Page 285 - Mind Games The Aging Brain and How to Keep it Healthy

Enjoy Your Ageless Mental Agility • 269

this, you will have to be in a state where sales tax is as-
sessed, and you will have to know the tax rate. Alterna-
tively, after you give the cashier your money, predict
the amount of change you should receive.

• Deal a deck of cards into eight piles. Predict the number
of face cards in each stack. Look at one stack to see
whether your prediction was correct. Predict how
many face cards are in each of the remaining stacks.
Continue guessing and looking at the remaining stacks
one by one, and refine your prediction each time for the
stacks that remain.
• Figure out another route to take from your home to the
market. Next time you go to the market, take that route.
Alternatively, map out a new route for your next walk.
Write down the directions, if you like. (Did you know
that this is actually a suggestion made by police officers
for your safety?)
• See how may words you can create using the letters in
your name in one minute.
• While watching TV, look at a one-minute commercial
and determine what the downside or upside is to pur-
chasing the product being advertised.
• While watching TV, decide whether the last action of
the hero or heroine is “in character.” Predict the out-
come of the conversation or action presented.
• Tune in to a quiz show and try to answer a few questions.
• Keep a jigsaw puzzle set up if you have the space.
Spend one minute looking for one piece of the puzzle.
• Pull out seven Scrabble™ tiles and try to make the
longest word you can in one minute.
• Scan a newspaper for a certain word, say, the. Count
how many times you can find the word the on the front
page in one minute. Don’t overlook words such as
weather!