The newest trends are to go online to participate or watch TV shows that will help keep your memory sharp. This may include words, puzzles, shapes and color solvers, and problem-solving conundrums.
You can have fun working your memory, and problem-solving can improve language and analytic skills, in one quick shot.
Websites offer a plethora of free games, including Mahjongg Dimensions, Ice Cream Blast and Tri Peaks Solitaire. Some are for pure fun, and many can offer mental health benefits.
The Science
Neuroscientists are in the game and speak about possible benefits.
Neuroplasticity is the brain’s ability to change itself by remodeling nerve cell connections after experiences, according to Scientific America. That means any aid to improve your memory can improve your mental health.
“A multicenter clinical trial of a commercial brain fitness program makes a case for why we should take brain games more seriously,” said neuroscientist Murali Doraiswamy, along with co-colleague Marc E. Agronin. They reported their findings in Scientific American. Scientific American is noted as the most popular science publication in the country. (Funky Fact: Many famous scientists, including Albert Einstein, have contributed articles in the past 168 years. It is the oldest continuously published monthly magazine in the United States.)
Where to Go for Games
Besides AARP, there are a lot of Internet offerings out there, some free, some for a charge.