• Use interactive brain games to keep your mind fit.businesman thinking image by forca from Fotolia.com
  
  Brain games help to train various parts of the brain, including the parts that control memory, focus and reaction time. Brain games can be useful for teachers, students, parents, or just about anyone who could benefit from improved brain function. The best part about interactive brain games is that these games are fun as well as helpful, so you can train your brain and enjoy yourself at the same time.
  
  

Lost in Migration

• In this game, the object is to spot the direction in which the bird at the center of the flock is flying. At times, the other birds are going in different directions, making it more difficult to spot the center bird. This game benefits people who have trouble concentrating, since you’re forced to concentrate on the center bird and not the others. Lost in Migration is found on the Lumosity Web site, where you can find many other brain-training games. (See reference 1.)
  
  

Simon/Simon Says

• This is a classic game involving four different-colored panels positioned around a circle. The panels light up and make sounds, and the player must follow the pattern that the computer specifies for her. Not only is this game fun, but it helps to improve the player’s memory. Simon Says is available to play on the Brainist Web site, as well as some sites that feature classic arcade games. (See reference 2, about halfway down the page.)
  
  

Speed Match

• This is a simple matching game in which the player sees a series of symbols, then specifies whether the previous symbol is a match or not. The object of the game is to match as many symbols accurately as you can in the given amount of time. Speed Match can also be found on the Lumosity Web site. (See reference 3.)
  
  

Code Breaking

• In this game, the player is given a phrase or sentence written in symbols, along with alphabet tiles. You must correctly replace the symbols with the correct letters tiles. For example, if you replace a cross symbol with the letter “A,” then all of the cross symbols in the puzzle will turn into A’s. This game can be found on the Sheppard Software Brain Games Web site. (See reference 4.)
  
  

Mouse Trap

• Another fun one from Sheppard Software, this simple game involves trapping the mouse between hexagonal pillars before he reaches either side of the board. The player can place one pillar at a time to block the mouse’s path. This game seems easy, but requires a bit of strategy to play successfully. (See reference 5.)