Completing these puzzles requires some level of motor skills to be used in ways that seniors may not need to in their daily lives. This is particularly the case if they happen to live in an assisted living situation where they do not need to partake in routine activities around the home like cooking and cleaning.
Puzzles Are Can Be Worked on Anywhere
It may be challenging for seniors to find a hobby that they can participate in, no matter the weather. Seniors are more susceptible than others to weather that is either excessively hot or excessively cold, so it is essential to find a meaningful hobby that can be done in both an indoor and outdoor setting.
Puzzles are the ultimate answer to the question of what to do on a cold and rainy day. They are a readily-mobile activity because they can be completed on a covered back porch or a table inside. The quality of play does not depend upon external influences like the weather.
You Can Get Puzzles Anywhere
Finally, puzzles are easy to come by; you can purchase them at your local store or online, and there are many different types to choose from. The online purchase method is excellent for seniors because you don’t have to physically visit any store, ideal for older adults with limited mobility.
Best Types of Puzzles for Seniors
To maximize the above-listed mental benefits, you are encouraged to mix things up with different types of puzzles. This is because consistently solving the same kinds of enigmas every day won’t do much to actually challenge the brain in the long-term. (It would be akin to only doing upper body exercises every day and never leg exercises.)
With that said, the following is a summary of some of the best types of puzzles for older adults worth keeping in your inventory:
Jigsaw Puzzles
Jigsaw puzzles are one of the best types of puzzles for seniors to try their hand at. The reason is that they are easy to complete at your own pace. You can easily step away from it and complete it later.
Jigsaws also come available in varying degrees of difficulty. Some are quite simple on one end of the spectrum (an example would be a picture of birds on a branch). At the opposite end of the spectrum, you will find tricky puzzles with lots of detail. An example of a much more difficult one would be this picture of Times Square in New York.
- Size: 27.5*19.7 in / 70*50 cm (after completed). National parks jigsaw puzzle with exquisite packing...
- Meaningful Travel Puzzles for Adults: This 1000 piece puzzles landscape features 63 national parks...
- Excellent Workmanship: The scenic puzzles for adults 1000 piece is made of three-layer cardboard and...
- Contains a 500 piece jigsaw puzzle
- Finished size is 21.25 in. X 15 in
- Full Color Bonus poster included for help in solving
- [About This 1000pc Puzzle] View the vastness of the tallest trees and wildlife wonders from your...
- [Bestselling Puzzle Brand Worldwide] Ravensburger has sold over 1 billion jigsaw puzzles for adults...
- [Premium Puzzling Experience] Captivating imagery from artists across the globe. Clean-cut pieces...
Sudoku
Sudoku is another example of a game that will always keep the player mentally engaged since there are typically six different difficulty standards ranging from “beginner” to “diabolical.” You can find a sudoku book here. The book contains over 1,000 different puzzles ranging from beginner to expert in difficulty.
- Publishing XR, Nova (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 116 Pages - 07/05/2021 (Publication Date) - Independently published (Publisher)
- OVER 500 PUZZLES SOLUTIONS: Hours of fun and entertainment to enjoy!| VARIETY OF LEVELS: From levels...
- Parragon Books (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- Publications International Ltd. (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 256 Pages - 08/01/2018 (Publication Date) - Publications International, Ltd. (Publisher)
Cryptograms
You may be familiar with cryptograms from newspapers. These are puzzles that start with a well-known quote (either historical or a common phrase) in capital letters but substitute a new letter for each original letter given. The objective is to use your own intuition to decipher the phrase.
This booklet contains a wide variety of cryptogram.
- Guardian (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 288 Pages - 06/15/2021 (Publication Date) - Welbeck Publishing (Publisher)
- Simpson, Fraser (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 140 Pages - 01/25/2021 (Publication Date) - Zarf Puzzles (Publisher)
- Glass, Peter (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 100 Pages - 04/13/2019 (Publication Date) - Independently published (Publisher)
Word Searches
These types of puzzles will ensure that your vocabulary is kept strong. Word searches also present an opportunity for you to exercise your concentration since you will need to decipher words from a jumbled mess.
You can find an extensive collection of word searches here. Older adults will also find this large print word search booklet to be easy to read.
- Large Print Word Search Books for Adults and Seniors: Pack of 4 Deluxe Easy-To-Read Word Find Puzzle...
- 4 books filled with stimulating word puzzles -- words cleverly hidden in every puzzle.
- Fascinating themes throughout.
- MY JAM, THAT'S (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 227 Pages - 11/25/2022 (Publication Date) - Independently published (Publisher)
- TASSE, SENIOR (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 104 Pages - 03/23/2024 (Publication Date) - Independently published (Publisher)
Vocabulary Games
These types of puzzles typically involve some kind of word association. They may ask you to rhyme with a set of words, pick out which word doesn’t belong to a group or pick a list of words that fit a specific requirement. These are fun brain games that are designed to stave off the onset of memory loss issues. You can find a booklet full of brain games here.
- Publications International Ltd. (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 192 Pages - 12/15/2007 (Publication Date) - Publications International, Ltd. (Publisher)
- People who solve word games & brainteasers hold significant cognitive advantage over those who...
- The illustrated game book specifically created to cross-train the brain
- Fun games to stretch, challenge and engage your clients, which stimulate the formation of neurons
- Sold as 1 Each.
- TikTok made me buy it - over 3 million sold! Millions of players around the world can’t get enough...
- Kanoodle includes 200 addicting 2D 3D puzzles from beginner basic to deviously difficult; there are...
Final Thoughts
Puzzles are primarily cited to help stave off the mental effects associated with aging in seniors. However, there are plenty more benefits of puzzles that go even beyond that, such as helping older adults maintain meaningful relationships and connect with the people around them. They can even help the elderly keep the dexterity of their fingers.
10 Reasons Why Seniors Should Join A Book Club (Expert Tips)
Overall, puzzles have much more to offer seniors than you may think, so pick up an excellent book of word searches for yourself or a loved one and start putting your brain and hands to work!
