Board games typically pit players against each other (and why not? children will spend their lives competing in a variety of circumstances!) but sometimes it's nice to have a board game that teaches cooperation instead of competition.

In Stone Soup (based on the familiar story), children are working against a common obstacle, and winning means that all the children win, because they've defeated the obstacle together.

Chess is perhaps the most respected of all strategy games around the world. As a teen, I remember being fascinated by chess puzzles and problems. Questions like, "What one move leads to checkmate in three turns?" stimulated my brain an improved my problem solving skills.

This book by Pandolfini is 272 pages, with over 300 chess puzzles for new players. It would be a great companion gift to go along with a chess set for a young person (or adult!)