10 Great Games For Elders
Introduction
A game is a form of entertainment that requires skill and often physical activity. Games can provide many benefits, like building concentration and coordination skills, developing mental agility, increasing memory capacity, teaching problem solving abilities, and fostering social engagement. Seniors enjoy games for their ability to help them stay physically active while also providing cognitive challenges. The following are some games senior citizens can enjoy.
If you’re looking for a great way to pass the time and be entertained, why not try playing one of these 15 great new games? These 15 different titles will help you de-stress after a long day of work or break up the monotony that accompanies daily activities such as mealtime or bedtime TV.
10 Great Games For Elders
1. Chess
Chess is a two-player strategy board game for thought and planning. It is very popular as a competitive sport and is played by millions of people around the world. The object of the game is to capture your opponent’s king by making him unable to move, and then capturing his remaining pieces. Chess has been around for over 1000 years and has been enjoyed by many generations.
2. Boggle
Boggle is a word search game where you use letter dice to find words in a 4 x 4 grid containing randomly generated letters with the aim of finding all the hidden words as quickly as possible. The letters are randomly generated to help prevent players from making words more quickly. As you are only looking for words that are four letters or longer, larger words are worth more points. A small dictionary is provided with the game to help you find the letters on your dice, and there is also a phone app available so you can play on your smartphone or tablet.
3. Battleship
Battleship is a strategy game where you try to find out where your opponent’s ships are located by firing shots toward an empty grid in the hope that they will hit one of your opponent’s ships with each shot. If your ships are located in a straight line, they will be easier to spot as your opponent can then look for groups of boats that are all in a line. If you know where your opponent’s ships are located, you can sink them and win the game. Battleship is easy to learn and has been enjoyed by many generations of players over the years.
4. Dominoes
Dominoes or domino qiu qiu is a classic game for two players, which was originally played with leftover tiles from the production of Chinese porcelain and later became popular as a marble game in Europe and America. Playing dominoes is a perfect way to develop memory and visual-spatial skills, as you need to be able to count the tiles quickly. There are many styles of dominoes, including pocket or backsized.
5. Snakes & Ladders
The classic children’s board game Snakes & Ladders is a traditional board game where players move around a ladder path going up and down the snake track trying to collect as many points as possible. It has been enjoyed by many generations of players over the years, and despite its simplicity it has proven itself as a timeless classic.
6. Jenga
Jenga is a classic family board game where you try to remove blocks from a tower by picking them up and placing them correctly on the Jenga pieces. The children’s version of this game is great fun, as it requires each player to look at the tower and predict what will happen next.
Across The Board Games has developed a Jenga electronic version (see link above) which allows players to play online against their friends and family. Jenga is great for children who want to play board games but don’t want the mess or complication of standard board games. It also provides an interactive family home evening activity as everyone can play together as long as they all have a device with internet access.
7. Guess Who
Guess Who is a fun memory game where players have to correctly guess the name of one person from a group of people. There are many variations of this board game so it can be aged depending on the players involved. The most popular Guess Who variant is where everyone knows the names of each team member and has to guess which player is doing something or not doing something. However, other variations include the names being hidden and remaining unknown until the end of the round.
8. Uno
Uno is a classic family card game where you have to match the number or color of the card or try to get rid of all your cards as soon as possible. The youngest player starts and the aim of the game is to be the first person to get rid of all your cards. All players play as a team and it’s important to avoid getting stuck with lots of cards in your hand. Players must follow suit if they can, otherwise they must pick up another card for their hand. If younger players don’t want to use an adult version, there are Uno games available for children that are age-appropriate.
9. Pictionary
Pictionary is a drawing and guessing game where players must draw keywords and phrases to describe what is in their mind. All players work together to try and guess what the word or phrase is while one player has to draw a picture while trying to get the team to correctly guess the word. The original Pictionary included physical boards which made it easy for people to play at home, but now Pictionary can be enjoyed online via a computer or tablet device. Tracing lines on a physical board can be difficult for seniors, so this electronic version can make Pictionary easier for seniors who don’t want to use standard board games anymore.
10. Monopoly
Monopoly is a board game where players move around the board trying to buy and sell property, and earn money by building houses and hotels on their properties. If you land on another player’s property and they don’t want to trade it with you, you can force them to trade it with you by paying money at the bank. This is a fun board game for all ages as it encourages people to think about real estate without the cost that comes along with buying real estate. Monopoly’s electronic version allows seniors to enjoy their favorite family board game from the comfort of their own homes without having to set up a physical board.
Conclusion
Board games are a great way for seniors to have fun with family and friends without the need to leave the house. They are also ideal for people who don’t have time to play sports or go to the gym because you can play with them in the comfort of your own home. They are also great for people with physical disabilities because they can be played with just one hand.
Playing classic board games is a far better option than watching TV all day, or playing video games that have been proven to increase depression and anxiety. Socializing over a board game is good for the mind, body, and soul because you get exercise while having fun.