Word Games - Helping Mom with Brain GamesWord GamesWhether you have an extensive vocabulary or not, these type games and puzzles are fun to play and have plenty of benefits. Games include crossword puzzles, Sudoku, word searches, cryptograms and anagrams. Even though this game is a great way for Mom to pass her time, such games can improve her vocabulary, keep her mentally stimulated, learn and even offer stress relief after a long day.Benefits of Word Games As Mom ages, her risk for developing conditions such as Alzheimer’s or dementia drastically increase, so keeping her mind active through word games is a fun way to exercise the brain. If you don’t exercise, your muscles begin to weaken and break down, which is exactly what happens to your brain if you don’t challenge yourself to think and learn. Stimulating your brain is one of the easiest ways to prevent such debilitating conditions like dementia or Alzheimer’s. Mom may tell you that she’s too old to play games, but in fact, you’re never too old to sit down with a puzzle. With daily brain exercise, the organ continues to grow and develop neurons to help with cognitive functioning. Partaking in a few minutes of playing word games or puzzles can help Mom increase her memory and learn, no matter what age she is. Playing word games such as Scrabble can also increase eye-hand coordination in adults, which boosts brain exercise and functioning. Games People Play There are many games to choose from, so if Mom doesn’t like crossword puzzles, there are plenty other varieties to try. Word scrambles require you to look at randomly placed letters in a category and figure out what the correct word is. Cryptograms are short phrases or sentences, comprised of numbers. To solve the puzzle, you must determine which number correlates with a letter. Once you see which letters go with a particular number, you can solve the phrase or saying. One popular word game, perfect for any age, is the word search. Offered in a variety of levels, you must pick out the provided words out of a square of jumbled letters. If Mom has trouble seeing, word puzzles come in large type for easy visibility. At your local bookstore or grocery, there are often many topics of word puzzles to choose from so if Mom likes movies, she can find a crossword puzzle book devoted to movies, celebrities and other trivia. Games like Scrabble are a great way for Mom to increase her cognitive function while partaking in a social event. Whether at home with the family or spending the afternoon with friends in a long-term care facility, Scrabble is one board game that can be played at any age or vocabulary level. After time, Mom will boost her vocabulary, perfect her spelling and reduce stress, all while being surrounded with friends or family. Where to Find Word Games Games and puzzles can be found virtually anywhere. Does Mom get a Sunday newspaper? There are crossword puzzles, Sudoku, anagrams and cryptograms to choose from and play anytime of the day or during the week. Newspapers, magazines and puzzle books are simple to place next to the television, in Mom’s purse or next to the bed, making them conveniently located to spend a few minutes throughout the day solving a puzzle. Another benefit of word puzzles? There is no time limit to finishing, which means you can spend hours or days completing a puzzle. Mom will have a high level of satisfaction when she completes puzzle after puzzle, learning new words and meanings to increase her word knowledge and memory. While adding word puzzles to the day’s activities is helpful with improving cognitive function, memory strengthening and lowering the risk of dementia and Alzheimer’s, it’s important to always be willing to learn new things and participate in a variety of hobbies to keep the brain active and alert. Mom doesn’t have to just sit and do crossword puzzles to improve brain function; crafting, gardening, listening to music or traveling all improve the condition of the brain as well.Word Games to Elderly Brain and Mind
|