Connecting with elderly family members and friends while creating lasting memories not only is fun, it also can be healthy for all involved.
In addition to building solid bonds, research indicates that offering consistent companionship and having a little bit of fun can help slow or reverse cognitive decline in our aging population.
Plopping down a good board game or pulling out a deck of cards is a great way to incorporate fun while protecting your senior’s memory, problem-solving, and thinking speed. Yahtzee! You get to enjoy each other’s company while encouraging quality of life and maintaining mental faculties.
You’ve probably seen your loved ones’ eyes light up when you ask them to play a game of Scrabble or strategize through a game of chess. If spelling and tactics aren’t your cup of tea, finding a different game is just another roll of the dice.
Here are a couple of fresh options in which having fun is way more important than winning.
Azul: Conceived from a historical story in Portugal, Azul is a beautiful game that asks players to embellish the walls of the Royal Palace of Evora. Peruse a tile market and build your beautiful tile wall, all while strategizing to gain as many points as you can in your design. The game of Azul ends when all tiles have been pulled from the market and all players have completed their final tallies. With two to four players and playtime of about 45 minutes per game, Azul offers many opportunities to improve dexterity, practice mental math, and employ strategy. Concentration blends well with conversation during play, beckoning a compelling experience and an occasion for connection.
Password: The classic word association game is a fantastic choice for your favorite walking thesaurus. The game’s object is to get your teammate to say the secret password by offering one-word clues, all before the other team guesses it! Password invites each player to find a comfy seat and polish off their vocabulary while encouraging camaraderie among teammates and offering excellent moments for communication and critical thinking.
There are many more games to choose from! Ticket to Ride, Mancala, Kings in the Corner … the list goes on. Asking your older loved ones what games they have played in their lives can also give you great insight into what they might enjoy. We all want to create lasting memories with our loved ones and playing board games is an incredible — and healthful — way to do so.
Whether your loved one lives here at CHCC or whether you’re a family caregiver at home, board games are a great way to connect over the holidays.