Wednesday, September 9, 2009

Brain Fuel

The end of August heralds in the start of the school year. After a summer of sun and fun, it’s time to get the brain focused. There are many places to look to find games, but if you’re looking for something new, visit BrainFuel4kids. Brain fuel has tips for parents on how to boost your child’s brain function and tips and trivia for kids.

My daughter’s favorite section of the website, besides the brain facts, was the games. There are matching games, speed games and math games. Games that rely on memory and problem solving. Not surprisingly, her reaction times were a bit sluggish at first, but after just a week, she was able to boost her scores. Her favorite game was Monster Garden. You had to make your way home avoiding the monsters along the way by remembering which square they were in.

I liked the forums, where you could get hints from other parents and talk to a registered dietitian. While I didn’t actively participate in any of the conversations, it’s a great resource to read and pick up hints to do at home - from food to eat, to excise tips and ways to relax. A plus to the games were they were pretty quick. As parents, you don't always have time to sit at the computer for hours on end. In just a few minutes, you could play through a memory game. And each step, while timed, waits to start until you click okay. So if you need to get up mid session to change a channel or grab a drink, you score isn't affected.

And of course, the games were addictive. Not satisfied with my scores, I tried many different games over and over until I felt happy with my results. Over the week, I could see how my scores improved and as I was playing, I could tell I was making the connection faster. My favorite game, and one I found tough at first was the face-name recognition. Have you ever walked up to someone and know that you’ve seen them before but can’t place their name? This game did just that. They showed you a face and gave you a name with it and you had to make matches memory style. It was super easy when there were just 3-4 people, but once they added in more, it was hard to keep straight. Did Nathan have glasses? Was Jane blond?

As a parent, I am going to continue to let my daughter play with these games. I can feel confidant in knowing that she’s working her brain while she’s having fun!

I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour campaign by Mom Central on behalf of BrainFuel and received an insulated lunch bag from Innovations to thank me for taking the time to participate.

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