Boost Your Brain Power

Presented by Kristin Einberger,

einbergerconsulting.com / [email protected] / (707) 287-4353

There are many ways that we can boost our brain power. Try integrating the
following tips into your everyday life:

 Pay attention – concentrate on what you want to remember.

 Find ways to decrease the stress in your life.

 Use all your senses

 Use both sides of your brain.

 Keep your mind active.

 Try to avoid distractions such as excess noise and movement when trying to
learn.

 Limit multi-tasking.

 Play board games, do crossword puzzles, word searches, Sudoku.

 Limit your mindless television watching and focus on shows such as

Jeopardy, the History Channel and PBS.

 Take classes in your community. Stay involved.

 Remain active in pursuits that are meaningful to you.

 Have a personally meaningful reason for getting up each day!

 Learn a second language.

 Problem solve.

 Develop new hobbies to build new interest and increase brain reserve.

 Work on building new relationships and reinforcing existing ones.

 Maintain an optimistic attitude and surround yourself with optimists.

 Listen to and/or play music often.

 Exercise daily.

 Eat nutritiously.

 Socialize with others regularly.

 Repeat information as your hear it. Write it down. Focus.

 Use memory enhancement techniques such as visualization and associations.

 Take care of your health.

 Get outside.

 Find a special time and place to “visit” each day where you can just “be”.
Turning inward on a regular basis will help your brain escape temporarily
the stress filled and un-enriched environments of life.

 Read and write on a daily basis.

 Be good to yourself.

 Expect to remember!!!

 Enjoy life and continue to grow.

 NUMBERS, NUMBERS, NUMBERS
Each phrase below has a corresponding number. How many do you
know?

1. Letters of the alphabet

2. Wonders of the Ancient World
3. Signs of the Zodiac
4. Cards in a deck (with jokers)
5. Planets in the Solar System
6. Piano keys
7. Baker’s dozen
8. Holes on a golf course
9. Degrees in a right angle
10. Sides of a stop sign
11. Quarts in a gallon
12. Hours in a day
13. Wheels on a unicycle
14. Varieties in Heinz
15. Players on a football team
16. Words that a picture is worth
17. Squares on a checkerboard
18. Days and nights of the Great Flood
19. Leagues Under the Sea
20. Digits in a Social Security Number
21. Jack Benny’s Age
22. Number of black birds baked in a pie
23. Yards in a soccer field
24. Countries in North America
25. Major oceans in the world
26. Continents in the world
27. Senators in the U.S. Senate
28. Representatives in the U.S. House
 NUMBERS, NUMBERS, NUMBERS
Answers

Each phrase below has a corresponding number. How many do you know?

1. Letters of the alphabet 26

2. Wonders of the Ancient World 7
3. Signs of the Zodiac 12
4. Cards in a deck (with jokers) 54
5. Planets in the Solar System 8 (previously 9)
6. Piano keys 88
7. Baker’s dozen 13
8. Holes on a golf course 18
9. Degrees in a right angle 90
10. Sides of a stop sign 8
11. Quarts in a gallon 4
12. Hours in a day 24
13. Wheels on a unicycle 1
14. Varieties in Heinz 57
15. Players on a football team (on the field) 11
16. Words that a picture is worth 1,000
17. Squares on a checkerboard 64
18. Days and nights of the Great Flood 40
19. Leagues Under the Sea 20,000
20. Digits in a Social Security Number 9
21. Jack Benny’s Age 39
22. Number of black birds baked in a pie 4 and 20
23. Yards in a soccer field 100 (can be up to 130)
24. Countries in North America 23 (including islands)
25. Major oceans in the world 5
26. Continents in the world 7
27. Senators in the U.S. Senate 100
28. Representatives in the U.S. House 435
 Common Threads

The following pairs all have something in common. Can you identify the common
thread? For instance, a wheel and a hula hoop are both round.

1. Tape A sucker

2. A donut A needle

3. Glass A tongue

4. An apple Medication

5. A sunflower A banana

6. A rainbow A box of crayons

7. A collar A washer

8. A book A Stop Sign

9. A typewriter A piano

10. A castle A bird’s nest

11. Gabon Senegal

12. A bud A door

13, Fog Dirty glasses

14. A new penny Aluminum foil

15. Sandpaper A man’s beard

16. A match A smile

17. Cobalt Periwinkle

18. A can A tractor

 Common Threads
ANSWERS

The following pairs all have something in common. Can you identify the common
thread? For instance, a wheel and a hula hoop are both round.

