1. Right brain exercise: counting squares
Count up the number of squares in the figure on the left. Hint: Be sure to count the squares within the squares.
2. Left brain: changing words
Begin with the word WALL and change a letter at a time until you get the word FIRM. Each change must be a proper word.
WALL
_ _ _ _
_ _ _ _
_ _ _ _
FIRM
3. Right brain: numbering toothpicks
Arrange three toothpicks into the number 9 (without breaking or bending them).
4. Left brain: letter scramble No 1
Come up with as many words as you can from the following letters. Use each letter only once in each word.
IRNAB
5. Right brain: jigsaw brain break
Which piece fits in the puzzle?
Intermediate exercises
6. Right brain: continuous line
Enhances visual-spatial skills and your frontal lobe’s ability to split your attention between mental tasks.
In the figure on the left, draw a continuous line that connects the number 1 to the letter A, then A to 2, then 2 to B, then B to 3 and so on until you can longer continue the numerical or the alphabetical sequence.
7. Left brain: finding colours
Rearrange all the letters to find the four colours mixed up below. Hint: Only one is a primary colour.
RAIGET
ENOLYL
OVGOEN
LEWRE
8. Left brain: proverb
All the vowels have been removed from the following proverb, and the remaining letters have been clustered into groups of three or four letters each. Replace the vowels and reveal the proverb.
TWH
DSRB
TTRT
HNN
Advanced exercises
You’re now warmed up enough to start using your entire brain (both the right and left hemispheres) to try to solve these brainteasers.
9. Letter scramble No 2
Try to come up with as many words as you can (two or more letters) from the following: OGEUNRY
Extra credit: A seven-letter word from this letter scramble and a five-letter word from letter scramble No1 will remind you of the title of my book.
10. Finicky Frank
Frank has very eccentric tastes. He’s a fan of football but hates rugby; loves beer but hates ale; drives a Ferrari but wouldn’t be caught dead in a Lamborghini. Based on Frank’s finicky tastes, would he prefer skiing or cycling?
Answers
1. 21 squares.
2. WALL, WILL, FILL, FILM, FIRM.
3. IX (Roman numeral).
4. I, In, Ran, Rib, Rain, Nab, A, An, Air, Ban, Bar, Bin, Barn, Bran, Brain.
5. B.
6. Star shape.
7. Green, Orange, Violet, Yellow.
8. Two heads are better than one.
9. On, Or, One, Ore, Oner; Go, Gun, Guy, Gone, Gore, Grey, Goner; Rue, Run, Rug, Rung, Rouge; You, Young, Younger. The seven-letter word is Younger and the five-letter word is Brain.
10. Skiing, since he only likes words that contain double letters.
Alex Omweri 