Memory games for adults can be not only interesting and entertaining, but can also improve memory, daily life skills, and overall mental health.
Exercising the mind to keep it active is as important as maintaining physical fitness and strength in older age. Throughout our lives, our brain is responsible for keeping us happy, and, as we get older, mental health is often a major part of being able to live independently.
To ensure that the brain works as best as it can, the mind needs to be challenged every day. Thankfully, exercising the mind can be fun and easy to do thanks to quick games, tasks, and activities that can be enjoyed anywhere and by anyone.
Read on to learn brain training games and activities that are especially suited for older people, and are sure to be fun and effective.
Chess
Chess is one of the best board games that can improve your or your loved one’s brain health. It is fairly accessible, even though many people think you have to be quite intelligent to play it. You can play on your computer. Even better, find a game at your local seniors’ center or park, where you can get the bonus of social interaction.
Bingo
Bingo is a fun and easy activity that can be played in large or small groups. It can easily be replicated in or out of the home. Playing bingo is not only fun and stimulating, but it also has several health benefits for seniors.
Sudoku
Sudoku is a brilliant brain game for people of all ages and abilities. It is a logic game, problem-solving and looking for number patterns. The skills developed with this game have real-world implications by helping older adults assess the repercussions of decisions that they are faced with every day.
Crossword Puzzles
Crossword puzzles are great word games for seniors; they challenge people to think of a word that fits into a certain number of boxes and makes sense in the context of the rest of the puzzle. And doing a crossword puzzle can become a social experience when you ask friends or family members for help.
Read and Retell a Classic Story
Reading is an immersive activity that, in addition to boosting cognitive skills and enhancing lost vocabulary, can help reduce feelings of isolation in older adults. Not only does this increases the social aspect of the activity, but it also ensures that memory skills are developed.
Jigsaw Puzzles
Jigsaw puzzles may be the first brain training game that we play. However, as we age, we may forget how effective jigsaw puzzles are at stimulating the mind. Another benefit of puzzles is that they can help older people relax, by reducing blood pressure and slowing breathing rate. Some even see jigsaw puzzles as a kind of meditation – ideal for older people with busy minds.
Play Online Games
Many may think online games are only for the young, but they can be a great activity for senior citizens too. Video games also require that the player learns new skills, something which can help to ensure long-term cognitive health in older people and will also bring a sense of achievement.
Exercise the Mind
Memory games not only help older people to improve memory, but they can also reduce loneliness. Here’s another free brain exercise for seniors: Test Your Memory.
What’s the best way to test your memory? Make a list – it could be anything, like your grocery list, or the next ten books you want to read – and then memorize it. An hour later, see how many items on the list you can recall. The more challenging the list, the greater the brain workout.
Get Some Exercise
Combine mental and physical exercise by doing some simple workouts. You don’t have to get very sweaty, and some of these activities are free.
Walking protects your brain against dementia, while Tai Chi sharpens your mental focus. Yoga makes you feel centered, and jogging boosts your memory. You can do all of these alone, though you’ll enjoy doing these activities either in a class or in a group.
Playing brain games can help to reduce and slow down the negative mental effects brought on by old age significantly, adding several more good brain years to life. You also need five minutes per day on brain-boosting puzzles or games to significantly increase mental wellbeing.
So get active, challenge the mind, and enjoy gaming!