19 Mind-Stimulating Sit-Down Games for Senior Citizens

If you have trouble moving around or you just want to relax, sit-down games are the best way to have fun socializing with other retirees. As an added bonus, these games boost cognitive function, memory, and concentration.

1. Crosswords

Whether you do them alone or with friends, crosswords are a fun way to test your vocabulary. You can choose the type of challenge you want to take on since they come in varying levels of difficulty, whether you are a beginner, an expert, or somewhere in-between.

2. Sudoku

Number games are great for improving your concentration. Playing Sudoku can also enhance your memory skills. This popular logic puzzle can be played online or through cheap Sudoku books.

3. Fiction Stories

They say we are different from other animals because we tell stories to each other and ourselves. Try reading a book of fiction aloud to someone or tell your friends a story you’ve read.

We all know that reading is food for the brain, but it’s also a great way to have fun and build friendships.

4. Card Matching

Memory games are especially important as we age. Card matching involves laying cards out on a table. Each person flips a pair of cards on their turn as they attempt to find matching pairs. Whoever gets the most pairs by the end of the game is the winner.

5. Chess

Chess has been a popular game for over a thousand years. All you need is a chessboard to get started. Other than boosting your ability to think out strategies, this game can also improve your memory.

6. Arts and Crafts

Do you love quilting? Would you like to learn how to paint? How about pottery? Let the artist in you emerge and thrive with arts and crafts activities.

7. Bingo

What is the one of the most popular games that retirees play? Bingo certainly comes to mind. What’s more fun than sitting with a group of bingo players, pitting their skills and luck in a bingo hall?

8. Form a Band

Music is food for the soul. It’s an activity for anytime — morning, noon, or evening — anywhere, and anyone. If you don’t know how to play an instrument, form a choir instead.

9. Jigsaw Puzzles

Puzzles are good for training the brain. Other than stimulating the mind, they can help to reduce your blood pressure. Additionally, studies have shown that doing puzzles can actually lower your breathing rate.

10. Scrabble

If you have a Scrabble board, you can host a Scrabble tournament. This fun game involves turning letter tiles into words. It is also popular among people of all ages.

11. Trivia Games

Trivia games are available on a variety of topics. Before having a trivia night, you should ask everyone what kind of topics they like. Then you can divide everyone into two teams and turn the game into a fun competition.

12. Pictionary

Pictionary is an enjoyable way to work on your language skills and imagination. It’s also good for hand-eye coordination. After each person gets a card, they must draw something to help their team members guess what phrase is on the card.

13. The Shopping Game

This game involves making a pretend shopping list. The first person in the group starts by saying that they are going to the supermarket to buy one item. Then the next person must repeat what the initial player said and add a second item to the list. As the game continues, the number of items gets bigger (and harder to remember) until someone forgets the order or something on the list.

14. Clue

Clue is a classic mystery game. It can be played with a group of three to four people. Other than deductive skills, this game can help you learn how to read people and be a poker face.

15. Video Games

Video games are not only fun for seniors, but grandchildren love to play along as well. Some computer games also exercise the brain.

16. Poker Nights

If the card tables in the casinos in Las Vegas aren’t an option, you can still have a fun night at home playing poker with friends. All you need is a pack of cards and a pile of poker chips. If you want, you can even use real money.

17. Jenga

Other than improving brain health, sit-down games can also help your fine psychomotor skills. Removing Jenga blocks from a tower requires a great deal of dexterity. While removing a single block sounds easy, the game gets much harder after all the easy blocks have been taken away.

18. Languages

Learning a new language allows you to connect with people from other cultures and places. You can learn online or through audiobooks. Mix fun and learning by joining a group of language learners to develop and practice your conversational skills.

19. Darts

Darts is a fun game for everyone. Other than boosting your aiming ability, it can also help with your large motor skills. To prevent injuries, you may want to try using a magnetic dartboard instead of a traditional one.

Engage your brain and have fun with friends at Trivia Happy Hour, or tap your toes along to music at Tea and Tunes. At Winchester Gardens’ luxury senior living community in Maplewood, NJ, you’ll never be at a loss for intriguing things to do that fill your time and engage your imagination. Contact us to find out more.