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Puzzles can also act as positive sources of relaxation for those in the post-retirement stage of their lives. Those who are younger experience a lot more events daily that lead to them being ready to rest. Seniors may have fewer things to be tired of every day.
Enhance Problem-Solving Skills
Seniors do not come by very many opportunities to sharpen their problem-solving skills. Even in old age, it is crucial to challenge yourself mentally as it will enhance your ability to overcome conflict in daily life.
The puzzles you work on do not need to be complicated. Any degree of problem-solving will keep the mind engaged, even the simplest of crosswords, because there is still an amount of brainstorming required to complete it.
Jigsaw puzzles are great in helping improve and maintain problem-solving skills. This is because you have to be able to visualize how each piece fits into the overall picture. Participants run into situations where they think they might have the right part, only to find out that it could not possibly be the right piece because its orientation does not fit the proposed location.
Provide Opportunities for Social Connections
Having good social connections is critical for an individual’s mental health, and puzzles actually can allow seniors to connect with others. There are clubs, informal or formal, where you can meet with others to play these brain games.
Many retirement communities have set-up puzzle clubs for their residents to participate in. You might be surprised how many of these brain games are actually conducive to group play. For example, one neat idea involves holding a jigsaw competition.
In a jigsaw competition, participants are divided into separate teams that are given the same puzzle. The winning team is the one who can complete it the fastest. This basic format can be modified for just about any kind of brain game; you can create competitions for crosswords or word searches as well.
Escape games are designed for larger groups. The Escape Room in the Box by Werewolf is one such example of a potential group activity for seniors. The box contains various 2D and 3D puzzles that each play a role in helping seniors “crack the code” to escape a hypothetical locked room.
Besides a physical group game, there are also various online games where seniors can interact with other live players even if their travel capabilities are limited. The website Jigsaw Puzzles is an example of a platform where older adults can participate in multiplayer puzzles and invite friends to join them.
Puzzles Can Be Played with Grandchildren
The hobby is inclusive of all ages and very family-friendly. For this reason, grandparents are encouraged to use these fun activities to connect with their grandchildren. Many of them are already child-friendly.
You do not necessarily need to complete a puzzle in one sitting in the way that you would in a board game. After all, young children can quickly become disinterested in an activity. Jigsaw puzzles are an excellent grandchild-grandparent project because just a little bit can be completed each time the grandchildren visit.
Sharpen Logic and Reasoning
As you age, you will likely have less opportunity to utilize your logical thinking skills. Sudoku offers the elderly a chance to complete a game that sharpens such skills.
For those unfamiliar with what Sudoku is, here is a basic rundown:
- The game consists of a 9×9 square grid containing 81 cells.
- The entire grid is split up into nine different 3×3 blocks.
- There is a select number of the 81 cells already with numbers between 1 and 9. (These are referred to as “givens.”)
- The object of the game is to fill the entire grid so that each row, column, and block features each number only once.
The first step in solving any Sudoku puzzle involves the practice of “cross-hatching” to determine—via the process of elimination—which numbers cannot be entered in any given row, column, or box. From there, the player must then use logic to find patterns.
Attention to numbers and patterns is an absolute must if you are to be successful in this endeavor. Even though it sounds complicated, there are plenty of “beginner” difficulty puzzles that will help participants learn the ropes before they proceed to more challenging ones.
It Keeps the Fingers Moving
Occupational therapists have observed the completion of puzzles as having physical benefits in addition to mental ones. This is because they require some level of hand movement to be completed successfully, as is recognized in this study on the use of jigsaws to enlist cognitive skills.
As limited as this movement may seem, it can actually be quite significant for someone who is not readily mobile. In their case, the puzzle may be one of the best chances to stay active and engaged throughout the day. It is most certainly an improvement over sitting in front of the television most of the time.
Many seniors struggle to find routine physical activities that are not overly strenuous and will not lead to injury. However, some activities, such as jigsaw puzzles, require seniors to maneuver items only with their hands; pen and pad games like crossword puzzles require them to use their fingers to write with a pen or pencil.
