditions. This is a perfect long-term task, because the history of Halloween.

Puzzles and Logic Puzzles for a Super Brain Teaser Poster weekly use with students during Halloween is some opportunity for students to solve problems. Send every student home with some of these challenges and areup with solutions is a simple yet effective way to get them to use problem solving skills and to get their families involved as well.
Halloween comes once a year whether teacher like it or not. The closer the holiday comes, the harder it is to keep student focused. Having some fun Halloween activities to use as homework assignments may be just the thing needed to tap into that energy, and keep their brains focused on academics.

Exercise Your Brain - Quick Brain Teasers to Test Your Memory and Thinking Skills

Here's a quick quiz to test your memory and thinking skills, which should work out important parts of your brain. See how you do! (Answers are below).

1. - Name the one sport in which neither the spectators nor the participants know the score or the leader until the contest ends.

2. - What famous North American landmark is constantly moving backward?

3. - Of all vegetables, only two can live to produce on their own for several growing seasons. All other vegetables must be replanted every year. What are the only two perennial vegetables?

4. - What fruit has its seeds on the outside?

5. - In many liquor stores, you can buy pear brandy, with a real pear inside the bottle. The pear is whole and ripe, and the bottle is genuine; it hasn't been cut in any way. How did the pear get inside the bottle?

6. - Only three words in Standard English begin with the letters "dw" and they are all common words. Name two of them.

7. - There are 14 punctuation marks in English grammar. Can you name at least half of them?

8. - Name the one vegetable or fruit that is never sold frozen, canned, processed, cooked, or in any other form except fresh.

9. - Name 6 or more things that you can wear on your feet beginning with the letter "S."

Answers To Quiz:

1. The one sport in which neither the spectators, nor the participants, know the score or the leader until the contest ends: boxing

2. The North American landmark constantly moving backward: Niagara Falls (the rim is worn down about two and a half feet each year because of the millions of gallons of water that rush over it every minute.)

3. Only two vegetables that can live to produce on their own for several growing seasons: asparagus and rhubarb.

4. The fruit with its seeds on the outside: strawberry.

5. How did the pear get inside the brandy bottle? It grew inside the bottle. (The bottles are placed over pear buds when they are small and are wired in place on the tree. The bottle is left in place for the entire growing season. When the pears are ripe, they are snipped off at the stems.)

6. Three English words beginning with "dw": dwarf, dwell, and dwindle.

7. Fourteen punctuation marks in English grammar: period, comma, colon, semicolon, dash, hyphen, apostrophe, question mark, exclamation point, quotation marks, brackets, parenthesis, braces, and ellipses.

8. The only vegetable or fruit never sold frozen, canned, processed, cooked, or in any other form but fresh: lettuce.

9. Six or more things you can wear on your feet beginning with "s": shoes, socks, sandals, sneakers, slippers, skis, skates, snowshoes, stockings, stilts.

Copyright (c) 2008 SharpBrains

Three Original and Educational Hobbies For Children

Nowadays most children spend huge amount of their spare time in front of the PC. Of course, the Internet gives them a lot of opportunities to learn - much more than we had when we were at their age. But how much education they get by chat rooms, dating sites and PC games? I bet these experiences are not that useful.

Wouldn't it be amazing if your children had some of the hobbies that you had when you were a kid? Or at least if they could spend more time on educational games and entertainment rather than on shooting computer generated criminals.

Here are three cool hobbies that can bring your kids a lot of joy and at the same time can have much better effect on their education and forming their character.

Clay Play
This hobby is appropriate for kids under age 5. Playing and creating items from clay lets your children explore their coordination and sense of shapes. Clay is a great material and it presents really endless opportunities for learning, exploring and creating.

Let the little kids explore the opportunities in their own way. There is no need to give them too many directions or to force them follow guides and create specific figures. Give them freedom and let them build their own things - you may get surprised how creative your kids can be.

If you want to involve elder children - between 6 and 10 age, you may want to show them more complex figures from clay. The advanced children can make entire performances with clay figures.

Playing Mind Games
Don't they play with their mind while staying on the computer? Well, not exactly and not in the way you want it. What I suggest you is to try getting your children keen on "old style" mind games. Take for example chess. Playing chess on a real desk with other real children - not online or against the computer - is not only a good way to train the kid's thinking but also a way to socialize them with other smart kids.

Chess is not the only game to consider of course. There are all kind of good old brain teasers like tic-tac-toe, battleships, word games, logical dominoes and so on. All of these games will help your kid getting smarter without turning it to a teenage nerd.

Making Paper Airplanes
This is one of my favorite ideas for a hobby which is appropriate for children of all ages. I know even adults who are keen on building paper airplanes! Making paper airplanes is a great thing for your kids because:

- It's easy and fun. It's not some overly complicated activity that will get your children bored.
- It develops the kid's creativity. There are so many ways to make a paper airplane and so many more are to be discovered.
- It's cheap. All you need is a sheet of paper.
- It's a way to learn more about such an exciting mater as the aviation.
- It teaches to patience and preciseness.

Each of the three ideas listed above will probably work great for your children. Just try to attract their attention to one or more of these hobbies and leave the rest to them.

Develop Your Mental Aptitude With Online Crossword Puzzles

If you are having a free time and are not realizing what do at the hour, then play online crossword puzzles. These online games can be your best friends if you have nothing to do on Sunday morning. They won't let you feel bored or being empty minded. That's their major specialty, puzzle games have been appealing to lots of players from days when computer technology was not in existence. They used to be printed on leading state and national newspapers. Kids, youth and retired guys took fun in solving them. Playing crossword puzzle games with colorful graphics is an exciting idea. These games have the ability to develop mental aptitude of players. If you are feeling like doing nothing on a holiday just try brain teasers given in puzzle games. They will make your brain super active and open. Just keep on your mental ideas to flow out by playing puzzle games.

Online crossword puzzles are easy to play and enjoy. They make mundane daily life a little bit spicy with ingredients of applied intelligence. Crossword games make us t complete those mental tasks that can't be done in cross word connoisseurs. Today puzzles are available in attractive electronic format. They are available on the internet; many of them can be downloaded free on the computer. Most of these games have a rectangular and square shape. The graphics of these puzzles are also found in other geometrical shapes also. Many guys love to solve online puzzles, now computer gaming technology has developed lots of techniques to solve and play these games. The most difficult puzzles involve using indirect clues instead of direct clues for solving them.

Direct and indirect clues found in online crossword puzzles enhancing the thinking power of online players. They increase the sense of imagination in them while they attempt to solve the game. The clues provided by these online games are literal as well as metamorphic. Those puzzle games are tougher that omit clues for solving. Among many varieties of this brain teasing games cryptic puzzle games are the most challenging to solve. They have anagrams in which letter of a word are to be converted in such a way that a new word is formed. New phrases can also be created with these words. Cryptic puzzles also involve using double clues for facilitating players. They use a single grid which can be filled by a list of more than one clue.

Read for fun and adventure games Addictive Ben 10 Games

Online games rule the roost today and has changed the meaning of the word 'games', absolutely. Earlier, games were solely an outdoor activity. Now almost all the games played outdoors are played inside the house before a computer or gaming consoles.

Addictive games are referred so, as children tend to spend continuous hours hooked to the games. They have become so popular due to its free availability and numerous choices online. Boys and girls can pick games of their taste since internet has games suitable for all.

Adventurous racing games are favorites with boys while girls like to dress up their dolls in various costumes. Addictive games even though is called so, is not without any benefits. They are good brain teasers and promote logical thinking. They improve the ability to take decisions. Anything is bad if had too much, and addictive games are no exception!

Ben 10 games rank first among addictive games. A mixture of adventure and Action are very popular with boys. 15-year-old Ben is the hero of the game. A regular guy like everyone else, Ben accidentally hand tool called alien Omnitrix. It gives you the power to transform himself as the Alien 10. He fights evil in many forms. The idea is so good with the adventurous young man who saw the game from a shot from around the world. The game is thought to mediate in children.

