Word games are a great way for seniors to exercise their mental agility. Whether you’re looking for some games to play with your grandparent or for a fun activity at an assisted living facility, we’ve got you covered with these 15 word games for seniors and the elderly. These games range from board games to fun games you can play with just a whiteboard or sheet of paper. Ready to dive in and get to know these word games for seniors?
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CLASSIC WORD GAMES FOR SENIORS
Let’s start off with some classic word games everyone is bound to know. Anyone can play these games—seniors included, of course!
1. BOGGLE
Hands down, one of the best word games for seniors (or really anybody) of all time is Boggle. This is a relatively fast-paced word game that’s perfect for sparking some healthy brain activity as well as a bit of competition while you’re at it! To play, shake the cube, then let the lettered dice settle into the 4×4 grid. Now, everyone races against the timer to write down as many words as they can, ensuring the letters they use in the grid touch each other. And no cube can be used more than once per word! Feel free to extend the timer by 30 seconds or a minute if the set time seems too stressful.
Want to play Boggle? Get it here:
- FAVORITE WORD SEARCH GAME: Shake up Family Game Night with the Boggle game! It's...
- SPOT THE MOST WORDS: To play, shake up the letters in the grid, flip the timer,...
- Shake up the letters, flip the timer and spot the words fast
2. SCRABBLE
When you think of word games, one of the first board games that will likely pop up in your head is Scrabble. In this iconic board game, up to 4 players play against each other, trying to build high-scoring words on a crossword-style board. Every letter tile that is drawn comes associated with a specific number of points that you’ll need to utilize strategically to get the most points possible when laying down words on the board. Plus, as the game progresses, it gets more and more difficult to find space for the words you want to play, so you’ll need to be thinking strategically and creatively.
Want to play Scrabble? Get it here:
- CLASSIC CROSSWORD GAME: Get family and friends together for a fun game night...
- WOODEN TILES AND RACKS: This edition of the Scrabble game features 100 wooden...
- RACK UP THE POINTS: Scrabble letters are worth points, and premium squares on...
3. CROSSWORD PUZZLES
Everyone loves a good crossword puzzle. Whether you’re playing from a newspaper or a book, crosswords are a timeless activity you can play alone or with a few other people. Crossword puzzles really keep the brain sharp and enhance recall and language skills—perfect for seniors and non-seniors alike! In a crossword puzzle, players read clues and try to guess the words these clues are referring to. And the satisfaction you’ll get from filling in that final crossword clue won’t be like anything you’ve ever felt!
Want to play crossword puzzles? Get them here:
- Clark, Beverly (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 124 Pages - 10/09/2024 (Publication Date) - Practical Use Publishing (Publisher)
4. HANGMAN
Looking for a relatively simple but classic word game for seniors? Try Hangman! This is a simple guessing game that challenges your spelling skills. And the best part? All you need to play is a pen and paper or a whiteboard (we’ll go over more whiteboard word games for seniors below). In this game, one player thinks of a random word and leaves blank spaces for each letter. Everyone else must try to guess the word by guessing one letter at a time. But try not to get too many letters wrong, as each wrong guess leads to a part of a stick figure of a hanging man being drawn. Yikes!
5. UPWORDS
Are you a big fan of Scrabble but want something a little different? You should check out Upwords. Just like Scrabble, you still build words on a board, but here’s the twist: You can stack letters on top of each other to create entirely new words. That means, “cat” can become “hat” and then “chat” to “chart” and more! Also, the higher the stack, the more you score. You can really test your creativity with this word board game.
EASY WORD GAMES FOR SENIORS
These word games for seniors are easy to pick up and don’t take a lot of setup, so they’re perfect for a casual group setting.
6. WORD SEARCH
One of the easiest word games for seniors to play is a word search. Made up of a grid filled with jumbled-up letters and a list of hidden words to find, you can easily find word searches online with a quick Google search, get one from a newspaper, or use a word search book for non-stop fun. Players must find these hidden words that you’ll find horizontally, vertically, diagonally, and even backward. Then, circle these hidden words when you find them! While these games are technically played solo, you can play them in small groups or pairs. Or you could even turn it into a friendly competition.
