Playing Smart: Brain Benders

The human brain is amazing. It can imagine all kinds of things that humans can’t even do yet. It’s this vast power of imagination that helps make us what we are. If you’re like most parents, you want your child to develop his or her brainpower as fully as possible. You can help extend your child’s mental reach by teaching him or her to think both creatively and logically. The activities highlighted below provide stretching exercises of all kinds for young brains.

Play with Paradox A paradox is a statement in which the information you’re working with seems reasonable and your logic is correct, but what you end up with just doesn’t make sense. Here are some paradoxes to explore with your school-age child:

  • In the sixth century B.C., Epimenides the Cretan said: “All Cretans are liars.” Is he telling the truth? If so, he’s lying … and so on. A modern version: Say, “I’m lying.” Are you? Then you aren’t – or are you?
  • Say to a friend, “Answer yes or no: Will the next word you speak be ‘no’?”
  • This sentence is false.
  • Jason was disappointed that his club meeting room had no suggestion box, because he wanted to put a suggestion in it about having one.

    Self-Reference Paradox – Print on one side of a card, “The statement on the other side of this card is true.” Then print on the other side, “The statement on the other side of this card is false.” The problem is, if you believe the first side to be true, then it must be false. If you assume it’s false, it turns out to be true.

    Endless Sequence – This is what you get when you look into a mirror with another mirror. Try it! Young children enjoy this endless sequence: “Pete and Repeat are on a boat. Pete falls off. Who’s left?” At the obvious answer, “Repeat,” the first part is repeated.

    Who Are You Calling an Oxymoron? – An oxymoron is a short paradox expressed in words that seem to contradict each other. Examples: Soft rock, loud whisper, sad smile, living doll, mighty mouse, permanent loan. Can you and your child think of others?

    Lists, Questions and Mind Stretchers Have your child develop her own book of lists, using questions like these as starting points:


  • What are your six favorite foods?
  • What are four words with an unpleasant sound?
  • What are the five most beautiful words in English?
  • Which three books would you take with you to a desert island?

    How Not To – Educator and author Herb Kohl found that asking students to list “10 Ways Not to ____” frees their creativity and helps them learn to do a particular task. Have your child make up such a list. Example: Your son wants to learn how to bake cookies. You teach him the basics and then ask him to come up with “10 Ways Not to Bake Cookies.” These might include: Be sure the oven is cold. Wrap yourself in foil. Stir the dough with a banana.

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