The different characters and plots to makethem distinguish good and bad. It encourages them to act as responsible persons. Ben has a sympathetic human side with him. The dominating sister of Ben continuously nags him! Now which boy would tolerate a pestering sister! Ben is hero among boys for his heroic deeds and of course for owning the Omnitrix.

Printable Sudoku Puzzles Are Leading A Puzzling Revolution For Sudoku Puzzlers

The Internet has such an excellent resource for people of all ages should try new things and learn different things in the world to offer, have emerged. Printable Sudoku puzzles are only one aspect of the evolving nature and the teaching of the World Wide Web Gone are the days when people were wounded in the library or grocery checkout path forced to intrigue, Sudoku puzzles for the eyes mind.

Today, Internet is full of challenging Sudokupuzzles that can be printed out on the web. It is rather difficult to get the feel of Sudoku puzzles when you have an a rather intimidating entire book of Sudoku puzzles to get through. Going through the internet and looking for Sudoku puzzles that are printable and can be completed one by one is a great way to get started in the new puzzling revolution that is Sudoku puzzles.

Printable Sudoku puzzles are usually found free on the web, but some sites do charge minimal membership fees for Access to hundreds of thousands of print Sudoku Puzzle Sudoku at all levels, from beginners to learn of the righteous, the ins and outs of the strategy Sudoku puzzle for those who are new to the whole thing for those who are old pros and can solve Sudoku , Sudoku puzzles are just a few minutes.

Most run of the mill Sudoku puzzles can be printed as a grid of nine by nine squares, some with numbers and other places on the grid filled left blank. Fromvarious strategies, the user is supposed to fill in the numbers until the squares have all been filled in; depending on how good you are at completing the puzzles many Sudoku puzzles can take anywhere from a few minutes to several hours (or even days, in some cases) to complete. The fun is in finishing the puzzle, so don't give up if things are getting a bit difficult for you.

When you go on a search for printable Sudoku puzzles to complete, make sure you aren't wasting your printer ink and that you are printing puzzles that are set at the level you are realistically able to complete. Nobody knows the skill level of a Sudoku puzzle just by looking at it. So do not over challenge yourself and possibly frustrate yourself out of learning the art of Sudoku puzzling at all.

Printable Sudoku puzzles are part of an interesting, challenging world of logic and number puzzles. Hop on your computer and try one of these brain teasers for yourself today!

How To Get A Finance Job From An Engineering Background

"It's something very personal, a very important thing. Hell! It's a family motto. Are you ready Jerry? I wanna make sure you're ready, brother. Here it is: Show me the money. SHOW! ME! THE! MONEY! Jerry, it is such a pleasure to say that! Say it with me one time, Jerry."

-Rod Tidwell, "Jerry Maguire" (1996)

"If I'm an engineering major, how can I get into finance? Show me the money!"

I find myself answering this question a lot, possibly because I'm from a non-finance background myself. Or maybe just because everyone wants to get into finance.

How you can leverage your technical background to land a job in the jungle of finance? As a technical person right out of school, you have two ways of breaking in:

Get an investment banking analyst position in the technology or TMT (Technology, Media & Telecom) group of a bank. You will use none of your quantitative/analytical background and instead use your interest in the industry/work ethic to get in.
Get a quantitative job at a hedge fund or doing trading/fixed income at a bank. You will leverage your quantitative and probability skills to get in.

Of the two, the second is easiest for most engineers. Wall Street has never been more quantitative, and it's only getting more quant-focused each day. Even with some recent problems in the credit market and some high-profile difficulties at prestigious funds such as Goldman Global Alpha, this trend will not stop anytime soon.

Hedge Fund And Related Jobs

On-campus recruiting for these positions is less common than it is for banking analysts, but it's there if you seek it out. Citadel, one of the largest hedge funds in the world, does undergraduate recruiting for its rotational program, as does Jump Trading, based out of Chicago.

The good news is that if you're an engineering major at a top university, you have a good chance of landing one of these jobs, even with no previous finance experience. If you're in this position and go through on-campus recruiting, you need to emphasize your interest in finance because this is how they select candidates. Here's a direct quote from a Citadel recruiter:

"To be honest, we know you're all pretty good quantitatively... after all you got an engineering degree at one of the top programs in the country. You need to show us that you're interested in finance because that's what differentiates you."

During interviews they will ask you quantitative questions but it's crucial that you show them you have had a strong and consistent interest in finance. Have some good stories prepared, especially on personal investing and why you're particularly well-suited to be a trader.

For trading jobs the "fit" part of the interview is even more important than it is for banking. If you don't trade stocks in between classes and wake up early each morning to read financial news, gambling is a good hobby to mention. I was asked if I played video poker/online poker and other casino games when interviewing for hedge fund jobs. You want to emphasize hobbies/interests that show you can think about risk vs. reward.

No Thanks, I Really Want To Be A Banker

Full disclosure: you can do this, but the hours are going to be far worse than trading, the pay won't be much better and you'll have to do truly menial, low-value-add work. The advantage is you do have a wider variety of exit options - doing engineering and then banking sets you up very well for venture capital, for example. And the perks are nice.

As a technical person, you have several things going for you right away: no one will question your intelligence, and they probably won't ask you brain teasers or math questions. If you can get a degree in Electrical Engineering, you can do Excel calculations in your sleep. And no one will question your attention to detail (or at least not as much as if you were an English major).

What you will need to focus on in recruiting and interviewing is demonstrating your 1) interest in finance and 2) ability to handle the hours/stress of the job, which are considerably worse than those of an engineering/tech company.

A few more specific tips: when you discuss your interest in finance you need to mention tech companies if you're applying to a tech group in a bank. And don't just mention Google or Facebook. These are the most visible tech companies by far, but anyone can learn about them by reading TechCrunch or by listening to friends.

You need to show real interest in the industry, which means taking the initiative and talking about less well-known companies. Before my interviews at tech groups in banks I made a list of less well-known startups/other companies I found interesting and had a story prepared around each of them. You should do the same.

As far as the second point about handling the stress/hours, as an engineering major you should have had many extended project classes... these are all good to mention, as are any internships where you launched a product that required "crunch time" at the end.

Free Brain Training That Really Works

If you're interested in brain training, the first thing that comes to mind is probably video games like Brain Age or Big Brain Academy, or maybe another online program like Lumosity. In fact, probably every brain training method you can think of is probably some sort of product that will set you back a little money. But the fact of the matter is that brain training could be totally free, and even more effective then the paid solutions out there. Without further ado, I present the ultimate guide to Free Brain Training.

The first thing is to realize that there are several areas to play a key role in determining the physical form of brain training your brain. I'm assuming that if you read this you may already know how important it is to maintain the health of brain, but you're probably aware of only a small amount of matter. When playing Brain Training is short: they onlywork on brain exercise. They completely ignore the other three pillars of brain fitness: physical exercise, managing your stress, and proper nutrition.

Let's take a look at nutrition first. How do you maximize your diet for brain fitness, without spending extra money? Luckily, there's nothing to worry about missing by not spending money. Supplements that are claimed to improve your memory or brain functioning just don't work at all. Both DHEA and Ginkgo biloba supplements are sold as antiaging or brain health supplements, and studies by various scientists show that they have no effects whatsoever. However, Omega-3 fatty acids that are found in cold-water fish do seem to improve brain functions and attention. So without spending extra money on supplements, try eating some mackerel, salmon, tuna, or herring for dinner.

Also important to brain fitness is managing your stress. Too much stress will literally burn you out and decrease your brain's functioning abilities. One fun and free way to keep stress levels low is to stay clued in to your social network. Call a friend, schedule a date, send a letter to a family member. Physical exercise, which is a pillar of brain training in and of itself, will also help lower your stress levels. Another option would be some simple meditation, it's an incredible tool.

