Senior Games: Fun Activities for Elderly Adults

Seniors can benefit from fun activities and games more than almost anyone else. They help with cognition, socialization, and coordination, setting them up for a healthier, happier life, whether at home or in residential care accommodation.

This post starts by running through various games and activities for seniors. Then, we explore the benefits of gaming for seniors in more detail before moving onto setting up a gaming station and staying safe online.

Games For Seniors

These days, there are so many games seniors can enjoy. There’s something unique for everyone, from social activities to brain-boosting puzzle games.

Top Card Games for Elderly Adults

Here are some of the top card games for seniors:

Poker

Number one on our list is poker, one of the most exciting card games ever invented. It requires players to use a combination of skill, cunning, and probability knowledge to achieve winning hands. Furthermore, it’s the type of game you can play all afternoon and evening.

Bridge

Bridge is another game seniors love. Played with a standard 52-card deck by four players in two partnerships, it involves trying to win the trump suit. It’s social because those playing must communicate with each other during the bidding phase. Players must play one card in each round, with the highest card in the leading suit winning the trick.

Blackjack

Blackjack is also a hit card game among seniors. The game involves dealing cards to get as close to a score of 21 as possible (but not exceed it). Players must think carefully about which card is likely to come next (based on what they’ve seen) and whether they should “stand” (and do nothing) or take a “hit” and receive another card that could take them over the threshold.

Dealers deal two cards to each player, one facing up and the other down. Players then choose whether they want to keep their current hand or “double down,” meaning flip over the remaining card and take another card from the dealer’s pile. This risky action can take the player closer to the magical number of 21, or it can cause them to overshoot and lose the round.

Easy Slot Games for Seniors

Numerous easy slot games are available for seniors, many of which are reminiscent of old casinos and arcades.

247 Slots

247 Slots is available twenty-four-seven, meaning seniors can play it any time of the day, including the weekend and early morning. To play, players place their bets (up to $1,000) and then hit spin, hoping to get triplets of 7s and bars (or other lucky bonuses peppered into the game).

247 Slots is the classic game for any senior who loved playing slots previously. It mimics traditional machines with conventional paylines and prizes.

Christmas Slots

Christmas Slots is a festive-themed slots game that gives seniors something to do over the holidays. It comes with seasonal prizes, like gifts, Santa Claus and his reindeers for added fun. Players can also enjoy enormous bonuses up to 80x their initial wager, allowing huge prizes.

Cinco de Mayo Slots

Finally, seniors looking for something spicy and Mexican-inspired, the Cinco de Mayo Slots could be ideal. It includes chilis, cacti, and sombreros (which all offer prizes) with the ultimate goal being to get three green sevens in a row on the payline, offering up to 80x the initial wager.

Brain-Boosting Puzzle Games

For seniors that want more mental stimulation, numerous brain-boosting games are also available. These get older people thinking and may even enhance their overall cognition long-term.

Chess

Chess is the obvious brain-teasing game for over-65s. It requires a combination of strategy, skill and instinct to win, including outfoxing one’s opponent.

We offer seasonal-themed chess, but any chess game will do. All games follow the standard rules, just with fun substitutions, like maple leaves for pawns and owls for queens.

Crosswords

Crosswords are another game to get seniors’ minds moving. These games involve thinking up words based on cryptic clues and inserting them into a grid.

Our cross words are random, meaning they will generate a new crossword with additional challenges every time. Playing crosswords isn’t the most social game, but they can be satisfying to complete, especially if you set a new record!

The best crosswords are those that are quite dense and provide you with additional letters as clues to help you find the next word. These can keep seniors going all day and provide endless stimulation plus encourage original, lateral thinking. (Clues aren’t always straightforward!)

Word Search

Word searches are simpler than crosswords, but they still require seniors to be sharp. The aim is to find words in a jumbled grid of letters.

Some letters are written left to right or top to bottom, but others can be diagonal, reverse, or reverse diagonal.

Again, word searches are most fun when playing against a timer. Finding obscure words hidden in the matrix is a fun way to train eyesight and pattern recognition.

Mahjong

Mahjong is another Chinese game of strategy and cunning. It requires players to complete hands using the tiles on the board.

As with all great games, it requires elements of luck and skill. Players attempt to gain various sets of tiles from the 144-piece set by drawing tiles in turns and trying to form “chows” “kongs” and “pungs.” Higher points scores are available for more challenging combinations.

Minesweeper

Finally, Minesweeper is another classic game that’s perfect for seniors. It requires players to use deductive reasoning to locate mines throughout the map based on information from existing clearings. The game can be challenging and deceptive because it isn’t always unambiguous where the next mine lays. Players can adopt a cautious, slow approach or take risks to get a new high score on the timer.

