Original source: https://dailycaring.com/5-classic-games-improve-senior-brain-health/ (Daily Caring)
Games can provide a fun and stimulating activity for people of all ages, and Daily Caring shares additional benefits for seniors and five examples of games that seniors (and you!) may love.
Don’t underestimate the health benefits of playing games! They improve senior brain health by encouraging different ways of thinking — strategy, keeping track of things, and math. Plus, simply having fun with other people keeps seniors happily engaged in life and avoids the health dangers of senior isolation.
Playing a game together is a great way to take the pressure off forced conversation. It gives everyone a chance to get to know each other better through a shared activity.
5 games that seniors (and you!) will love:
- Checkers
Try this $21 large size soft board with easy-grip pieces and tic-tac-toe on the back or this basic $7 set. - Bingo
Home bingo sets aren’t as nice as professional ones, but it’s a fun game. Try this $50 set with wood balls or this $19 set with plastic balls. You could also play for free by using a free online bingo caller and printing your own bingo cards (choose “one numeric bingo card per page” for the largest size). - Connect Four
This is a vertical tic-tac-toe game that’s fun for young and old. Here’s the $10 original Hasbro game (the construction is more flimsy these days, ah well). - Yahtzee
Yahtzee is a fun dice game that keeps the brain sharp. Here is a $10 version from Hasbro. You could also play for free by buying some dice, printing your own score cards (PDF), and following the official game rules (PDF). - Card games
Card games are great because you can make them simple or complex. Here are instructions for a variety of card games, in order from easiest to most challenging:
21 or Blackjack
War
Go Fish
Crazy Eights
Gin Rummy
Bottom line
Fun games are a great way to keep seniors happy, engaged in life, and exercising their brains. They also help visitors feel more at ease and allow closer relationships to develop. It’s also a smart strategy to get family and friends to come over more often. After all, “Come over for game night!” sounds a lot more fun than “You should really visit Dad more.”
