When I first had kids my sister-in-law kept telling me about all these different programs and things to make your kids smarter and although I know she was trying to be helpful, it seemed a little extreme to me. While how "smart" you are is determined somewhat by genetics, anyone can learn to be good at anything with a lot of practice and learning. A few months ago they published a study from UW Medical Center about those Baby Einstein programs and what they found was that television especially before 2 years of age can actually impede speech development and learning. Their conclusion: talking to your children about everything and explaining things to them IS the best way for your kids to learn. Take your children out and point things out to them even if you think they don't understand. Let them help around the house and explain what you're doing. Like the previous response mentioned, LOTS of reading especially when they're older--it increases vocabulary and provides exposure to a variety of topics. Some children dislike reading and tend to be more hands-on (like my husband was) but when they find a topic they love, they will read. Books with less words and pictures usually help a lot more until they can discipline themselves to read. Don't feel the need to spend a lot of money on all those programs (ie. one that teaches your baby to read before 1--I mean, how crazy is that?). Think about people like Albert Einstein or Thomas Edison--all these geniuses existed before those crazy programs!