Brain training provides mental stimulation to keep your mind active, serving up things like mathematical problems, drawing or even just reading. Basically, any activity where you have to use some mind power – so slumping in front of the tvto watch “American Idol” doesn’t really count!

Fortunately, the Nintendo DS and Dr. Kawashima (your make-believe mentor) has a game for just that purpose, helpfully called “Brain Training”. The touch screen allows you to write the answers to questions with a Stylus pen – as if you were putting ordinary pen to paper, and it can even understand speech.

The “Brain Training” game sets off by giving you tests that determine your DS ‘brain age’, after which it displayssimplecharts to keep you aware of how clever you’re being this week. The more you train, the lower your brain age becomes. It’s a fun way to keep your brain stimulated – and remember, just like your body – you either use it, or lose it.