[For Seniors] Fun! Games and Ideas to Boost Memory
Games are a form of recreation that let you move your body while having fun and stimulate the brain, helping to prevent dementia.
They’re widely used in many senior and welfare facilities.
This time, among the many types of games, we’ll introduce games and ideas that are especially effective for boosting memory.
As we age, it’s said that recalling things becomes more difficult.
Use the ideas here to strengthen the brain during your usual game activities!
Games also create opportunities for interaction—sparking conversations and helping older adults connect with one another.
By all means, make good use of memory-boosting games!
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- [For Seniors] Brain Training Recommended for Dementia Prevention
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- [For Seniors] Brain Training! Recall Quiz Collection!
- [For Seniors] Lively Wordplay Game: Fun Recreation for Elderly Care
- [For Seniors] Ideal for Dementia Prevention: Easy-to-Practice Reminiscence Therapy Topics
- Hand games that liven things up for seniors—also great brain training
- [For Seniors] Today’s Recommended Activity: Fun and Engaging
- [For Seniors] Have Fun! A Collection of Group Game Recreation Ideas
- Recreation Activities Effective for Long-Term Care Prevention for Seniors
- For seniors: Fun, crowd-pleasing word association game ideas
- For Seniors: Effective Recreation for Preventing Care Needs—Have Fun While Staying Healthy
[For Seniors] Fun! Memory-Boosting Games and Ideas (1–10)
Showa Quiz
Showa Quiz is an effective way to stimulate the brains of older adults who lived through the Showa era.
By revisiting the quiz, they can reaffirm the events and trends of the years they experienced.
It enriches emotional reminiscence, strengthens memory, and creates opportunities for interaction with other visitors.
The feeling of nostalgia is said to bring various benefits to the brain, such as reducing stress, increasing happiness and helping maintain brain health, and fostering a more positive outlook toward one’s future self.
Kanji Guessing Game
Let’s play a kanji guessing game that’s fun even with a big group! You write a kanji on a whiteboard one stroke at a time—but doing it in the normal order would be boring! So mix up the stroke order and write it randomly instead.
That makes the game harder and more exciting.
Even simple, familiar kanji become tricky to recognize when you change the stroke order.
Take it slow, add one stroke at a time, and have fun!
Picture shiritori
This is a classic game everyone knows—Shiritori—with a drawing twist.
Players guess what’s drawn on the whiteboard and then connect it to the next drawing that starts with the last sound of the previous word.
After the game has progressed to some extent, pause and check whether the shiritori chain was valid.
The process of thinking of words, moving your hands, and drawing them helps stimulate the brain.
If someone lacks confidence in their drawing, offering hints is recommended—by getting creative with how hints are given, you can help develop their thinking skills.
[For Seniors] Fun! Memory-Boosting Games and Ideas (11–20)
Who am I?
Who am I? From limited clues, guess the name of the person or animal presented in the question.
Let’s feature famous figures active in the Showa era and have participants think it through.
If you’re hosting this at a nursing home or day service, it’s also nice to use staff members or residents as themes.
You can come up with original hints like “If it’s sweets, I prefer chocolate” or “I’m more of a rice person than bread.” While thinking about the correct answer, this quiz can serve as brain training and help deepen interaction among older adults.
Memory-Boosting Game: Remember the Moves
Wouldn’t it be great to have a game that lets you train your memory in a fun way while moving your body? That’s why I’d like to propose the “Memory Boost Game.” It has two main steps.
First, the questioner specifies about five to ten body parts.
The respondent memorizes them and then touches them in time with a rhythm.
Since it can be quite complex, go at your own pace.
Also, because you’ll be moving your body, be sure to warm up beforehand.
Place Name Brain Training Game
Geography Brain Training is a game where you can have a lively time together while giving your brain a workout.
Players take turns naming place names that match a given theme, and anyone who can’t answer drops out.
Be careful not to make the theme too difficult, or it can kill the motivation.
If participants are from different regions, it’s best to choose place names that everyone is likely to know, such as the 23 wards of Tokyo.
Alternatively, you can have players name prefectures.
Kanji addition
How about a kanji addition game that everyone present—not just seniors—can enjoy as long as you have a whiteboard? For example, adding “十” and “八” makes “木,” and adding “一” and “小” makes “山.” The answers don’t come to mind right away, so it’s a good brain workout.
People can raise their hands to answer if they think of one, or form groups and work together.
There are many kanji formed by combining characters like these, so even finding new problems can be fun!