Benefits of Gaming for Seniors

The benefits of gaming for seniors are substantial. Nearly everyone over 65 can enjoy improvements in their quality of life by picking up a pack of playing cards or firing up the computer. Here’s how:

Improved Routine

Gaming can become a positive part of seniors’ routines, allowing them to structure their days better. While taking walks and working in the garden are important, they shouldn’t take up the entire itinerary. Retirees should have opportunities to test their mettle and improve their gamings skills.

Cognitive Stimulation

Another benefit of gaming for seniors is the enhanced cognition it offers. Research shows specific games can improve verbal memory, processing speed, working memory and executive function.

While games can’t do everything (like increase overall intelligence), there is evidence that they can stave off mental decline in various areas. Those who learn more can reduce the risks they face, and increase their ability to continue enjoying family relationships for years to come.

Better Coordination And Reflexes

Improved reflexes and coordination is also a benefit of senior gaming. People over 65 often find their hands and minds working faster together, reducing the risk of falling.

Emotional Well-being

Games are also a way to take seniors’ minds off other things in life that might be affecting them, like money issues or health problems. Focusing on games is an excellent way to block some of these issues out and focus on the moment.

Stress Relief

Finally, games offer many older people a form of stress relief. Sitting down with others or just playing alone can help some individuals unwind and enjoy more of what life has to offer.

Online Gaming Safety for Seniors

Gaming safely online is a priority for many seniors. After all, there are still risks, especially since scammers know the over-65s are an easier target.

When gaming online, always choose a reputable platform. Don’t use random sites that haven’t been set up properly (these may just be mechanisms to extract money).

Also, in-game purchases can sometimes be dangerous. Providing financial information may be what scammers require to empty bank accounts.

Always monitor communications between the senior’s PC and the gaming site. Traffic should have full encryption and Google shouldn’t downrank the domain. Having up-to-date antivirus software can also help. But it is only effective if seniors avoid giving out personal information.

Finally, it is worth having strong passwords for online gaming accounts. These prevent hackers from gaining access to seniors’ accounts and taking advantage of in-game items, gold, or personal banking details.

Socializing Through Online Games

Socializing through online games is one of the reasons seniors take up the hobby. Being able to meet other people easily is an excellent way to make friends and enjoy more meaningful relationships.

But how can seniors be more social through online games?

The most obvious answer is to choose games that are inherently social. These should include multiplayer elements or social interactions, like team work. Working together on missions can foster a sense of inclusion and belonging, especially when joining a clan. But it isn’t a substitute for real-life interactions.

Gaming can also be a forum for many players. A lot of people sign up for games because they allow them to form social bonds while waiting for the action to start (something that is common on MMORPGs). These are like a modern version of MSN Messenger, a chat app that dominated the early days of the internet and brought people together.

Seniors looking to make friends online should focus on being open and approachable. Being willing to have conversations with others can result in more social opportunities.

During these interactions, seniors can focus on making friends with the people around them. Calling other people friends can be an excellent way to let them know how you consider them and helps to drive the message home. Following up on social connections on social media is also helpful for more engagement, but that should only happen after the senior knows the person.

Setting Up a Gaming Space at Home

Setting up a gaming space at home can be fun for seniors (and even gives some of them a new lease on life).

Ideally, seniors want somewhere with minimal noise and distractions. Being able to concentrate is important (especially when gaming online).

A proper computer setup also requires:

• A gaming chair for extra comfort during long stints on the computer
• A study desk that doesn’t rock around and is the right height for the chair and gamer
• A decent-sized monitor (or a large one for seniors with eyesight difficulties)
• A high-accuracy mouse with keyboard (for point-and-click games)
• A reasonable quality, sound canceling set of headphones
• A high performance GPU (if playing modern titles)
• Cable management and power stips (to contain the wires and cords from the rear of the PC)

Seniors wanting to run high-end gaming rigs should also consider cooling fans and ventilation. These components keep the most active parts of the PC, like the CPU and GPU, at a lower temperature, which can help when overclocking or trying to eke out extra performance for the latest games at the highest resolutions.

Senior-Friendly Game Accessories

Finally, you’ll want to consider purchasing some senior-friendly gaming accessories. These come in various shapes and sizes for different needs, and include:

• Gaming keyboards and mice with larger buttons and visuals
• Programmable buttons that reduce complex commands into simple instructions (especially for the cognitively impaired)
• Trays for the mouse and keyboard to adjust the height to a comfortable level
• Standalone games consoles that are easier to boot and use than conventional PCs
• Screen magnification systems that make it more straightforward to view the on-screen actions
• Voice recognition and other accessibility software to explain what’s going on in the viewing window
• Controllers with programmable buttons to accommodate seniors’ requirements

Wrapping Up

So there you have it: our list of senior games and fun activities for elderly adults. These options are ideal for anyone living alone or who regularly meets up with a friendship group or family.

Just remember to keep it safe. While gaming is fun, it can also come with risk in-person and online.

DISCLAIMER: The games on this website are using PLAY (fake) money. No payouts will be awarded, there are no "winnings", as all games represented by 247 Games LLC are free to play. Play strictly for fun.