Sodokus, chess, scrabble, riddles, word searches... These are just some of the memory games that help stimulate cognitive functions while having a good time. And, in the same way that there is a need to keep our body in shape, exercising the mind is also vitally important for general health. The good news is that there are countless games and strategies that are ideal for preventing cognitive aging and improving mental functioning.
It doesn't matter if you are a child, adult or even an elderly person, because in this Psychology-Online article we will give you a very complete list of the best games to exercise the mind, which will improve your mental agility and will make you spend many hours of entertainment.
Index
- Games to exercise the mind for adults
- Games to train children's minds
- Games to exercise the mind of older people
- Hobbies for seniors
Games to exercise the minds of adults.
The brain is a very complex organ, which is capable of processing an immense amount of data and which It can also change through neuroplasticity to form new neural connections with the body. time. However, it also deteriorates over the years, especially if it is not adequately stimulated. In this section, you will discover some interesting games to exercise the minds of adults, so that you can maintain your brain health.
The Spanish version of "Scrabble" from the Mattel brand is our first recommendation of games to exercise the mind. If you want to spend many hours of learning and fun, this is the perfect option for you. This is a traditional game in which you must form different words with the chips that they touch you for each hand, with the aim of obtaining the highest score possible. It is a game with which you will improve strategic thinking, while increasing your vocabulary.
You will have a board on which you must place the letters to connect them with each other as if it were a crossword puzzle, accumulating points and bonuses for each play. The best thing is that this game is made of Polyvinyl Chloride which is non-toxic for players and is very soft to the touch.
In second place on the list, we have this magnificent chess board from the Peradix brand, which has convenient measurements of 25x25x2cm so you can take it everywhere with you, even if you go away. vacation.
With this challenging game you will learn to plan and anticipate each of the movements of the pieces, while improving your concentration and memory. Without a doubt, this is one of the best memory training games of all time.
Dixit is one of the most exciting games in which you must put your creativity to the maximum. This set of cards is played between 3 to 12 players, among whom they have to guess the theme of the card that each player draws. With Dixit you will promote concentration, as well as other cognitive processes that include memory and association, so it is one of the games that will help you have fun and keep your brain.
In addition, it is a game that adapts to all ages so you can play it as a family.
Do you want a brain training game that is out of the ordinary? "Where's Wally?" is a book pack created by Martin Handford more than 30 years ago, and which still maintains its great popularity today. The game comes in a sturdy metal box, which includes the titles Where's Wally?, Where's Wally Now?, Where's Wally? Fantastic Journey, Where's Waldo? In Hollywood and Where's Waldo? The magic book.
It's about a set of 5 books, each with its own characteristics of landscapes and environments, among which you must look very carefully for the main character: Wally. With these books, you can sharpen your visual acuity and image association so you can have fun anywhere and anytime you want.
Einstein's Riddle, by Jeremy Stangroom, is a masterfully written work to keep your neurons busy from start to finish. The book is full of riddles and riddles in which you must work with great concentration and cunning to arrive at the correct answer.
This logic game takes you by the hand fascinating problems and enigmas that will put your brain to work at maximum capacity, while enhancing logic and analytical thinking.
With three different levels of complexity, the "Logic game to refresh your memory" will keep you focused from the beginning to the end to train your brain, without you realizing it. This is a book from the Alma publishing house, in which several paintings with different challenging activities to awaken neuronal plasticity.
It is very light, because you can take it with you wherever you go to entertain yourself during your breaks or trips on public transport while you work on your memory and logical reasoning.
The Bosh brand wooden Sodoku is perfect for exercising the minds of people of all ages. This game includes a wooden board and different highly resistant pieces so you can exercise logic and critical thinking for problem solving.
It is a playful strategy in which numbers are the protagonists, since you must make combinations on the grids to find the results. This game will help you improve your short-term memory, and the best thing is that you can play it in company to increase the fun even more. If you are curious to know the level of this cognitive function, you can do this memory test.
Games to train children's minds.
With the following playful and fun activities, the little ones in the house will have the opportunity to develop their cognitive habilyties creatively. In this section, we present a selection of games to train children's minds that will challenge their thinking, memory and problem-solving skills. Let them explore their ingenuity and potential while they learn and have fun!
Are you looking for a different game that will help your child improve their vocabulary? "My first Word game" is a magnificent game recommended for boys and girls over 4 years old and up to 8 years old that will provide them with notions of reading and writing.
