Everyone loves games, and seniors are certainly no exception to the rule. When you are a senior, you will find you have a lot of time on your hands, and you are always looking for activities to fill the void. Indeed, being a senior and playing games go hand-in-hand. Playing games for seniors is a wholesome activity that will help keep the mind sharp and provide pleasure and distraction from life’s cares and woes.
We have assembled a guide for seniors and others to help everyone understand what kind of games are available. Understanding games and their benefits is something that those who care for seniors should become better acquainted with.
10 Great Types of Games for Seniors
Although there are countless different types of games available for anyone, including seniors, some games for seniors are better than others. Classic games that seniors play include many of the following choices, although a few of them may seem rather modern to some.
Games are wonderful ways to pass the time and are good for the brain and ultimately improve mental health, memory, and more. Playing games and doing well at them often helps improve a senior’s image of themselves as well and make great therapy for many. These are the top 10 types of games that seniors are playing that we found:
1. Card Games Are Always Fun
There are all kinds of card games that can be played by seniors to while away the hours with a group of friends or by themselves. Games such as pinochle, bridge, canasta, rummy, scrimmage, Chinese poker, big 2, and solitaire are all classic card games that seniors can enjoy either by themselves or in groups of two or four or more.
2. Board Games Are Often Entertaining
When seniors get together, and board games are the activity, there is always fun to be had. Games like scrabble, chess, backgammon, chinese checkers, Hive, and even Trivial Pursuit will keep everybody busy enjoying themselves for hours on end. There are also many other board games, of course.
3. Video Games Are for Any Age
Although the kids are off having fun with video games as a phenomenon, there’s no stopping seniors from getting into the action if they so choose. Video games are always entertaining and provide fun and relaxation at any age. Video games can be played on a computer, a tablet, or even cell phones, so there never needs to be a lack of something fun to do for any senior.
4. Seniors Roll the Dice
Playing games with dice is always going to be fun for seniors, and they can make bets with things like a bag of chips or other items with small value to sweeten the pot. Playing dice games is a classic way to spend time with good friends in any situation.
5. Bingo Is the Name O
Playing bingo is a classic game that seniors play. Often times seniors will play bingo in bingo halls or in nursing homes, but really it could be played anywhere where there’s a set of bingo and a few players to compete with. Playing bingo doesn’t have to cost a lot of money, as a bingo set is relatively inexpensive and always provides awesome fun for everyone.
6. Solo Games Seniors Love
A lot of times, seniors end up alone for periods of time, and for something exciting to do, there are always solo games. Some solo games include puzzle games such as crossword puzzles, jigsaw puzzles, word jumbles, sudoku, Match 3 games, and word search puzzles. Spending time with these types of games when you are alone will keep you from becoming too focused on your solitude and will distract you from the busy world around you to enjoy time alone.
7. Indoor Games Pass the Time Easily
Nursing homes and community living centers play games in an organized fashion on a regular basis. Games for seniors, such as fact or fiction, The Price is Right, Name That Tune, photo puzzle race, and Years of Invention, are some of the games played by nursing homes and other institutions as they are scheduled.
8. The Tricky Rubik’s Cube
Many seniors enjoy a good brain challenge, and giving a senior a Rubik’s Cube to puzzle over will definitely give some of them quite a run for their money. Solving a Rubik’s Cube puzzle can prove to be exceptionally difficult, but given the time on most senior’s hands, it’s definitely worth the effort and is one of the best games for seniors available. Solving a Rubik’s cube would also boost a senior’s self-esteem.
9. Outdoor Games Are Always a Great Time
There are a number of outdoor games that are classic senior games such as pickleball, shuffleboard, bocce ball, water balloon toss, lawn bowling, horseshoes, flying disc, target toss, badminton, bean bag toss, croquet and Wiffle Ball. Spending time with seniors in outdoor settings to play these games can be something that the children and grandchildren of seniors can enjoy as well.
10. The Interactive Game Cranium
Cranium is a board game but requires players to hum, draw, act out, answer trivia, and spell in order to move around places on the board. It requires a certain degree of silliness that may appeal to some characters. Cranium can be a lot of fun for seniors in any setting, either at home or in a nursing home or community center.
When Playing Games With Seniors
Care should be taken to respect the feelings of the seniors, and you should never force a senior to play a game if they don’t really want to. Some seniors are sensitive and may become upset if they lose a game. At all times, you should encourage seniors to do the best they can and remember the rule of all games, which is that the real goal is to have fun. Making sure seniors have fun playing the games is the ultimate purpose of having such activities in place for them to enjoy.
Where to Find Games for Seniors
If there is a senior in your life or you work with seniors, or even if you’re a senior yourself, you may be wondering where you can find the games we have listed here. There are many places to purchase games, although some of them are available online or on a cell phone or tablet. A good toy shop or a game store will have many of the items we have listed, while some of them are available in the institutions where seniors reside.
Get Ready to Play Games
Once you’ve got your games ready to play, you should go over the rules carefully with the seniors you are playing with so that they fully understand the games. Playing games with seniors can be a rewarding activity for everyone, so get set to have fun and have the time of your lives.
Many different games offer more than just a way to pass the time—they can also help keep the mind sharp, they can help create long-lasting friendships, and they could even become a passion. Regardless, there are many games that may not have made our list, but it doesn’t mean that they aren’t worth trying!