Want to play word searches? Get them here:
- Find hundreds of words in an easy to read format - Some words you'll spot...
- A wide range of puzzle topics, including movies, actors, sports, cars, and more!
- Variations on the standard word search puzzles are included for extra challenge.
7. RHYME TIME
Looking for a word game to play with no supplies? You should play Rhyme Time, a game best played in a group. However, you can play this game with as few as two players. As you might be able to guess, this word game involves some rhyming. One player starts off the game by saying a word. Then, the next person has to come up with something that rhymes with that word. Keep going around in a circle until someone is unable to think of a rhyming word. Once you’re done with that word, the person who lost the previous round can think of a new word that everyone must rhyme with.
8. ALPHABET GAME
To play this simple but super fun word game for seniors, first, pick a broad category, such as foods, cities, animals, or countries. Then, one player starts the game by naming something in that category that begins with A. The next player names something that begins with B. And so on. It’s a fun, flexible game you can play literally anywhere, as no materials are needed. Whoever is unable to name something in the next letter is out! The winner of the game gets to name the next category.
9. CATEGORIES
Categories is a very similar game to the Alphabet Game. In this word game, players pick a category. But this time, feel free to pick a narrower category, such as:
- Types of Italian food
- Sodas
- Shades of red
- Fast food restaurants
Then, players must go around taking turns naming one thing in that category. No repeats or hesitations allowed!
10. WORD ASSOCIATION
Here’s yet another fast-paced word game perfect for seniors to play. In Word Association, one player says a word, any word. Then, the next player must say the first thing that pops into their mind when that word is said. Keep going until someone says something completely unrelated or hesitates for a beat too long. For example, a chain could look like this:
- Train
- Rail
- Metal
- Aluminum
- Etc.
This game is sure to keep everyone on their toes!
WHITEBOARD WORD GAMES FOR SENIORS
All you have is a whiteboard but you want to play a word game? No worries! We’ve got you covered with these word games to play on a whiteboard for seniors, perfect for playing in a small or large group setting.
11. LAST LETTER GAME
This is a great game to play if every player has a mini whiteboard to draw on. The first player writes down a random word. The next person has to write down a word that starts with the last letter of that word. And so on. Avoid repeats! If you really want to stretch your knowledge and vocabulary, restrict the words to a specific category, such as “adjectives” or “nature.”
If you only have one whiteboard, don’t worry. You can simply say the words instead of writing them down. But the organizer of the game can write down the words as they are being said in order to help avoid repeats.
12. SCRAMBLED WORDS
Scrambled Words is all about solving jumbled word puzzles. This is like a mini brain teaser, perfect for mental agility for seniors. On a whiteboard, write down a scrambled version of a word. Then, everyone must race to unscramble it. This is a great game for spelling and recognition!
13. WORD LADDERS
This is a very fun word puzzle to play with seniors who love a challenge. In this word puzzle, players must start with one word and end with another, changing just one letter at a time. Each step must be a real word, and the fewer moves the better. Write each step down on a whiteboard to help visualize everything. A bit confused? Here’s an example play:
The goal: Change “cold” to “warm”
cold > cord > card > ward > warm
14. MIXED-UP SENTENCES
This game is similar to Scrambled Words, but instead of scrambled words, you have scrambled sentences. Write down a scrambled sentence on a whiteboard—as in, the word order must be incorrect, such as “green the is glove.” Then, the players must race to unscramble the sentence. The first to do so wins and gets a point!
15. WORDS IN WORDS
In Words in Words, on a whiteboard, write down a big, juicy word like “basketball,” “characteristic,” or “television.” Then, players must find as many smaller swords as they can using only the letters from the original word. For example, from “basketball,” players might find the words “ball,” “basket,” “table,” and “belt.” Whoever finds the most words wins the round!
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