It's about a set of 22 cards with different words and images and 102 pieces that have different letters of the alphabet marked, as well as numbers so that the little one begins to acquire the notion of written language. Additionally, the toy is made with high-strength materials, so it can withstand the use and abuse of the parts, without deterioration.
What child doesn't like riddles? This incredible children's book to exercise memory collects 366 riddles and riddles of various topics to develop abstract thinking, creativity and the ability to associate different elements.
This work from the Bubbles Books publishing house is accompanied by magnificent illustrations by Silvia Roma that will keep the attention of boys and girls as much as possible. Furthermore, this is a fascinating strategy to practice as a family and that fosters solidarity and the capacity for individual and group analysis.
Do you like dice games? Story Cubes is a mental agility game for children that can be played alone or with up to 10 people. The objective of this game is that with each throw you begin to spin a story based on the images that can be seen on the faces of the dice. The images contain emotions, characters, landscapes and countless more topics so you can create the most original stories.
We know that with this game to exercise the brain in children you are going to have a great time and it will also help them develop creativity, memory and mental association capacity. Let your imagination fly!
The “3D Puzzle” from the Cubidi brand is a fun game that Encourages spatial understanding, perception and fine motor skills, since the little one must pay attention to the combination of colors so that it forms the most convenient patterns.
This soccer ball-shaped toy is made with excellent quality materials and with Eye-catching colors that will stimulate hand-eye coordination, while learning more independent.
Are you looking for a memory game that is beautiful, versatile and durable? Our last recommendation for games to train children's minds is the "Wooden Memory Game", manufactured by the Nene Toys brand. It has a colorful design that attracts a lot of attention and the images can be rotated so that boys and girls improve their concentration levels.
Its pieces are of a suitable size for the small hands of boys and girls between 3 and 5 years of age and comes with different trading cards which also serve to develop vocabulary and mental agility. If you had to give this magnificent game a score, it would definitely get a 10 out of 10.
Games to exercise the mind of older people.
As we age, keeping an active and alert mind becomes even more crucial. Games designed specifically to exercise seniors' minds are a great way to do this. In this section, we will explore a variety of games and activities that are designed to stimulate the brain, improve memory, encourage concentration, and promote healthy aging.
The collection of books “Ágilmente”, by the authors are Rafael Serrano Íñiguez and Bernardo López Gómez, contains a selection of mental stimulation activities that develop abstract thinking, attention, concentration and memory, among other mental functions.
The activities in the collection include crossword puzzles, mazes, puzzles, images and other strategies that are designed to be developed throughout the week.
The author, Vanesa Català, offers us in this book 100 activities and hobbies for people that will allow elderly adults to experience moments of joy and entertainment. Each of the activities allows you to reduce stress levels by exploring effective cognitive strategies to solve the pastime's tasks.
In the book you will find crosswords, word searches, puzzles, sudokus, mazes and other mental strategies that will keep your brain in shape and raise your self-esteem with every small achievement you achieve.
Our next recommendation is this book that includes a collection of word searches in big letters, so it is special for older people. The work of Editorial Delta includes one word search per page in a simple and clean format that facilitates visibility.
This playful strategy stimulates recall and short-term memory. By remembering the words already found and looking for new ones, the ability to memorize and retain is strengthened. information, so if you buy this game to exercise your mind, you will have an investment guaranteed.
If you have a family member or acquaintance who is in the early stages of Alzheimer's, this is the most convenient mental exercise game in this case. This puzzle is made with different pieces of reinforced material so that it does not lose their original pattern and come in protective packaging so everything stays in its original state. place.
In addition, it is very light, so you can take it anywhere when you need to accompany the patient in their leisure time. Without a doubt, this game will help release dopamine levels to extend the hours of fun.
Hobbies for seniors.
This article is merely informative, at Psychology-Online we do not have the power to make a diagnosis or recommend a treatment. We invite you to go to a psychologist to treat your particular case.
If you want to read more articles similar to The best games to exercise the mind, we recommend that you enter our category of Other healthy living.
Bibliography
- Jagan, AP, Hall, Charles B, Dickson, Dennis W, et al. Association of participation in crossword puzzles with memory impairment in people who develop dementia. Journal of the International Society of Neuropsychology. 2011; 17 (6).
- Rebok, G, Ball, K, Guey, L, et al. Ten-year effects of the ACTIVE cognitive training trial on cognition and daily functioning in adults. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society. 2014; 62 ( 1 ): 16 – 24.
