Boosting Cognition with Memory Games

If genetics are any indication (fingers crossed), I will live a long, healthy life and have a better memory than my children. After all, my mom is 94 (95 next month. Happy birthday, Mom!) and knocks the socks off most people with her mental acuity. When we visit a doctor’s office, the good ol’ doc looks to me for a health update, and I just point to my mom and say, “Talk to her.” And they do…talk, converse, listen, and, ultimately, come away amazed.

But why? According to the Population Reference Bureau, approximately 33% of individuals in the US over 90 have dementia. So, what sets my mom and many others like her apart?

While I don’t have an explanation — my mom ate foods like Spam and canned Chicken-a-la-King, and she never exercised — her indoor activities may have something to do with it. Reading, cards, puzzles, and crafts continue to occupy most of her free time. Plus, she has a constant companion in her cat, Romey Yoe (get it? Clearly a name her theatre-lovin’ daughter selected).

Memory games and activities will never hurt at any age, so here are a few suggestions that just may help you sharpen your mental agility, hone your memory, and live to the ripe young age of 95.

FREE OPTIONS

New York Times app
Download the New York Times app for free and play new puzzles daily. The app features Wordle, Mini Crossword, Sudoku, and more.

MindGames.com
Owned by Zygomatic, MindGames.com offers a huge selection of free games in several languages including English, Spanish, German, and Dutch. Games feature Mahjong, Solitaire, Word Search, and much more. Games are free and donations are welcome.
CAUTION: The large green “Play” button that appears takes you off of the website.

Poki.com
This Amsterdam based gaming platform is free and open to all. There are categories that feature brain games, logic games, and intelligence games — great for mental stimulation.
CAUTION: The large green “Play” button that appears takes you off of the website.

LOW-COST OPTIONS

Card Games
Whether you’re playing alone or with friends, there are countless card games to play if you have a simple deck of cards that runs about $5. Whether it’s Bridge or Gin Rummy, Concentration or Mexican Train, you can see rules for numerous games sorted either alphabetically or by the number of players available at pagat.com.

Board Games
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about 6.7 million people in the US have Alzheimer’s disease and dementia; however, the risk of dementia decreased 15% among those who played board games. Plus, you’ll build skills in reasoning, memory, and logic. Consider Cribbage, Chess, Checkers, Four Square, Monopoly, and even childhood favorites such as Chutes and Ladders.

Activity Books
In addition to your typical crossword puzzle, mazes or Suduko books, check out Murdle. Based on the popular online daily mystery game, these increasingly difficult whodunnit logic puzzles ask readers to solve who committed murder, with what weapon, and where. Similar activity books are based on favorite literary characters like Shurdle (Sherlock Holmes puzzles) and The Official  Agatha Christie Puzzle Book.

PAID OPTIONS

Elevate
Elevate Labs has created two award-winning apps. Elevate is designed to build communication, math, and memory skills while Balance provides personalized meditation  to improve stress, sleep, and more. Elevate, specifically, offers flexible training and more than 40 “brain games.”

Lumosity
Lumos Labs created Lumosity, an online tool to train core cognitive abilities that combines disciplines as wide ranging as neuroscience to visual art. Cognitive games are designed to improve processing speed, memory, attention, flexibility, problem solving, reading comprehension, and math. Free, individual, and family plans are available.

Peak
Using neuroscience, technology, and fun, Peak believes that everyone can always improve. The Peak app challenges users to improve their cognitive skills through fun, stimulating games and workouts.