Physical exercise is also a great area to efficiently train your brain. If you participate in a sport like tennis or soccer, you'll be working your body whilst thinking intensely about the game at hand. On top of all of that, the exercise naturally reduces your stress. That's 3 of the 4 areas right there! In reality, any basic exercise is good for your brain fitness, but if you play a sport, then that's the optimal solution. Be sure that your heart is up in your target workout range for 20 minutes at a minimum to consider it a "workout", and do it at least 3 times a week.

Finally, let's talk about brain exercise. You don't need to spend money on video games or computer software or internet subscriptions to get brain exercise. You could do a simple google search for "brain teasers" and do those. No matter what salesmen will try to tell you, any simple activity that gets you thinking hard and working your mind is brain exercise. Your brain exercise pillar could be fulfilled simply by being really active in life, reading 20 minutes every night, or dedicating yourself to learning a new topic. Brain exercise does not have to be expensive, it just has to be SOMETHING.

That's it. That's all you really need. A substitution or two in your diet, a way to reduce your stress (totally free), some physical exercise (also totally free), and simple brain exercise that could be reading, or brain teasers, or just a really invigorating experience. You can max efficiency in your brain training by meditating or playing a sport, all which cover multiple areas at once. And that's how you can be training your brain and working on mental fitness, all for free. Goodbye, expensive products.

Core Strength Exercises: Thinking Outside the Box

The core of your body is the center of its strength. The obvious rewards that you will get from core strength exercises are toned, flat abs. An added benefit is overall better posture. Bad posture can cause your body to be weak and in turn cause lower back pain. By focusing on exercises that target your core you will improve your posture and lower your risk of injury or pain in your lower back.

Building your core body muscles does not mean you have to do boring sit ups and crunches. You can get strong core muscles by looking outside the box for core strength exercises. Yoga is a great way to work your core muscles; it will build your core while helping to lengthen and tone your muscles as well as helping you obtain better balance and relaxation techniques. Yoga poses such as plank, chair, and boat pose all work together to help build a strong core.

If you are looking for something a little different then you get out on the beach and play a game of volleyball, head to your gym and take up lap swimming, or put on a pair of skates and work those muscles while you ice skate. All of these exercises help build strong core muscles and you do not have to sit at home in your living room floor and do mind numbing crunches. Taking your idea of core strength exercises outside the box can lead to entertaining exercises that get an added benefit of strengthening your core.

Brain Teasers - Take Up the Challenge

The human mind is perhaps one of the most enigmatic things in the world whose capabilities are not yet fully explored. The sky is the limit for our brain and it can achieve the impossible also. All that it requires is a bit of training and conditioning to perform in a desired manner. Brain teasers are excellent tools which can not only condition our minds but also prove to be very entertaining.

Brain teasers and brain games are modern tools which exercise our brains and help it to expand its limits. The brain teasers provide an entertaining way to exercise the muscles of our brains. They are simple puzzles which encourage us to think out of the box and realize the true potential of our mind. The brain teasers are designed to test our cognitive and logical abilities.

One of the most important capabilities that a brain teaser provides is "Lateral Thinking". It is term coined by Edward De Bono for finding solution to problems through an indirect and creative approach. It is basically about reasoning that may not be immediately obvious and can be derived only through a step by step approach. Lateral thinking has become the buzzword amongst corporate today and is helping them to expand their boundaries.

A few of the most common brain teasers include logic puzzle and riddles. A logic puzzles derives itself from the mathematical field of deduction and may include some of the world's toughest puzzle which can be solved only by using logic puzzle grid. The most popular example of this is the Zebra puzzle. Surprisingly Lewis Carrol used logic puzzles in his famous book "Alice In Wonderland".

A riddle, on the other hand, is a statement having a veiled meaning and can be put forward as a puzzle to be solved. Riddles are basically of two types viz:

Enigmas: These are problems expressed in metaphorical language and require ingenuity in thoughts.

Conundrums: These are questions whose answers are somewhere hidden in the statement itself.

The brain teasers are surely a great way to keep you busy and in the process also utilize your Grey cells. Online mind games like bricks breaking and code breaking are a great way to entertain the kids and ensure that their mind receives just the right conditioning.

Are There Left and Right Brain Exercises? How Each Part of The Brain Needs a Different Workout

For the most part people are familiar with left and right brain thinking, but did you know you can stimulate the growth of each through left and right brain exercises? Understanding the basics of how each hemisphere works is key to giving each a workout.

Some people may question what the point of such exercise would be, but there is good reasons behind it. Since the right brain in general is responsible for visual processing, "big picture" thinking, intuitive processing and processes ideas simultaneously doing right brain exercises would help enhance those functions. Conversely, since the left brain in general is the hemisphere that is analytical, processes step by step, verbally oriented, etc. Left brain exercises would help boost those processes.

So what exactly would such exercise entail? For the right half of the brain, it would involve performing tasks that stimulate visual usage, intuitive thinking, etc. Right brain exercises might be things like painting or drawing that use the right brain functions of visual processing as well as big picture or wholistic processing that goes on in the right hemisphere.

Right brain exercises would also include games that involve strategy or working through various tasks simultaneously. These games require that you take a look at things as a whole and at times think outside of logical deductions to achieve the goal. This would also help build up function in the right hemisphere.

For the left side, you would need left brain exercises that require word usage, logical reasoning or step by step processing. Brain teasers or word puzzles would be a couple of good examples that utilize the left hemisphere and strengthen its function.

Spelling and math activities are also good left brain exercises. These processes are done predominantly in the left hemisphere so the more you use them the more neural connections are built in that part of the brain increasing function. Basically any task or test that involves deductive reasoning, working through a problem in a sequential order or working with distinct facts and figures will enhance this part of the brain and how it works.

Whatever your preference, researchers have noted that the overall brain works more efficiently if we not only work the side that is dominant for us, but spend some time working the less dominant. In other words, the right brain exercises will be beneficial to the people of the left-brain and left brain exercises to help right brainers. The structure of both sides really need the ability to facilitate better interaction between the two halves of the brain that a multi-well rounded.

As with exercise, the brain is the best helped if the exercise is regular and not sporadic. The brain, like the muscle work on use it or loseit principle. The more we are inactive with certain parts of our brains the harder it is for us to perform those functions. The more we work them the easier it is for us to use those functions. So whether you need a good dose of right brain exercises or left brain, the point is to get that brain in shape.

How To Fill Those Empty Hours of Retirement

Retirement doesn't have to mean boredom. With adequate planning, it can be a joyous, relaxing and exciting part of life filled with activities which were missed while building a career and raising a family. Even if physical limitations prevent engaging in some activities, retirement can still include interesting and fun-filled activities that add value to your life. The problem for some is that a fixed income can severely limit their spending capabilities and especially with perpetual inflation, can pose a huge challenge.

In order to ensure that financial difficulties are minimized, you should start at an early age to develop a financial plan which will assure wealth. Sure there are other ways to prevent boredom during retirement other than spending a lot of money, but who wants to live hand to mouth anyway? So, the best way to avoid boredom during retirement as well as to have a peace of mind about your financial well-being is to create adequate wealth during your in recent years.

If you have a bucket list, then in a position to fund these important activities can give you is. However, if you do not feel like going on a safari, you still want the empty hours that are spent at home to fill.

Their first few weeks of retirement may start to feel like a well-needed break. But after a while ', you can begin to feel unproductive. This is what happens when you are not only part of a system in which you are used tosolve problems and help people. When the feeling sets in, you will realize that it's no fun to just sitting around watching the days go by.

Spending quality time with family members can provide lots of opportunities to laugh, share and relive memories. You can have an afternoon of coffee and conversation which is inexpensive and fulfilling. Another way to spend time with friends and family is to take them fishing, go on a picnic or have game nights where you play board games.

Volunteering is also a rewarding activity. Giving your time to your community can result in you garnering life skills and it fills the empty hours you may have to face. You can also start a new hobby or revisit one which you may have given up previously. Try hiking, bike riding, swimming or golfing.

