I think the two fundamentally important things that anything like music, chess, dismantling toy cars, or whatever it is you do, are - one, you learn to learn (practise, research, concentration etc) and two, you do it in such a way that you find the end result is fun. If you can get into those habits early on, you almost automatically end up with an enquiring mind and the skills to learn to do whatever it is you're interested in.
They do say that playing piano (or any instrument) is one of the best things you can do to avoid health problems like Alzheimer's in later life, too, along with playing chess, doing crosswords, and similar things - the concentration and coordination required literally give your brain a workout and help keep it healthy. It's like any other part of your body, you have to give it exercise if you want it to work well and stay healthy.