Published: December 16, 2020
The Bottom Line
- Board games are fun activities that can help older adults improve their quality of life and their memory.
- Board games can promote the acquisition of knowledge, while allowing exchanges through interpersonal interactions.
- Board games (including their digital versions) can help us to break social isolation with fun activities (while maintaining the rules of confinement and social distancing).
Do you remember cards nights with family and friends? Games of Scrabble, Trivial Pursuit, Monopoly, Chess, Go, or Rummy?
Many people enjoy board games of all kinds, whether they be logic games, numbers, letters, sudokus… Some board games have been around for millennia! Many older adults are fans of these games because they are fun recreational activities that allow them to maintain social contacts.
What is known about the effects of board games on the quality of life or physical and cognitive functions of older adults?
The McMaster Optimal Aging Portal (mcmasteroptimalaging.org), a unique online health resource created by McMaster University to support the healthy aging of Canada’s older adult population, is highlighting ways to stay active and engaged while practicing physical distancing during the current COVID-19 pandemic.​ Read more.