Retirement is also the time to catch up on your reading list. You can frequent the library where you will have a myriad of titles to keep your brain active and you'll get the chance to finally read those books you've always wanted to read but were too busy to try. A lot of retirees I know have also become whizzes at doing all types of puzzles and word games and brain teasers. Just because you're getting older, doesn't mean that your brain should retire too. Keep sharp by engaging in mentally challenging activities during your days.

Barbie - Inspiring Fashion Conscious Girls Everywhere

All little girls love Barbie dolls. Barbie come in many different ways and different professions, different skin colors and different hobbies. It would be very expensive to have the complete collection of Barbie dolls and all the clothes and accessories. Why online Barbie dress-up games are a good choice, because the young girls access to all types of Barbie dolls, clothing and accessories directly to your computer at home.

If your daughter likes Barbie dolls and loves to playon the computer as if you really enjoy online Barbie Dress Up. These games enable girls to make the world of fashion and unique clothes and even decorate a room to explore the barbie with their skills of interior design. You can play games that create their own Barbie dream bedroom with a variety of colors and furniture to make decisions. You can also print an image of the space they have created for fun and show you and your friends what they have planned. The games can be clear that childrenand the reorganization of space for a Barbie doll to teach them the importance of cleaning their room.

Barbie Fashion Show are great because they offer such a variety of clothing and accessories. You can use Barbie dolls for a slumber party, a costume party, a date with Ken, and more clothes and accessories can be fun, hairstyles and even add virtual puppet in some cases. Think about how much fun your children will have the choice of shirts, skirts, dresses, shoes, hats, bags and morefor the virtual Barbie dolls to create their own fashion creations. They can do it over and over again as they just have to remove the clothes and redress the doll. They can print these creations out and save them or you can hang their creations on your fridge.

Not only do these websites have dress up games, they also have brain teasers and puzzles for slightly older children to enjoy. The Barbie themed games make doing puzzles fun and exciting as they create pictures of Barbie from the puzzle pieces. How do you help your child locate a fun Barbie online dress up game? It is easy. Just search for Barbie dress up games on the internet and you will get a ton of results. There are many different websites that offer free Barbie online dress up games that your children will enjoy playing over and over again and it won't cost you a penny.

Brain Training Exercises - Simple ways to unleash the potential of your brain

Just as physical exercise, the exercises are also important for the brain, life for a long and happy. They have shown that cognitive abilities such as memory and learning improve. These exercises also help improve the skills of problem-solving, spatial recognition and verbal skills. A well-exercised brain to increase awareness and alertness, increase productivity in school and at work, and help you work better in all what you do.

Searchshows that different brain exercises, brain booster activate the frontal lobe of the brain through a powerful way for the resumption of neurons and improve your creative brain.

One of the most effective and simple exercises, training of the brain, you might want to consider is the brain of reflection test. In trying to reflect the brain, test, you will see how fast is the reflection of the brain or its forgottenAntwort auf einen bestimmten Reiz. You can check this line from you, when you reply to a specific stimulus, which can measure more often a change of image on the screen. When you test your brain reflection, your goal is to try by 0.20 seconds to score the first try and 58 points in the second.

Other games, exercises are training as a good brain, brain-stretching and memory test, Sudoku, Rubik's CubeThe concentrations in brain and cognitive training. These games and activities are not only good to stimulate your brain power, but your visual memory and spatial intelligence.

Solving mathematical problems is a simple brain exercises. The answer, as many math questions as possible in a shorter period of time is a good exercise for the brain.

On the Internet there are lots of sites that offer brain gamesto try. It may include a collection of brain games, puzzles, riddles, puzzles, word searches, trivia and optical illusions, brain exercise are considered effective. These exercises will really help your logic, math, vocabulary, skills and attention to help manage job stress. They offer new ways of playing clever at the same time improve mental health.

Other techniques and practice your skillsSpeed Reading for the construction of memory and understanding and memory for storing important information such as names, words and numbers.

In addition to the many benefits provided by Brain Training exercises for memory and cognitive abilities, dementia, these exercises also help to compensate and common mental disorders such as Alzheimer's, Parkinson's disease. Memory loss associated with brain aging exercises can be avoided with the results can be long and this completelyTerm.

Experts also say that intelligence exercises help to improve levels, even if the person's brain power depends on various factors such as health and nutrition, and sleep.

The aging of the brain can now do these exercises can be reversed by. And to achieve the desired results and the long-term benefit is simply, if you assign more minutes of your time each day training run a couple of brainTime to time.

Teach your kids Arithmetic - Mastery of the multiplication

Know your multiplication facts should not be too difficult. In fact, depending on how you look, this company can be great fun. Repetition plays a role, but cool to know some tricks can be the difference between success and failure. Why struggle with the multiplication in the conquest of the arithmetic operation can be easily? Get the key to tackling the main table that you will ever know.

If you read Teach your children about arithmetic - multiplicationShortcuts - Part I, you know, that knowledge of basic multiplication table is the first component of effective multiplication skills. This table is the product of two numbers 1-9 Knowledge of this table is probably one of the most important things you never learn in school, and something you will use throughout their lives. In fact, computers are ubiquitous, but there is no escape, who can multiply the numbers 1 to 9 of aidThey work well in life. Make sure you know not to do so, such as 8 x 3 or 4 x 6 picture!

Learn the table is actually quite simple if you an idea of the composition and the type of replication in general. First of all, I really do not know all the products of 1 x 9.9 x 9 There are some beautiful and practical for us and the properties of this operation, avoiding the need for this. The multiplication is commutative. Remember that the days ofLearn the commutative property of multiplication? (And you thought the teacher was just trying to torment with this stuff.)

This means that the order in which to do this is not important to the outcome or the product is the same. What is 3 x 4 = 4 x 3 or in general BXA = axb, where a and b are two numbers.

Since there are nine figures on the top line and sides of the multiplication table, there is eighty-products can be formed.Because of the wonderful commutative, we have not had this many. In fact, we learn only forty-five, of which there are 22 other devices. This leaves us with a paltry 23 multiplications, it is not that great. And what you learn in this article, you soon realize that these 23 products have nothing to fear.

Okay let's go to work. Among the possible products eighty thirty-six the commutative property are eliminated. L 'Leaves of forty years. Of these, the 1-times table is easy because the number 1 is the multiplicative identity. This means that a time series provides a different way. Case closed. This eliminates additional nine products, and now we are up to thirty-six. The two-times table is prepared easily and never too many problems for students. This goes for 3 times. Initially, most children have learned from two friends, three friends, even among friends 4 and 5. However, some withoutwas released, the table 2 times are considered by most. For example, 2 x 9 is 9 + 9 This can be achieved by adding a "Quick Add" get to 9 + 9 + 8 = 18 to 10 (More on this article, see beyond me. Go to the link at the end of this article.) Understanding the two cleared eight other products, and this brings us to 2008.

The 3 times, and we note that these products by adding them as a result capable of processingTable 2 additional times with an addendum. In other words, 3 x 7 can be described as follows
(2 x 7) + 7 + 7 or 14 This addition can again as Quick Add-on 14 + 7 be treated to convert it into 20 + 1 = 21 After sending in the correct 3 friends, we have seven other products, and we up to 21 hours

As you may have guessed, it can be seen in table 4 times through the eyes of the table 2 times. For example, x 4 can be thought of as 8 x 8 2 doubles. Since we already know, 2 x 8= 16, we only need to add 16 + 16. But now you are a teacher and I know that this addition is 32 Competence in four removed six products of others, and there are up to fifteen.

The 5 times table is not nearly as remarkable as I can see and hear the memories of my youth, when I counted "5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, 40 ..." I'm sure you can too. However, consider the 5 times a bit 'more closely. For example, learning 5 x 6 is easy because we know that our 4-times table. (If youhave not noticed, we are learning new material on the existing material. Now you can understand why it is difficult to make progress in mathematics, if you have a weak base.) Therefore, 5 x 6 (4 x 6) + 6, which is 24 + 6 = 30 This is the way in which to create the table in our mind. Once the neural circuits are wired, we will never have problems again with this table.

