19 GAMES, ACTIVITIES AND DYNAMICS FOR THE ELDERLY - ARTE - 2025

Today I come with a list of games for the elderly, playful and dynamic activities to improve memory, attention, language, self-esteem and motor skills of the elderly. If you are not that old, they will also help you train your brain and other areas.

In the late 1990s, the World Health Organization defined active aging as the process that consists of making the most of the opportunities to have physical, mental and social well-being throughout life. And he emphasizes that in addition to continuing to be physically active, it is important to remain socially and mentally active.

You may also be interested in these games to train mental agility.

Exercises / activities for older adults

As explained by the psychologist Úrsula Staudinger, president of the German Psychological Society dedicated to the study of aging at the University of Bremen, even in old age the brain continues to form new neurons, which are responsible for transmitting information.

That's why she recommends looking for mental challenges and novel situations as often as possible. From interacting with new people, acquiring new knowledge such as learning a language, or visiting places we have never been before. Novelty and variety help keep the brain active and preserve intellectual capacity.

The exercises that we propose have several objectives. Some of them are aimed at maintaining or improving manual motor skills, they also promote creativity and increase self-esteem.

And on the other hand, we propose a series of activities to improve or maintain mental capacity by stimulating functions such as memory, attention or language.

1- Making bracelets, necklaces, earrings, etc. with the use of beads

Following an established model or designing your own, different pieces of adornment can be made.

This exercise encourages concentration and attention in an activity, as well as contributing to creativity and maintenance of manual dexterity.

2- Paint

This activity can be very varied, from painting mandalas or coloring figures, to making pictures on canvas or on different surfaces such as tiles.

This exercise enhances manual agility and again helps maintain focus and concentration. It also promotes self-esteem and self-satisfaction.

3- Manual motor tasks

Different tasks such as macramé, crochet, knitting, bobbin lace, etc. All these activities contribute to improving manual motor skills, visual acuity, and the ability to maintain attention.

4- Plasticine to make figures

The use of plasticine to make figures favors the movement and articulation of the hands and fingers. In addition to contributing to self-esteem and reinforcing the feeling of personal improvement.

5- Make puzzles

Again this activity allows you to choose the degree of difficulty that you want to use. It helps to maintain tactile recognition through the pieces and favors concentration as well as observation.

6- Each sheep with its partner

This game consists of grouping all the elements of the same category that are presented mixed on top of a table.

The objects to be used can be very varied, from legumes (in this case you can mix lentils, chickpeas and beans to later separate them into their corresponding category), buttons of different sizes or colors, the cards in a deck, etc.

This exercise helps to maintain the person's intellectual capacity, as well as the mobility of the fingers and hands. And it also facilitates visual-manual coordination.

7- Chained words

This activity consists of chaining words in such a way that the last syllable of a word is the beginning of the next.

For example: table-sa, sa-le-ro, ro-pa, pa-ti-ne-te, and so on. This activity can be done individually or in a group, in which each person says or writes a word. It helps to maintain and promote abilities such as memory, language, or logical reasoning.

8- Reading and commenting on texts

A comprehensive reading of a news item or a chapter of a book is done. Subsequently, a summary of what has been read is made or a series of questions about it is answered.

Promotes memory and verbal communication. It also maintains attention and concentration.

9- Guess what it is

To play this game you need a group of people. An object is hidden in a bag or under a cloth and the person must describe it by touch.

The rest of the participants have the task of guessing which object it is. Helps to exercise language, tactile memory and verbal communication.

10- Description of routes

The person has to explain to the listener or group the route they take, for example to go to buy bread, and all the obstacles, people or particularities that they encounter along the way.

It enhances recognition and spatial orientation, in addition to promoting cognitive abilities such as memory and attention.

11- Who is who

To play this game you need a group of people. It's about recognizing who you are just by voice.

One of the group members covers his eyes and the rest stand in a circle. One will say a previously chosen word and the person with the blindfold will have to guess who it is.

If a word does not succeed, the other person will continue saying another word, and so on until they identify it. This exercise enhances auditory functions by recognizing and identifying sound stimuli.

12- I see I see

This classic game can also be used to maintain and promote different cognitive abilities. One of the group members chooses an object by saying the letter with which it begins.

The other participants are saying possible objects until they identify it. The person who chooses the object can give clues and report on where it is in the room if the classmates cannot guess it. This exercise stimulates memory, visual concentration as well as verbal communication.

13- To the beat

To carry out this activity a group of people are also necessary. One of the members makes a sequence of sounds either by tapping on the table or with an object and the others have to repeat the same sequence and with the same rhythm.

This activity enhances auditory acuity and attention through stimulus recognition. It also contributes to maintaining and improving short-term memory.

14- Form words

A set of letters are presented and the person has to form as many meaningful words as possible in a given period of time. This activity fosters skills such as memory, language or observation.

15- Do hobbies

Crosswords, word searches, sudokus, etc. There are various activities with different degrees of difficulty. They contribute to maintaining and improving vocabulary, memory and concentration. It also favors logical thinking and visual acuity.

16- What does it smell like?

This exercise consists of putting a series of objects and substances in different containers, for example soap, chamomile, a rose, etc. The person's eyes are covered and must find out what object it is through the aroma it gives off.

This exercise enhances recognition and identification through olfactory ability. Promotes memory and concentration.

17- Remember and describe images

An image of a landscape or person is presented for a few seconds. The person must retain as many details as possible during that time because later they will have to describe everything they remember about the image. This activity promotes visual ability, memory and concentration.

18- Memory exercises

Cities

1) Try to memorize these cities

2) Answer these questions

• Which city is the one in the top box in the center?
• What city is the one in the center box on the right?
• What city is the one in the bottom left box?
• …

Persons

1) Memorize the following row of people:

2) Answer these questions:

• Where is the woman with the yellow scarf?
• Where is the tallest man?
• What is the man in position 4 like?
• What is the man in last position like?

19- Attention exercises

In these drawings you must find the 5 differences

These are just one example of the exercises and games that can be done to promote different cognitive abilities and serve as entertainment for the elderly.

In addition to these activities, it is recommended that older people perform different exercises aimed at promoting and maintaining physical conditions, always depending on the possibilities of each one.

There are different activities that maintain or improve muscle strength, coordination, balance, or reflexes. These activities may include exercises to stimulate specific parts of the body such as the neck, arms, hands, or legs.

Or those that are aimed at promoting a specific ability such as balance, for example walking on a line drawn on the ground or to the rhythm of music. As well as more general exercises such as walking, practicing some directed activity such as tai chi or swimming.

Other games and activities

Games to train the brain.

Games to improve memory.

Exercises to improve attention.

Bibliographic references

1. Baltes, PB, Ulman, L., Staudinger, U. (2007) Life Span Theory in Developmental Psychology. Wiley online library
2. Chodzko-Zajko, W. (2014) Exercise and Physical Activity for Older Adults. Kinesiology review.
3. Güvendik, E. (2016) Active aging offers new lifestyle for seniors. Daily Sabah.
4. Harris, D. (2015) Study shows brain training for elderly improves every day life and memory skills. Mirror.
5. Indina University, Johns Hopkins University, University of Florida and University of Washington. (2014). Just a few brain workouts can have long-lasting benefits in seniors, study says. The Washington Post.
6. Chai, C. (2013) Brain exercise trumps medication in maintaining seniors' cognitive health: study. Canada
7. Ardila, A., Rosselli, M. (2009) Neuropsychological characteristics of normal aging. Developmental Neuropsychology.