Three "Brain Games" Websites for Keeping Older Minds Sharp

While cognitive decline can be a natural part of the aging process, it’s possible to counter the trend through brain teasers, memory games, and other mental “workouts”. Read on to learn three websites packed with brain games for seniors, as well as other suggestions for helping to keep your aging loved one’s brain in tip-top shape. 

1. The AARP’s Brain Games

With an entire section dedicated to memory, attention and language building games, the AARP’s website is a terrific destination for seniors and caregivers looking for exercises designed to sharpen cognitive function. Visitors choose from a number of different games which are not only fun, but also functional. From adorable match games engineered to enhance visual and auditory memory to language-skill-honing word puzzles, seniors will look forward to testing their skills at this well-designed site.

2. Easter Seals TRAIN YOUR BRAIN

A partnership between Easter Seals and Brain HQ, TRAIN YOUR BRAIN offers clinically proven brain training exercises designed to work specific areas of the brain. These 20 targeted exercises have been scientifically shown to improve cognitive processing by up to 130 percent while simultaneously improving memory function by a whopping 10 years. These brain fitness techniques can even improve driving skills!  The best part? This user-friendly site is a great fit for those who are not technologically inclined.

3. Lumosity

While Lumosity charges a monthly fee ($14.95 for full membership), many people swear by its many brain benefits. Developed by a panel of neuroscientists, Lumosity offers fun games toward a very serious purpose: to measure and enhance cognitive abilities. Members not only gain access to more than 40 scientific games, they also receive their own “personal trainer,” as well as training reminders and performance testing.

Other Resources

There are also plenty of other ways to help technology-resistant seniors reap the same benefits. Crossword puzzles, word jumbles, and Sudoku games are widely available and offer beneficial cognitive challenges. Many can even be printed off the internet at sites like websudoku.com. 

For caregivers looking for productive projects to do with aging loved ones, try a good old-fashioned puzzle. In addition to brain health benefits, puzzles also help hone fine motor skills while giving you both a wonderful sense of fulfillment when you finally snap-in that last piece.

Just like every other part of the human body, your brain needs exercise to thrive. In fact, the Journal of the American Medical Association has concluded that brain exercises have the equivalent effect on warding off mental decline in aging adults as physical exercises have on keeping the body in optimal condition. From good old-fashioned pen and paper to the latest emerging technologies, these puzzles and memory games offer an endless supply of brain-boosting benefits for your aging loved one. 

Key Takeaways

• Brain teasers and memory games deliver a multitude of cognitive advantages for seniors.
• The internet offers plenty of opportunities to access games that are not only entertaining but also essential to keeping senior brains sharp.
• If your aging loved one isn’t tech-savvy, brain teaser books and puzzles can help him/her reap the same brain-boosting benefits.
• By joining your loved one in a brain teaser, puzzle, or another challenge, you can both enjoy a sense of connection...as well as fulfillment over a job well done.