This eliminates five other products, and now we are left with ten. A-6 of the table. You have it. We experience this as a doublingour 3 times. Then, 6 x 8 is double 3 x 8, you know, is 24 So, 6 x 8 is 24 + 24, which is 48th Aha! I see those light bulbs going on around them.

Now we come to the finish. Having rid of the 6 we are left with just six products: 7 x 7, 7 x 8, 7 x 9, 8 x 8, 8 and 9 x 9 x 9 How can we master our 7's? Yes, our 6 friends. Thus, 7 x 7 (6 x 7) + 7, which is 42 + 7 = 49 How do our 8 is? Exactly. Redouble our four friends. So 8 x 9 x 4 is double9 or 36 + 36 = 72 We are, finally, with 9 x 9, 81 is on the left.

Looking at the table in this way you will see that learning multiplication facts is not so difficult after all. Also, you gave a different perspective to learn something about mathematics. Although some mental energy it took to achieve what we have done here, you can be sure that the effort to condemn the dividends for the rest of your life. In fact, after mastering the basics, youhave taken the first step towards conquering the whole of mathematics mathematics. Welcome to my world.

Read more articles page articles on my page and get some mental exercise here with these problems Problem of the Week and Cool cool puzzles.

Brain Teasers Games For Kids

No age is too early for starting the basic education of children. You can definitely start sharpening the cognitive thinking skills which will help them to enhance their basic intelligence. You will find a lot of fun brain teasers games which are definitely helpful in enhancing the different mental abilities.

There are a number of memory games which enhance the observation skills, concentration and memory of children. They are very simple and are fun to play and even you can play these games with your child. Picture cards are one of the popular types of these memory games. Then there are these visual brain teasers games for the children which help in developing the visualization skill. Most of them are puzzles in which pieces of a picture are broken which need to be fitted in together.

There are games which develop the imaginary and sensory skills and also the sense of touch. You can also enhance the sense of sight of your child so that by describing any item in the room and asking them to identify and find that item. There are certain brain teasers games which help to develop the literary skills and also introduce letters and words to your kids and help to increase the vocabulary of your child. There are certain games which develop the thinking and problem solving skill of your child which is very essential in the early ages.

I am sure that because of these brain teasers games, your child will get stimulated through the positive interactions with caring parents and other adults during the growing age. Their thinking ability, concentration and ability to relate things is enhanced greatly which benefits them in the next years of their life. These games are therefore totally recommended for children.

Improve Cognitive Skills by Playing Brain Enhancement Games

Play simple brain teasers online and that's how you can tame your grey cells. Ask why? Well, because human brain responds the best and remains the most active when it is in constant stimulation. Thus, just like you tone your muscles and lift those weights to add packs to your abdomen and strengthen your body, you also need to exercise your brain cells, such that it responds back with greater memory power and improved concentration. Cognitive skills, alertness, ability to quickly respond and faster processing are no longer any one person's blessed virtue. They can be made possible if one indulges in online brain games ranging from bird watching to losing in migration.

Our daily routine lives have very little or rather poor scope to stimulate the brain cells to think out of box; instead it loads the cells with enormous amounts of stress and anxiety. It is here, that the brain games come to picture. They play a vital role in honing the analytical bent of mind and sharpening the thinking skill set. As a spill-over effect it works in reducing stress and helps enjoy your time productively in the journey of life. So these brain games are stress busters too apart from improving individual cognitive skills.

The processing speed of a brain helps an individual come out with better and faster thinking abilities, comprehend sensory information at a greater speed and helps remember too. Brain teaser games work to improve cognitive skills in a unique way.

Therefore, for a healthy lifestyle, a complete brain exercise each day is as essential as brushing teeth. For better results it should become a habit and thus one can chart performance and get amazed to see the benefit not only in improved numbers but quality living too. So indulge in playing word bubbles online and improve your cognitive skills manifold.

The Top 10 Brain Health Books of 2008 - Ready For Some Mental Exercise?

Here you have The 10 Most Popular Brain Fitness & Cognitive Health Books of 2008. I hope you find them as stimulating as I did!

1. Brain Rules: 12 Principles for Surviving and Thriving at Work, Home, and School (Pear Press, March 2008)

- Dr. John Medina, Director of the Brain Center for Applied Learning Research at Seattle Pacific University, writes an engaging and comprehensive introduction to the many daily implications of recent brain research.

2. The Beck Diet Solution: Train Your Brain to Think Like a Thin Person (Oxmoor House, March 2007)

- Dr. Judith Beck, Director of the Beck Institute for Cognitive Therapy and Research, connects the world of research-based cognitive therapy with a mainstream application: maintaining weight-loss.

3. The Brain That Changes Itself: Stories of Personal Triumph from the Frontiers of Brain Science (Viking, March 2007)

- Dr. Norman Doidge, psychiatrist and author of this New York Times bestseller, brings us "a compelling collection of tales about the amazing abilities of the brain to rewire, readjust and relearn".

4. Spark: The Revolutionary New Science of Exercise and the Brain(Little, Brown and Company, January 2008)

- Dr. John Ratey, an associate clinical professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School, summarizes the growing research on the brain benefits of physical exercise.

5. The Art of Changing the Brain: Enriching the Practice of Teaching by Exploring the Biology of Learning (Stylus Publishing, October 2002)

- Dr. James Zull, Director Emeritus of the University Center for Innovation in Teaching and Education at Case Western Reserve University, writes a must-read for educators and lifelong learners.

6. Train Your Mind, Change Your Brain: How a New Science Reveals Our Extraordinary Potential to Transform Ourselves (Ballantine Books, January 2007)

- Sharon Begley, Newsweek' excellent science writer, provides an in-depth introduction to the research on neuroplasticity based on a Mind & Life Institute event.

7. Thanks: How the New Science of Gratitude Can Make You Happier (Houghton Mifflin, August 2007)

- Prof. Robert Emmons, Professor of Psychology at UC Davis and Editor-In-Chief of the Journal of Positive Psychology, writes a solid book that combines a research-based synthesis of the topic as well as practical suggestions.

8. The Executive Brain: Frontal Lobes and the Civilized Mind (Oxford University Press, January 2001)

- Dr. Elkhonon Goldberg, clinical professor of neurology at New York University School of Medicine, provides a fascinating perspective on the role of the frontal roles and executive functions through the lifespan.

9. The Brain Trust Program: A Scientifically Based Three-Part Plan to Improve Memory (Perigee Trade, September 2007)

- Dr. Larry McCleary, former acting Chief of Pediatric Neurosurgery at Denver Children's Hospital, covers many lifestyle recommendations for brain health in this practical book.

10. A User's Guide to the Brain: Perception, Attention, and the Four Theaters of the Brain (Pantheon, January 2001)

- In this book (previous to Spark), Dr. John Ratey provides a stimulating description of how the brain works. An excellent Brain 101 book to anyone new to the field.

Let me ask you know...have you already chosen a book to read next?

Copyright (c) 2009 SharpBrains

Top Holiday Gift Ideas For a Friend Who is Sick

Looking for gift ideas for a friend who is sick during the Christmas, Hanukah, Kwanza and holiday seasons? Unfortunately, hospital stays, bouts with the flu and chronic conditions like cancer and MS don't take holidays. But you can help your friend be included in the spirit of the season by sending a care package that lets him know how much you care.

Here are four gift idea groups to help you design a care package that will uplift her spirit this holiday.

Holiday gift idea #1: Bring the heat.
Warming body wraps, neck wraps and stuffed animals with a little aromatherapy like cinnamon and clove are great to send a friend at holiday time. There are many options available that simply pop in the microwave for 1-2 minutes and stay warm for several hours. Whether she is in the hospital or at home, it is so easy to get chilled during winter months and heating aromatherapy wraps feel so good, help relax muscles and smell great.

