Discovering New Fun In Your Golden Years

Just like many of us are “old souls,” many of our elderly beloved are “young spirits.” To nurture their spirits with entertainment, we’ve rounded up the five most fun indoor games for senior citizens.  You can play with the elderly in your life, or they can play with each other.

For those living in an assisted living facility, these games can provide a great opportunity for socializing and can help to keep their spirits young. They can play with each other or with family members who come to visit, adding an extra dose of joy to their day.

Game Type #1: Brain Ticklers

These types of games infuse fun with brain exercise.

Scrabble: Scrabble is a popular choice among people who love to put their vocabulary to the test. It challenges your critical thinking and offers the entertainment of a word puzzle. Scrabble allows the players to use word tiles to create words and build on each other’s vocabulary. The players who have a rich vocabulary and have a knack for opportunistic thinking have the maximum chance of winning. It’s a natural choice for crossword puzzles fans. You can use a word unscrambler to help you find more word possibilities. Tools like Unscrambled Words, for example, can help you find 5 letter or 4 letter words that start with “B,” helping you improve your vocabulary while helping you win at Scrabble!

Chess: This game needs no introduction—the strategy-oriented gameplay of chess challenges every age group alike. Chess is great for the elderly because it requires patience and thoughtfulness; some attributes that most of them have developed over time. Chess is also helpful in keeping the mental muscles sharp by flexing the players’ creative problem-solving and strategic thinking skills. Chess is also helpful in keeping the mental muscles sharp by flexing the players’ creative problem-solving and strategic thinking skills. Today, there are chess openings for beginners to teach players how to play the game the right way.

Chronology: This game challenges the memory and event sequencing abilities of the players. They put your history knowledge to the test by checking who can sequence ten historical event cards in ascending chronology in the shortest time. 

Game Type #2: Classics

These types of games are the go-to game-hub for a relaxing time, and they are best suited for a laid back fun session with family and friends.

Puzzles: Research has also shown that puzzles can have positive effects on the mental health of seniors, including reducing the risk of cognitive decline and dementia. Putting together puzzles can be an excellent way to improve cognitive function. When you work on a puzzle, you need to remember the image you are creating and the pieces you have already tried in various places. Choosing puzzles for seniors by Buffalo Games will make your task easy, as all you need is to pay attention to the piece count and size. Also, don’t forget to avoid intricate designs in case you are not an experienced puzzler to have a more enjoyable experience. If pieces are a problem, you can always do online puzzle games like the Strands game that is sure to provide lots of entertainment.

Cards: A deck of cards has a deck of potential fun games. A standard deck offers 52 playing cards with four suites and provides multiple games with varying levels of complexities and durations. There are various games you can explore, everything from beginner games like Go Fish to expert games like poker Klondike Solitaire or try Solitaire Bliss online.

Bingo: Bingo is one of the most popular choices among seniors who love a game that is laid back but at the same time, also requires their mental presence. Bingo offers excitement, where each player matches numbers printed in different arrangements on cards with numbers the game host draws at random, marking the selected numbers with tiles. When a player finds the selected numbers arranged on their card in a row, they call out, “Bingo!” While winning the game is purely based on luck, the entertainment is certain.

Game Type #2: Board Games

Board games are great for multi-player and multi-generational fun. They are easy to follow, and they keep the players hooked with the various activities, obstacles, and rewards the board offers throughout the gameplay. Board games for the elderly are a great choice, thanks to their interactive nature and ease of play.

Monopoly: Monopoly has, in a way, gained the monopoly of fun in the board games category with its fast deals and property trading gameplay. In Monopoly, the player’s goal is to remain financially solvent while forcing opponents into bankruptcy by buying and developing property pieces. The age range is wide for this game, and the entertainment is an immense indoor game.

Chutes and Ladders: This is a board game classic. It offers familiar gameplay, and it is perfect for a lazy Sunday afternoon. 

Game of Life: This works well as a board game for the elderly as it offers an easily follow game route filled with many obstacles and rewards along the way. It imitates the journey of life where you go through a career, property, marriage, kids, trips, etc. It is a game packed with fun for multiple players.  

Conclusion

Board games have been and always will be a trusted source of entertainment for all age groups. Among all the choices, board games are popular among the elderly because they are an excellent medium for bonding with them, keeping their stress levels low, and their memories sharp. So set up the boards for this weekend and get ready for some fun with these indoor games for senior citizens!