Fun Brain Training! Memory Games for Seniors
Many older adults are concerned about declining memory.
Whether you’re a senior or not, you’ve probably felt, “I feel like I’ve been more forgetful lately,” at least once.
For those worried about memory decline, memory games for seniors are highly recommended.
We’ve gathered memory-related tasks that can help boost cognitive function.
Anyone can try them casually, and even if you don’t succeed, the appeal is that you can keep challenging yourself as many times as you like.
Let’s enjoy memory games without pressure and have fun while working on them.
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Fun Brain Training! Memory Games for Seniors (21–30)
10 educational quiz questions
Here’s an introduction to quizzes that are beneficial for seniors.
Quizzes can be enjoyed during conversations with older adults or in small pockets of free time.
Plus, the act of thinking provides stimulation to the brain and can help keep it active.
Quizzes based on things seniors know or are familiar with are likely to be even more engaging.
Learning fun trivia they didn’t know before through quizzes can also make the experience enjoyable for seniors.
And when the quizzes focus on things they already know, getting the right answer can give them a real sense of accomplishment.
small change calculation
Let me introduce a brain-training exercise that uses counting coins: the Coin Calculation game.
Coins will appear on the screen—memorize them within the time limit and calculate the total amount.
The double task of taking a quick look, memorizing, and then calculating greatly activates your brain.
Calculating and paying money are essential activities for living in society.
In fact, it has been reported that in the early stages of dementia, counting coins becomes difficult, leading people to rely more on bills.
If you’ve had fewer chances to shop in your daily life, please give this a try.
Fun Brain Training! Memory Games for Seniors (31–40)
Number search
This time, we’re introducing a game-like activity called “Number Hunt.” From a large set of numbers, you look for the ones that are duplicated.
Once the signal to start is given, find them within the time limit.
It may look easy, but you’ll be surprised at how tricky it can be to spot them.
Before you know it, you’ll be saying, “One more time!” and getting hooked.
Because you have to remember the sequence of numbers and decide whether you’ve seen a number before, it also works as a brain-training recreation with expected cognitive benefits.
Find the same items
We’d like to introduce a matching game that’s recommended even for people who find arithmetic or reading and writing difficult, as well as for seniors who aren’t comfortable with them.
Look for items in a picture that match the prompt.
Searching for images that are the same as the prompt requires observation and memory skills, which helps stimulate the brain.
You can focus and play on your own, or enjoy it while chatting in a larger group.
With a big group, forming teams of several seniors and doing a team competition could be exciting.
It may also encourage interaction with others.
Animal Memory Rec
People aged 75 and over are now required to take a Cognitive Function Test to renew their driver’s license.
Even those who don’t have much trouble remembering things can feel a bit nervous when they know they’re going to be tested.
How about livening things up with a memory-training game similar to that test? Here’s a simple way to run it: first, show 8–10 animal illustrations—or just the words if you don’t have pictures—have the participant memorize them, then ask them to write them on a whiteboard.
Adjust the difficulty by changing the number of animals or the memorization time.
If you have a whiteboard, it should be fun even outdoors.
How many can you name? Game
It’s a game where you compete to see how many words that fit a given prompt you can come up with within a time limit.
The key is how smoothly you can pull fitting words from your knowledge.
Choosing the prompt is important too: for example, with patterns like “-n -n” in Japanese, the more possible answers there are, the more your speed in retrieving words from memory is tested.
You can play by challenging yourself solo to see how many you can list, or make it lively in a turn-taking format like the Yamanote Line game.
Onigiri Concentration
This is a concentration/memory game where you flip over onigiri cards and try to match the same fillings.
Since there are many cards for each filling—like “12 umeboshi” and “6 cod roe”—you have a relatively high chance of getting a match even when drawing at random, which is part of the appeal.
While it’s important to engage your memory—such as recalling where cards were—be sure to celebrate correct matches so everyone feels good and stays enthusiastic about the game.
If matching proves difficult, it’s also recommended to reveal all the cards and give players time to memorize their locations.
In the end, compare everyone’s hands and get excited about how each set of fillings came together.