1. Tape A sucker Both are sticky

2. A donut A needle Both have a hole

3. Glass A tongue Both can be sharp

4. An apple Medication Both keep the doctor away

5. A sunflower A banana Both are yellow

6. A rainbow A box of crayons Both have many colors

7. A collar A washer Both surround something

8. A book A Stop Sign Both are red/read

9. A typewriter A piano Both have keys

10. A castle A bird’s nest Both are homes

11. Gabon Senegal Both are countries in Africa

12. A bud A door Both open

13, Fog Dirty glasses Both are difficult to see through

14. A new penny Aluminum foil Both are shiny

15. Sandpaper A man’s beard Both can be scratchy

16. A match A smile Both can light up a room

17. Cobalt Periwinkle Both are shades of blue

18. A can A tractor Both are made of metal

 The A-Z’s of Famous People from the U.S.

How many famous people from the U.S. can you name for each letter of the alphabet, using either first or
last name? These may include those from history, inventions, sports, music, television, movies, etc.

A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
I
J
K
L
M
N
O
P
Q
R
S
T
U
V
W
X
Y
Z
 The A-Z’s of Famous People from the U.S.
ANSWER SHEET

A Neil Armstrong / Arnold Palmer / Desi Arnez

B Joey Bishop / Bob Hope / Lucille Ball
C Bill Clinton / Roy Clark / Bing Crosby
D Dean Martin / Dinah Shore / Sammy Davis Jr.
E Dwight Eisenhower / Amelia Erhardt / Elvis
F F. Scott Fitzgerald / Connie Francis / Francis Ford Coppola
G Garrison Keeler / George Gobel / Betty Grable
H Ernest Hemingway / Buddy Holly / Harrison Ford
I Isadora Duncan / Burl Ives / Igmar Bergman
J Johnny Cash / John Glenn / Andrew Johnson
K JFK / Kate Smith / Katherine Hepburn
L Abraham Lincoln / Joe Lewis / Louis Armstrong
M Meryl Streep / Charlie McCarthy / Steve McQueen
N Paul Newman / Nancy Pelosi / Bob Newhart
O Oprah / Orville Wright / Sandra Day O’Connor
P George Patton / Sidney Poitier / Perry Como
Q Quincy Jones / Queen Latifah / John Quincy Adams
R Babe Ruth / Rosemary Clooney / Paul Revere
S John Steinbeck / Barbra Streisand / Frank Sinatra
T Ty Cobb / Thomas Edison / Elizabeth Taylor
U Ulysses S. Grant / Johnny Unitas / Ursula Andress
V Vic Damone / Victor Borge / Vivian Vance
W Tiger Woods / Wyatt Earp / Will Rogers
X I couldn’t find any. Can you???
Y Glenn Yarborough / Brigham Young / Yul Brenner
Z Zachary Taylor / Zsa Zsa Gabor / Zane Gray
 Which State Is It?
All 50 U.S. states are famous for a number of reasons – some good, some bad!! Some of these reasons may be
familiar to you and others may be a surprise. The facts on the following three pages all pertain to one of
each of the states. Can you guess the state? If you would like a list all 50 states to help you, they are listed on
the last page of this activity.

