1. Design "Sweet Sculptures": Use toothpicks and gumdrops to make creatures, structures, and characters.

2. Engage in storytelling as a family. Tell stories of your childhood, school days, pranks, and how you overcame problems.

3. In a small paper bag, put blank paper, a pencil, and index cards with titles for stories that relate to your child's interests. Have him pick a card, write a story, and illustrate it.

4. Work a crossword puzzle with your child.

5. Demonstrate math concepts with hands-on, real objects. For example, show fractions by cutting a pie into eighths or peel an orange to demonstrate fourths, halves, thirds.

6. Use math to solve real-life problems, such as: How long does it take to cook a pizza? How much gas did we use on our trip? How many days or months until your birthday?

7. Put your child in charge of a family calendar. On it she can keep track of birthdays, school holidays, trips, dentist appointments, piano lessons, and other important dates.

8. Display your child's artwork in a special "Art Gallery" at home by putting her most recent drawing in a frame and hanging it on the wall.

9. Help your child learn to deal with mistakes without thinking that the world has come to an end. Share how we all make mistakes, that failures- big and small- are part of the process of learning and growing.

10. Make sure every member of the family- even three- to five year olds- gets his or her own library card and uses it regularly.

11. READ an interesting front-page news story with your child and then make a grid and write down who, what, where, when, and why it's important.

12. Ask your child, "What would happen if...?" and then brainstorm about possibilities: "...you could go back in time?" "...it stayed dark all week and the sun didn't come up?" "...everything turned red?"

13. Conduct a family spelling bee.