Holiday gift idea #2: Enjoy with a natural treatment for the skin.
Make quality, natural cosmetics stocking stuffers indulgent feel good and smell fresh. Let it be natural and organic lotions in regular sizes or practical sizes, organic lip balm flavors such as mint and the fun of mandarin, or natural body butter in luscious fragrances such as Mango Orange. Try selecting the ingredients, the natural and biological conditions in allergic reactions to synthetic perfumes, preservatives and to avoidchemicals.

Holiday gift idea #3: The 3 R's
If you have ever been stuck in bed for a long period of time, you know how boring it can get. Go back to school days and send a gift focused reading, writing or arithmetic. Books, journals and puzzle books help pass the time and keep the brain engaged. Books are always a holiday gift favorite. You can choose a self-help book with uplifting stories about others who have faced the same illness or struggle, you can try something light like a joke book, or you can go with a brand new best seller. You can also try a journal, which allows your friend to write down ideas, lists, memories... whatever he likes. Having a handy place to write notes and thoughts is great when you're stuck on bed rest. Journals come in several styles, with hard covers and soft, lined or unlined pages, inspirational quotes or blank. Or, try a book of puzzles like Sudoku, crosswords or math brain teasers.

Holiday gift idea #4: Cozy toes.
Slippers are a classic holiday gift and a perfect choice for a friend who is ill during the holiday season. Stores have multitudes of styles and colors available for holiday shopping, and you can choose the 'fuzzy factor' of the lining from super plush and warm to a thin cotton lining. If slippers don't seem quite right or you are unsure of sizing, try a pair of slipper socks or natural and organic bamboo socks. Bamboo socks are sure to be the softest socks you will find and unlike slippers, can be comfortably worn all the time to keep toes cozy and warm. Bamboo is also eco-friendly as it is grown without use of pesticides.

Finally, what to say on your gift card? Your gift message should focus on him -- how you are thinking about him, wish him well and how you send your thoughts and prayers during the holiday season. It is easy to digress into how busy you are during the holidays, but try to avoid talking about how busy your schedule is - that not help to encourage him when he is at home or in hospital not feeling well. A simple and sincere message is sure to be a success, and his warm spirit of this holiday season.

Aging Gracefully and Healthily

Aging is inevitable. It is an inevitable phase experienced by every person living in normal circumstances. And 'it is therefore important to prepare. This is the reason that, while the young, the goal for a healthy lifestyle that is free from any defect of living, a healthy diet and a right frame of mind.

One of the main aspects of a healthy lifestyle, and as a Baby Boomer or not, is exercise. This is something that is very much longer to live,and a healthier seniority. Numerous studies have already been shown to prove the essence of exercise. Whether be it jogging, a walk in the park or sports, what is primordial is that you have allowed yourself to do some healthy activities. Your body needs this, and of course, you do too.

You should also take care of your diet. Eat healthy foods for a change. Start eating the foods which you used hate which you know are healthy. In other words, teach yourself to like them. This will not only help you achieve a healthy old age, but it will allow you to enjoy it even more. Of course, it is alright to splurge on your favorite foods once in a while. But always take it in moderation. The road to a healthy old age is not an easy one, but the destination is reachable. It is up to you to find the courage to do it.

As you grow old, you will feel certain changes in your body that you may not be able to explain. There are things which you liked to do before, but just cannot do more. They are also often forget, and you can start to lose confidence in yourself. Let this be the case. E 'is essential that we might treat ourselves is happening. And the only way to do this is to prepare for this inevitability. You can on the changes, but you can reduce its impact.

Before that age, you must train your brain. Doing crossword puzzles, riddles and other sodokus>brain teasers a favorite past time. You can even watch quiz shows. What is essential is that you are able to exercise your brain. Remember that the brain is the biggest organ of your body. Making use of it will surely reap you benefits.

These activities, both the physical and mental, will help you avoid diseases which old age entails. The possibility of Alzheimer's disease, arthritis, hypertension, heart diseases, dementia and other age related sicknesses may be reduced. The risks of these diseases to your life should not be underestimated. Hence, do everything that you can to prevent them.

It must also be noted that one of the main causes of age-related diseases is stress. This is why indulging yourself once in a while to some rest and recreation will do you much good. A massage will certainly relieve you of stress. If you can, make this a regular habit. Your body will be thanking for it.

The Best Nintendo DS Games

The Nintendo DS is the hottest game console sold worldwide console of the decade, and with all its various models (the Nintendo DS, Nintendo DS Lite and Nintendo 3DS), the brand should be enhanced with only Nintendo handheld. This successful system for portable entertainment features a wide range of adventure, strategy, simulation and training produced titles that helped the DS to get stronger in recent years.

With the success ofthe Nintendo DS Console there have been thousands of fantastic Nintendo DS Games released, hundreds of which have been given critical acclaim for both playability and game play. While this huge number of DS games means you will never get bored of your Nintendo DS console, it does mean that it can be hard to find the right game for you.

To help you out I will classify different categories of Nintendo DS games you can find which will massively reduce the time it takes for you to find the perfect DS Game for your own personal needs.

Brain Teasers and Educational DS Games

There are hundreds of Nintendo DS Games out there which will stretch your mind, and help increase your knowledge. Whether you are looking for a brain trainer, a portable sudoku game, or a language trainer, you can find a wide variety of educational DS games for you to use on the move.

I have personally used both the Brain Training DS Games and a Learn Spanish DS game, which vastly improved both my mental reflexes, and my ability to speak another language!

Action DS Games

Forget learning, sometimes you just want to blow stuff up. There are thousands of fast paced action DS games which send you on a wide range of missions and landscapes as you slash/shoot/fly your way through your enemies onslaught.

Action DS Games are a great way to relieve stress and boredom, and I personally love to kill a few minutes with my action themed Nintendo DS Games. There are a huge range of action titles which bring a fast paced range of entertainment to the DSi!

Puzzle DS Games

There are a wide variety of puzzle games to suit all ages with the Nintendo DS. Whether you want to draw your way out of a puzzling situation, or match your symbols on fast paced puzzle games like bejeweled, you are sure to find a puzzle DS game which helps keep you entertained.

Puzzle DS Games are great for people like me who often need a little mental challenge, but don't often have time to spend keeping up with things like the Brain Training DS games.

Mystery and Adventure DS Games

There are plenty of mystery and adventure DS games out there where you will have to search for clues, solve riddles and catch the master criminals. These usually contain a lot of Puzzles, however I did not include Adventure DS games DS puzzle games, because the puzzles are usually only a part of a much larger problem solution of the game.

Mystery DS games and DS adventure games to follow a complex rule, but the nice stories that takes you through the fascinating stories. A guide to monitoring those addictive DS adventure games do, and you may find yourself playing with your DS a bit 'too often!

Mystery and adventure games for Nintendo DS includes titles like Professor Layton and even PokemonDS!

DS Games for Girls

DS Games for girls give a female spin to the great Nintendo DS Console. Whether your girl wants a horse, to own a clothing store, or play out life in a simulated town, there are hundreds of Nintendo DS Games for Girls!

A lot of the feminine DS titles help teach your daughter about a wide variety of things they will encounter in their life, as well as teaching them about fashion and pet care!

Educational DS Games

One of the bases of interest to the success of the Nintendo DS is that it has coincided with the release of a wide range of educational DS titles.'s Brain Training software for language learning, Nintendo DS by some brilliant DS games is a valuable educational resource with very educatonal. These educational DS titles and educational programs for subjects such as mathematics, science and geography, as well as languages and>brain Training applications!

The End

I hope this little guide to the world of Nintendo DS Games cleared things up a little, and helped you decide which from the fantastic range of DS titles you would like to buy!

Travel games for relaxing Christmas vacation

Games, and trips are the perfect choice for our Christmas holidays, especially during our trips to visit our family and friends. Therefore, during our trips we carry with us always, portable games.

Holidays and travel are the best times of our lives. During a family outing or a Christmas vacation with racing games is a great way to enjoy our precious moments of relaxation.

