Benefits of Playing Board Games for Senior Citizens!

Senior citizen generally refers to someone who is sixty years old. It varies globally from sixty-two to sixty-five years according to the age of retirement from the workforce for enrollment to secure social security benefits in developed countries. It is principally agreed that the mind and body naturally change over time. In broad terms, aging can be broken down into three different and often related classes, i. e. biological, psychological, and social aging.

As we age, keeping our brains active and busy is essential. Games are an excellent way for older people to do just that and enjoy time happily with friends and family. There are several options available for them such as kickstarter board games, 2-player board games, family board games, etc., including outdoor activities. But board games offer a distinctive advantage over other options because health issues tend to disengage and disassociate elderly people from outdoor games necessitating exposure to various bodily postures, tilting, and running.

There are so many new board games, including some classic to modern games, to choose from and enjoy. Sometimes the most significant challenge can be to decide which game to be played. The following few games may be enjoyed:

Scrabble

A tiled-word game that is played between two or more two players to challenge each other’s vocabulary skills.

Backgammon

It is one of the conventionally known board games. It is popular among two or more players. The game’s object is to move the pieces along the triangles and off the board before the opponent does.

Ludo

The most prevalent in almost all indoor games and played with two or more players.

GO

This is considered one of the best indoor games in the Asian community. Players try their hardest to completely win territory by acquiring vacant points with borders built from their own stones.

Chess

A timeless classic game out of the complete list of board games. In chess, every player gets a turn to take a single move. Players cannot opt to skip a turn – they must need to move a piece. Every piece of chess moves in a particular way and must be moved as per appropriate movement.

Chinese checkers

An indoor game for 2 to 6 players to have a good and thrilling time. The objective is to place all the marbles of your end to the opposite point of the star. The very first player to succeed in this win.

Hive Board Games

In this Hive board game, the pieces are included in the playing area, thus building the board. As more and more pieces are comprised, the game comes out as a fight to become the first one to grab the opponent’s, Queen Bee.

Carrom board

It is a strike and pocket table-leading board game. The game’s purpose is to use the striker and smash the token right into one of the four pockets.

For senior citizens, board games are not only entertaining, but they also have significant health benefits. Recreational activities help maintain cerebral function, mental clarity, and memory retention. Psychologists believe playing board games can help avert the early onset of age-related issues like Alzheimer’s and dementia by keeping the brain active and functioning. Remaining active with the game can improve short-term as well as long-term memory. Many board games entail using fine motor skills to pick or move the pieces, an activity that takes coordination and dexterity. Regular practice may improve the players’ basic skills and concentration, reducing stress levels and creating more happiness. Positive feelings and happiness boost immunity by eliminating some chemicals that fight against stress and improve the immune system, which naturally helps muscles relax blood circulation while lowering blood pressure. Participation in such activities also improves logical reasoning and problem-solving skills. Therefore, if you are looking for the best board games in Canada, BoardGamesNMore is the one-stop solution.

In addition to cognitive benefits, board games also provide ways and means to strengthen social bondings among the participants and their families. They get more time to interact with other seniors and share memories to dispel stress and depression by combating loneliness. Indeed, these interactions boost social skills and interpersonal relationships. They make a space where people can communicate more freely and prevent older people from feeling isolated. Quality of life is related to intermingling and is essential to older adults’ sense of well-being. Consistency on account of regular meetings helps prevent isolation, and interaction with others during the game is also a fantastic opportunity to get to know each other better. Yes, there is always an opportunity for bonding, entertainment, and even some friendly competition. Most importantly, it doesn’t matter how old a person is; games can be used to connect with those around them in an entertaining and meaningful way.

Leave a Reply