1. Golden Gate Bridge, discovery of gold in 1948, redwoods

2. The Big Apple, Statue of Liberty, Yankees, Erie Canal, Stock Exchange
3. The largest state, the only U.S. capital that’s unreachable by car, an oil pipeline, Aleutian Islands, The Last
Frontier, Mt. McKinley
4. The Space Needle, home of Starbuck’s Coffee, Seahawks, Mt. Rainier, Mt. St. Helens
5. Grand Canyon, Cactus, Hoover Dam, the gunfight at O.K. Corral, Geronimo
6. Everglades, Kennedy Space Center, Ponce de Leon, St. Augustine,
7. Louis Armstrong, Cajun, the only capital that’s lower than sea level, Mardi Gras
8. The smallest state, Providence, Newport,
9. Big Sky country, Custer’s Last Stand, Glacier National Park
10. Least populated state, first state to give women the right to vote, Yellowstone National Park
11. Brigham Young, Great Salt Lake, host to the 2002 Winter Olympics, Zion
12. Highest mean elevation of any state, Pike’s Peak, the Mile High City, Coors beer, Rocky Mountain
National Park, Mesa Verde
13. Volcanoes, poi, 50th state, settled by Polynesians
14. Auto makers, Wolverines, borders on 4 of the 5 Great Lakes
15. German influence, Brewers, Cheese, Green Bay
16. Booker T. Washington, George Washington Carver, Freedom March, Civil Rights Movement, Rosa Parks
17. Yale University, Insurance Capital, the richest state
18. Portsmouth, its primary election is thought to be a national forecaster, the Granite State
19. First state to ratify the Constitution, Dover, The Diamond State
20. Carlsbad Caverns, Billy the Kid, Los Alamos
21. Stone Mountain, Home of Coca-Cola, The Peach State, Jimmy Carter
22. Roanoke Island, Kitty Hawk, Blue Ridge National Parkway
23. Snake River, The Gem State, Potatoes
24. Ozarks, Bill Clinton, Little Rock
25. Hoosiers, ‘500’, Notre Dame
26. Crab, Chesapeake Bay, Annapolis, Orioles, Ft. McHenry
27. Hawkeye State, biggest producer of corn, Herbert Hoover
28. Daniel Boone, Tobacco, Whiskey, Louisville, Churchill Downs
29. Lincoln, The Windy City, Cubs and White Sox
30. Atlantic City, Princeton University, Garden State, Frank Sinatra
31. Lobster, pine trees, Acadia National Park
32. John Brown, Harper’s Ferry, Mountain State, Appalachian Mountains
33. Vikings, Twin Cities, Land of 10,000 Lakes
34. Largest river, cotton, birthplace of Elvis
35. Wheat fields, Fort Leavenworth, Wizard of Oz
36. Mark Twain, Harry Truman, Show Me State
37. Ten gallon hats, oil, Rangers, Alamo, Sam Houston
38. Cornhuskers, Gerald Ford, cottonwood trees
39. Driest state, Comstock Lode, ‘marriage’ capital of the U.S., gambling
40. Jamestown, birthplace of 8 presidents, Mt. Vernon, Shenandoah National Park
41. Buckeyes, Pro Football Hall of Fame, seven presidents were born here
42. Chowder, Harvard, Plymouth Colony, Tea Party, Cape Cod
43. Land Rush, Will Rogers, Cowboy Hall of Fame, panhandle, ‘Sooners’
44. City of Roses, Crater Lake, Pacific Northwest, mouth of the Columbia River,
45. Dutch, William Penn, Declaration of Independence, Liberty Bell, Gettysberg, Valley Forge
46. Most rural of all the states, Rough Rider State, Sioux Indians
47. Plantations, Fort Sumter, first state to secede from the Union, Charleston
48. Graceland, Great Smokey Mountains, Davy Crockett
49. Maple syrup, Green Mountain Boys, Calvin Coolidge, Ethan Allen
50. Mt. Rushmore, Black Hills, Badlands

The 50 states are as follows:

Alabama Alaska Arizona Arkansas California Colorado Connecticut

Delaware Florida Georgia Hawaii Idaho Iowa Illinois
Indiana Kansas Kentucky Louisiana Maine Maryland Massachusetts
Michigan Minnesota Mississippi Missouri Montana Nebraska Nevada