During a long trip or a Christmas party, travel games, like chessConnect controllers, four, Blokus, Battleship, genial, square and more, always talking to us and our children.

Classic Games travel are always the right choice for our kids busy and have fun and help us to enjoy a relaxing holiday.

Often in our travels and our holidays we are "killing time" and we'd like to do something frivolous, perhaps with our family and friends. And what is best for travel, board games and table games.

Personallywhile traveling with my family, I always carry with me the best portable gaming, quizzes and board games and I'd rather spend a quiet evening at table games at home without the worry of having to go at any cost!

If you want to spend a few nights sleep in this way, or if you are planning a trip this Christmas, remember to bring the best games during a trip: cool portable game in a magical and elegant little box with different size to enjoy the longestTravel.

Games like chess, checkers, solitaire, trivia, puzzles and classic board games are the brain where you can wait and when they travel gadgets are original boxes are contained in a nice, such as those found on the Internet for a small price.

If you do not want to be bored during your trip, remember to always bring portable games and you can even begin to know to appreciate a bit 'boring moments of the trip.

Now it's your turn: Playwith family or traveling on vacation and do your next train!

Improve memory with the puzzle

At one time, and scientists agree that there are physicians issued all the brain cells you will ever have. Fortunately, scientific studies have shown that we can produce new brain cells in our every life.

It 's true that the connections between brain cells may be some weaker or even completely shut down has been shown that the weak can become strong connections and new connections can be created. In order to increase brain powera series of riddles brain is a very useful tool.

Brain puzzles to help the memory of forces often use parts of the brain is not so. You may have noticed, remember that if you were in school, simply, the facts of mathematics and spelling words was. Several years or decades after learning, but thought a bit 'more to remember these things. At school we had to keep these pieces of information at your fingertips in our brains, almost allof time. But after graduation, we began to rely on calculators to dictionaries, thesauri and do not work hard for our brain and slowly began to atrophy.

The brain can not be a true muscle, but must be exercised as a. It 'one thing for a person who is physically not too strong. If you are not mentally strong, but the quality of life is obviously far below what could be or should be. Once that dementia starts and begins to take hold of your life, there areYou can not do much. However, the scientific study showed that, at first, brain puzzles are a good line of defense against dementia in a

While the measure to a good healthy diet, exercise and some supplements some helps the brain, brain puzzles have proven effective as any. As people get older, better vegetables to eat and move most of the elderly, such as walks around the block or a round of golftheir friends. But the most effective thing you can do is to solve a mystery for a brain.

Fun games for Halloween - parents at home, if a school bans Halloween Activities for children

Many school systems are trying to politically correct, and then ban Halloween activities for children during school hours. This leaves many parents searching for education, games, fun for Halloween but for home use. Parents would be free to look for games online, or purchase a fun Halloween activity book in a library or a downloadable eBook. Here are some ideas of the kind of educational games or activities are used to small children and enhance their capacities.

WordThe puzzles are always simple and provide recreational activities for children. They usually can also be used in cars, while in a waiting room or in a rainy weekend afternoon. word puzzles word searches would be variations based reordering words or creating words on a topic.

Mazes are always a big problem to solve tasks quickly and easily. labyrinths education can solve problems or to answer puzzles on the road, usually ends with a secret word orSentence.

math worksheets offer many opportunities for children Halloween activities with quality, fun exercises motivate students to practice skills and provide covered school. These spreadsheets can be a puzzle, riddle or a problem like Sudoku, but must use all the math skills of current to be effective.

must be used at home Writing family challenge others to write some stories of Halloween fun and interesting and share with everyone. Parents can motivateStudents will get some magazine writing with few complaints if they find some interesting and different calls.

quiz or trivia cards are always an engaging way to spend time with his family. The families at the dinner table or while riding in the car can alternately reading quizzes and trivia Halloween. Many of these promote problem solving and higher thinking skills, while children think they are just plain fun!

Commissionswith a Halloween theme to give the family a break standard form game that has all the time. Find Halloween party games that tap water in the resolve of the players at the school, math, vocabulary, problems make it even better.

Parents seeking education, but fun games for Halloween, will be better if they find one or two products that are engaged in quality over several grade levels. In this way, all children in the house can only be a resource, and it's getting new businessavailable for the coming years. It 'also important to ensure there are enough activities in each skill level, so that the resource can be used multiple times during the holidays.

If the school system in your area bans Halloween activities for children, and you happen to love the holiday, then find fun games for halloween at home using what you need. Parents are looking for an alternative to distribute sweets could also download some puzzles to escape on orange paper, rollwith a pretty bow and give it out to trick or treat!

The Enjoyment of Online Puzzle Games

There are many website available that provide free puzzles and puzzles games for the enjoyment of all, and a variety of puzzle game are offered.

For example, games that work your brain by exercising your mental muscles. These puzzle games are a great way to practice new thinking skills and offer a way to learn new facts about a wide range of subjects. The best teachers have always known that game that are fun and enjoyable is the best way for everyone to learn about something new. These games can bring life to even the dullest of subjects.

These teachers know that games such as brain teasers, word search, crosswords, memory games, sliding puzzles are lots of fun for people and often they don't even realize they are learning. Each time one of these games is played skills are developed. Many people even find that games help them with reviewing skills they may not have use for some time and for mastering new skills.

Some may think that puzzle game such as Sudoku, a variety of other number games and word jumbles only serve as a way to spend time in an enjoyable way. However, recent research shows that there may be health benefits to these puzzles other than that that comes from being rested and relaxed.

This research has shown that certain diseased related to loss of memory such as dementia and Alzheimer's may be slowed in people who are involved in regularly solving games. Working crossword puzzles have been mentioned often the popular press as a means of warding off the horrible effects of these memory robbing illnesses. It has been pointed out that people who work such puzzles as a regular activity show the effects of such diseases much later in life than those who shun such activities. By engaging their minds with these puzzle games, the brain is boosted and kept functioning correctly for a longer period of time.

So How Smart Are You Really?

Why is being smart so important? And of the two, being smart or being beautiful, which one ranks first? What if you are one of the lucky ones that is both smart and beautiful-and what if you are also rich? God, some people are so darn lucky! Really, being smart is considered an important attribute and most people would never admit to being anything less. So how do we determine whether you are smart or not, and if you pass muster, how do we rank you by degree of smartness?

Many would consider IQ as the barometer test for degree of "smartness" but this quotient only measures certain qualities of intelligence. Many people have artistic abilities, for example, which would not be necessarily measured by such a test. Moreover, the IQ test does not factor that some people are poor test takers-nervous Nelly's by nature, who panic at the slightest. Such types do not perform well under the pressures of a test. Because a person is inherently nervous does not mean that this The person is not very smart. People of this type should be placed in optimum condition before a proper assessment of the actual level of their intelligence.

One thing that scientists and statisticians have been able to determine, to solve the problem and improve the strategy games like chess and other cognitive functions of a person and therefore can increase the intelligence. This seems only reasonable. After all, if we prepare ourselves to someone who goes to the gym andso doing the happy gym-goer stresses the muscle properly, the result is that the muscle comes back stronger and grows more functional. Analogously, with increased "mental muscle" comes increased ability to solve problems-emotional as well as day-to-day-and increased ability to make oneself financially successful. Now I don't know about you, but having financial success is certainly worth a little time and effort at working out those gray cells lining the frontal lobe of your

Video Games - Are They Grooming Your Kids for Sex and Violence?

In The Times recently, the front page story was 'Computer Games to get health warnings'.

Well, in a way they are right, and it seems illogical that so many years after their introduction, no real parental controls are in place. I actually cringe when I see some of the videos being played by my friend's kids, or just even read the words on the box.

It's as if some of the makers of these games dredged the most depraved violent and sexual themes in their minds to put together what they feel will make the most money for them - regardless of the effects on the mental attitude of young children who watch them. If a child is brought up to think that running over pedestrians, killing policemen, visiting prostitutes, killing people by pulling them apart or burning them alive is a natural event, how on earth are you going to teach them any 'proper' morals.

