As years pass by, it is natural that your elderly loved one will experience body changes. For example, they will experience limited mobility, insufficient energy levels and memory loss.
Sadly, these changes tend to deter physical activities, but that does not mean that the elderly should remain less social and inactive! Yes, there are fun and enjoyable games that they can enjoy while sitting down. Let us look at some of the sit-down games for the elderly.
Scrabble
Scrabble is a classic game where the elderly can create words from lettered tiles and gain points from it. Playing scrabble is easy, and we would recommend this game for your loved one as it has both health and intellectual benefits. For example, it helps stimulate their brain to be creative, fight memory loss and aid in social cooperation and bonding.
If they have a problem with vision, just buy the large-sized scrabble board and letters instead of smaller versions. Also, you can buy the magnetic tile and board to make it easier for them to arrange the words. In addition, if they’re having trouble coming up with new words, feel free to recommend a word unscrambler. Simply enter the letters you have to work with and let the tool generate a list of words that can be used in Scrabble. Some might say this is cheating, but if you’re trying to reap the health and intellectual benefits of playing Scrabble, then it’s a win-win.
Chess
Chess is another fun game that has been around for long. You will only need to buy a chessboard and start playing! Join your loved one in playing this game or even better, invite friends over for a tournament. Moreover, you can enrol your loved one into a chess club. They will be able to connect with people of the same age as them, which will boost their social experience. Playing isn’t just a way to kill time. It has tons of other benefits for the elderly. It engages their brain, which aids in reasoning, problem solving and memory. These mental benefits boost the elderly’s physical and social health, consequently improving their quality of life.
Bingo
Bingo is a popular game loved by the elderly. That is why you will often find bingo halls near retirement communities. Well, bingo is not just your granny’s game; you can also join in and have fun! You can even take your senior to the weekly bingo games in your locality or even better even, introduce them in the bingo online games.
The game is great for the elderly as it promotes a healthy and happy lifestyle.It improves concentration, listening skills, short term memory, plus it promotes socialization.
Cup Stacking
Cup stacking is another sit-down fun game that the elderly can engage in with their agemates or younger people. It involves stacking paper cups into a pyramid and dismantling them. The fastest in stacking and dismantling the pyramid wins the games. Cup stacking aid in sharpening flexes, improving motor control and hand-eye coordination among the seniors. The game aids the quality of life among the elderly boosting their health and well-being.
Video Games
There are a variety of video games that the elderly can play while sitting. For example, Poke-Man, Angry birds and Skyrim, to mention but a few. Most video games can be played on the computer or mobile devices. You can also go for console games. The good bit is that most video games aid in boosting cognitive abilities as well as improving hearing, memory and vision. Moreover, games that are played with a partner increases social interactions.
Card Games
Your elederly loved one can also play card games such as Solitaire, Rummy, Canasta and Big two, etc.
Playing cards can be very beneficial to your senior as it improves socialisation through interaction with other people during the game. Playing cards also has health benefits like boosting motor skills, improving memory function and relieving stress.
If the physical card games are too time-consuming or messy, check out an online gaming site like Solitaired.com, where you can play all types of care games. From Classic Solitaire to Klondike, hearts, and spades, your loved one will be sure to find a game to pass the time.
Name That Tune
Name That Tune is a game your senior can play while sitting at their home, a friend’s home or a local centre together with family, friends of the same age or younger. In this game, tunes are played, and the players are supposed to guess the name of the song playing. The more songs that one guesses right, the higher the point. The player who earns the most points at the end of the game is crowned the winner. Name the Tune is a game that is perfect for enhancing socialization, boosting energy levels, and short and long-term memory.
Wrap up
It is imperative for the elderly to engage in activities, and the sit-down games could be a perfect choice. Playing games improves their well-being and quality of life. Through social interaction, playing games relieves stress and depression. Moreover, playing games aids the brain function as they age. They will have fun and live longer!