New Hampshire New Jersey New Mexico New York North Carolina North Dakota Ohio

Oklahoma Oregon Pennsylvania Rhode Island South Carolina South Dakota Tennessee

Texas Utah Vermont Virginia Washington West Virginia Wisconsin

Wyoming
 Which State Is It? ANSWER SHEET

1. Golden Gate Bridge, discovery of gold in 1948, redwoods California

2. The Big Apple, Statue of Liberty, Yankees, Erie Canal, Stock Exchange New York
The largest state, the only U.S. capital that’s unreachable
3. by car, an oil pipeline, Aleutian Islands, The Last Frontier, Mt. McKinley Alaska
The Space Needle, home of Starbuck’s Coffee, Seahawks, Mt. Rainier, Mt. St.
4. Helens Washington
5. Grand Canyon, Cactus, Hoover Dam, the gunfight at O.K. Corral, Geronimo Arizona
6. Everglades, Kennedy Space Center, Ponce de Leon, St. Augustine Florida
7. Louis Armstrong, Cajun, the only capital that’s lower than sea level, Mardi Gras Louisiana
8. The smallest state, Providence, Newport Rhode Island
9. Big Sky country, Custer’s Last Stand, Glacier National Park Montana
Least populated state, first state to give women the right to vote, Yellowstone National
10. Park Wyoming
11. Brigham Young, Great Salt Lake, host to the 2002 Winter Olympics, Zion Utah
Highest mean elevation of any state, Pike’s Peak, the Mile High City, Coors beer,
12. Rocky Mountain National Park, Mesa Verde Colorado
13. Volcanoes, poi, 50th state, settled by Polynesians Hawaii
14. Auto makers, Wolverines, borders on 4 of the 5 Great Lakes Michigan
15. German influence, Brewers, Cheese, Green Bay Wisconsin
Booker T. Washington, George Washington Carver, Freedom March, Civil Rights
16. Movement, Rosa Parks Alabama
17. Yale University, Insurance Capital, the richest state Connecticut
Portsmouth, its primary election is thought to be a national forecaster, the Granite New
18. State Hampshire
19. First state to ratify the Constitution, Dover, The Diamond State Delaware
20. Carlsbad Caverns, Billy the Kid, Los Alamos New Mexico
21. Stone Mountain, Home of Coca-Cola, The Peach State, Jimmy Carter Georgia
22. Roanoke Island, Kitty Hawk, Blue Ridge National Parkway North Carolina
23. Snake River, The Gem State, Potatoes Idaho
24. Ozarks, Bill Clinton, Little Rock Arkansas
25. Hoosiers, ‘500’, Notre Dame Indiana
26. Crab, Chesapeake Bay, Annapolis, Orioles, Ft. McHenry Maryland
27. Hawkeye State, biggest producer of corn, Herbert Hoover Iowa
28. Daniel Boone, Tobacco, Whiskey, Louisville, Churchill Downs Kentucky
29. Lincoln, The Windy City, Cubs and White Sox Illinois
30. Atlantic City, Princeton University, Garden State, Frank Sinatra New Jersey
31. Lobster, pine trees, Acadia National Park Maine
32. John Brown, Harper’s Ferry, Mountain State, Appalachian Mountains West Virginia
33. Vikings, Twin Cities, Land of 10,000 Lakes Minnesota
34. Largest river, cotton, birthplace of Elvis Mississippi
35. Wheat fields, Fort Leavenworth, Wizard of Oz Kansas
36. Mark Twain, Harry Truman, Show Me State Missouri
37. Ten gallon hats, oil, Rangers, Alamo, Sam Houston Texas
38. Cornhuskers, Gerald Ford, cottonwood trees Nebraska
39. Driest state, Comstock Lode, ‘marriage’ capital of the U.S., gambling Nevada
40. Jamestown, birthplace of 8 presidents, Mt. Vernon, Shenandoah National Park Virginia
41. Buckeyes, Pro Football Hall of Fame, seven presidents were born here Ohio
42. Chowder, Harvard, Plymouth Colony, Tea Party, Cape Cod, Massachusetts
43. Land Rush, Will Rogers, Cowboy Hall of Fame, panhandle, ‘Sooners’ Oklahoma
44. City of Roses, Crater Lake, Pacific Northwest, mouth of the Columbia River Oregon
Dutch, William Penn, Declaration of Independence, Liberty Bell,Gettysburg, Valley
45. Forge Pennsylvania
46. Most rural of all the states, Rough Rider State, Sioux Indians North Dakota
47. Plantations, Fort Sumter, first state to secede from the Union, Charleston South Carolina
48. Graceland, Great Smokey Mountains, Davy Crockett Tennessee
49. Maple syrup, Green Mountain Boys, Calvin Coolidge, Ethan Allen Vermont
50. Mt. Rushmore, Black Hills, Badlands South Dakota
 Songs of Optimism

There are some wonderful songs that remind us of optimism and optimistic
times such as Somewhere Over the Rainbow. Can you name more?
 Songs of Optimism
Possible Responses

Possible responses to songs of optimism may include:

 Blue Skies
 Happy Together
 Somewhere Over the Rainbow
 Peace in the Valley
 We Are the World
 I Believe
 Bridge Over Troubled Water
 Don’t Stop Believing
 Here Comes the Sun
 When Irish Eyes are Smiling
 What a Wonderful World
 Let There Be Peace on Earth
 National Anthem
 Moon River
 Dancin’ in the Street
 Joy to the World
 You Raise Me Up
 Oh What a Beautiful Morning