Maintaining mental fitness and strength in later life is just as vital as maintaining physical fitness and strength. Our brain is crucial for keeping us happy throughout our lives, and as we become older, mental health is frequently a key component of being able to live freely.
We have compiled five brain teasers for your loved ones and even yourself to try out:
Classic Board Games
Some board games are merely for fun, while others need some strategy and thought to win. For example, games like Clue, in which you must decipher the clues to locate the opponent, or Axis and Allies, in which you must create a plan before you begin playing and stick to it to win the game. Even a basic board and rules game like chess may be a complicated game that requires you to study every move in your thoughts to defeat your opponent. Scrabble is another great traditional board game that has been scientifically proven to have a favorable effect on the brain.
Games on Paper
Games seen in your daily newspaper or booklets purchased at your local bookshop or stores such as Walmart or Target are examples of paper games. Sudoku, crossword puzzles, and word finder puzzles are all popular games of this sort. These games are all available as applications for cellphones, or you can locate them online and print them out to work on with a pencil and a cup of coffee at your leisure.
Memory Card Games
Using a deck of playing cards, you can set up a memory game that can be played by one or more people. Simply take the deck and lay the cards out, face down, in several even rows. Flip the cards over to see what the number and suit are and then flip it back. If you’re playing with someone else, take turns doing this until you start to find matching pairs. As you find a pair, flip them over and remove them from the board. The player to find the most cards win. You can also increase the difficulty by requiring matching pairs to have different suits or colors.
Jigsaw Puzzles
While you may buy jigsaw puzzles online, nothing beats the “physical” job of laying out all the pieces on a table and working your way through the puzzle. It’s also a pleasant pastime that can be done with people of any age. Jigsaw puzzles vary in level, so you may choose an easy game with larger, fewer pieces or a challenging game with numerous, smaller pieces, depending on how much of a challenge you desire.
Trivia Games
Trivia games are a great way to test your memory as well as review topics that are of interest to you. You can also buy a trivia game like Trivial Pursuit or make your trivia games by coming up with questions and answers to test your friends. This can be a great social activity to bond with those around you. A trivia game is a wonderful option because it can be as complex as you want it to be and require purchasing a game board, or cost nothing by just using a pencil and some paper and your brain.
