Checkers, chess, board games, even the card games, War and Go Fish, teach children about strategy and counting skills. Think of how many future corporate raiders were inspired by the game, Monopoly, or how many battlefield tactics were developed from a game of chess.

Try This At Home: Invent a game together. This can be as simple as making a jigsaw puzzle: Photocopy a favorite picture and paste it to cardboard. Then cut up the image, making sure that the shapes fit together to make a whole. You also can use an egg carton and dried beans to play the African count-and-capture game, Mancala.