Don't get me wrong - I am no prude - and I can remember the similar argument bandied around about the evils of television on our younger viewers, but presenting violence for violence sake in this violent society for the sake of lining these peoples pockets is just not on.

There is a place for video games in modern society, and they can indeed help many children though some very good emotional journeys.

As online computer games increases in popularity, there is definitely a place for them in modern society, but where quick emotions, and time fillers are concerned, there are many more computer games from companies such as King, Pogo, and the newest kid on the block - uVme. (yoU Versus Me).

These companies do not do video games as such, but using the latest in Flash technologies, they provide some very enjoyable entertainment in a totally different way to video games.

Video games create a make-believe environment, which draws its players into. On-line games of skill are a totally different animal, and most parents should look at this as a very viable alternative to video games. Let's get one thing straight here though, this is 'gaming' and not 'gambling' and there is a massive gulf between the two.

With online skill games, they actually provide a superb learning environment, in terms of hand - eye coordination, as well as rapid brain work. In this day and age where mental arithmetic seems to be a historical relic, they are like a breath of fresh air to you and your kid's brains.

In fact the American government looked at a report that actually recommended people in a highly polluted environment, this "tea break" games of skill to play regularly every day. They found that the workload was actually where companies provide their employees with a "skill games" s break of 10 minutes or so more time is allowed for one day.

online skill games are now very big business in their own right. Currently, the sector is about $ 167 per second and is expected to grow to around U.S. $ 412 per second for the nextyears.

Online skill games, with all the new technology now available, are very competitive, and although many games look simple to play, to try and actually get to grips with them, to get the higher scores, can be very, very difficult. Not only that, with the massive increase in Social networking, the ability for people to get good at a certain game, then challenge the world if need be can be a greet ego boost to many a player.

And then, unlike video games, the ability to take part in high ticket value on-lien tournaments can make a lot of money for many people. OK, even here, some form of parental control has to be necessary, and that can easily be done, but many games sites now offer free entry on most of their games, and also with the ability to be matched up against players with a similar expertise level.

Of course, there is then also the potential of building a complete home business based around these online skill games, which, as yet, has not been possible with video games.

So, the verdict on online games of skill - no sex, no violence, just good old competitive mind training activity, with a commercial angle as well in some cases.

Guide to Technical Questions in Investment Banking Interviews

One topic everyone asks me about is how to answer technical questions in investment banking interviews. What should you expect, how do you keep your calm, and what do you do to prepare beforehand?

I actually think people tend to focus too much on technical questions when preparing for interviews. Your fit and enthusiasm for the job are much more important.

That said, if you have some previous finance experience or have studied economics or finance in school, it is important to get these questions right.

There are 3 types of technical questions you may be asked: 1) Valuation/Modeling Questions 2) Accounting Questions and 3) Brain Teasers.

Valuation

You should know the three main valuation methodologies and be able to explain them to your interviewers.

First is comparable company analysis - looking at publicly traded companies and the multiples they trade at, then applying those to the company in question. This depends very much on "market data" to value companies, and the main downside is that sometimes there are no true comparable companies to use.

Second is precedent transaction analysis - looking at what buyers paid for sellers in similar industries and with similar financial profiles and applying the multiples to your own company. Again, there are often no true comparable transactions. Precedent transaction analysis also tends to produce the the highest valuations because of the control premium required to acquire companies.

Finally, there is the Discounted Cash Flow Analysis - using a company's projected cash flows, discounting them for the time-value of money and cost of capital and summing those to find the company's present value. This is the "purest" way of valuing a company since it depends solely on its financial performance, but the drawback is that it depends heavily on future projections, which tend to be unreliable.

Know these methodologies and the various Advantages and disadvantages of each.

Modeling problems

Questions most likely financial modeling is obtained by melting models (if a company acquires another company) and leveraged buyout concern, or LBO models - when a private equity firm buys a company with equity and debt.

The most important part of a pattern of concentration is the accretion / dilution - will be a society of a higher or lower profit per share (EPS) after acquiring another company? A model is a fusionanalysis of the trade-offs between using cash, stock, or debt to finance an acquisition. Any of these methods, or any combinations, will result in a different EPS. Beyond just the EPS impact, you also have to consider how much debt the buyer can afford, how much cash they have, and how much stock they can issue.

In an LBO model, you're trying to solve for the private equity firm's return on investment - the IRR. It's very similar to buying a house with a mortgage - there is a down payment (the equity part of an LBO) and the mortgage (the debt used to finance an LBO). The model measures how much the company's value grows and how much debt is paid off over 3 to 5 years. The most important drivers are purchase price, exit price, amount of debt used, and the company's growth rate and profitability.

Accounting Questions

Make sure you know the three financial statements - the income statement, balance sheet and cash flow statement - link together and be able to walk through how changes to one of them will affect the others.

One common question here is how an increase of $10 in depreciation will affect all the statements.

On the income statement, depreciation is an expense so operating income would decline by $10. With a tax rate of 40%, net income would drop by $6.

On the cash flow statement, net income is down by $6 but depreciation - one of the "addbacks" - increases by $10, so cash flow from operations would increase by $4.

On the balance sheet, Net PP&E would decrease by $10 because of the depreciation, while cash would be up by $4 from the tax savings. The $6 decrease in net income would also cause retained earnings to decrease by $6, so that the balance sheet balances - both assets and liabilities / shareholders' equity are now lower by $6.

Brain Teasers

It's hard to give a detailed overview of brain teasers because questions are usually completely different. In general, though, you want to keep your calm and focus on your thought process rather than getting the answer exactly right. Brain teasers are really just stress tests, so keep that in mind as you go through interviews.

Great Gift-Giving Ideas by Zodiac Sign - Cancer, Scorpio, Pisces - The Water Signs

When it comes down to choosing the perfect gift for a birthday, holiday, or just because, the zodiac signs reveal some natural likes, preferences, and personality characteristics that enable you to select a present that is sure to tantalize the cosmological senses. What are some great gift ideas for the Water signs of the zodiac?

Cancer

Cancers take the words emotional and sensitvity to a level nearly unmatched by any other sign in the zodiac. You can bet your bottom dollar that your Cancer will love gifts that emphasize sentimental moments and appeals squarely to their inner domestic side. Some gift-giving suggestions that will have them shedding tears of joy: Personalized framed photos, carefully crafted scrapbooks filled with photos and momentos of special moments together, engraved jewelry, and as the ultimate homebodies, Cancerians will love anything that will make their living space cozy - overstuffed pillows, classy chenille throws, scented candles, and sumptuous furniture accents.

Scorpio

Scorpio is a sign of mystery, power, and sensuality. These are typically very private people with an undercurrent of intensity that runs deeply to the core of their being. It is through their intuition and the depths of their emotions that they connect with others - after you penetrate that private exterior, that is. Scorpios are well-known for their sharp intellect and keen mind. These are natural problem-solvers, so fun games that incorporate solving puzzles and mysteries are an immediate draw to the Scorpio. Scorpios often tend to have a dark sense of humor and are drawn to the taboo, so wacky gifts that emphasize these qualities are sure to earn a couple of laughs. Great gift ideas include mystery novels, brain teasers, and sensual items such as incense, candles, massage oils, and sexy-smelling perfumes.

Pisces

Pisces are the dreamers of the zodiac. As a matter of fact it's been said many fish that spend their lives with their heads in the clouds. These guys are very sensitive, intuitive, many of them talented in the arts. We try to deliver the gifts of art or crafts, leather diaries to record their thoughts, theater tickets, or musical instruments, their channel of creative energy. They also enjoy the gifts that plague their senses are highly developed, such as wines and spirits, sweets and scented candles. Fish are also verysensitive and sentimental in nature so consider gift ideas such as keepsake jewelry or keepsake boxes, framed photos, photo albums, or scrapbooks of special moments together will be cherished forever.