Do you have a favorite game or puzzle? Do you play Sisters Cultural Clues Word Search or other games on aarp.org? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
Ever since I was a little Black girl reading for an hour in a yellow school bus heading to an all-white school, I’ve been a self-proclaimed word nerd. I always had at least two fiction books from the school or public library and couldn’t wait for the Scholastic Book Fair to buy more of them filled with word games. I had no idea I was building vocabulary, fostering a love for language, or reinforcing literacy skills. I also had no idea I’d be proclaimed the official word nerd when I read more books as a second grader than anyone else in the school. My prize was a red T-shirt with BOOKWORM written in white letters to prove it.
I just loved words – spoken, written, and in word games. I loved the challenges of seeing how many words I could make from the letters in one word at the top of the page and finishing the Jumble puzzle in the comics section of the newspaper. Wider than my two arms stretched wide, I folded it in half at least three times. I was left with a smile on my face and ink all over my hands.
Now, in my fifties, while I still remember the details of that experience, I sometimes can’t remember where I put my keys, what I had for lunch, or why I walked into a room at any given time. Thankfully, I’m learning my lifelong love for words, and word games are helping me score points for better brain health, memory, reduced stress, and overall wellbeing. And more often, I’m remembering not to leave home without them. Here are three reasons every sister needs word games in her purse.
Improve Brain Health
In our 30’s and 40’s, different parts of our brains can start to shrink, leading to normal age-related cognitive decline. We may experience problems with memory, communication, problem-solving, learning new things, and social interaction. Blood flow in the brain decreases, and communication between our brains and other parts of our bodies is less effective. By 60, the rate of shrinkage increases.
“Word games keep your brain engaged and stimulated, and people who stay cognitively engaged can maintain their more useful brain. There’s evidence that people can still benefit if they are already in their 60’s and 70’s,” said Vonetta M. Dotson, PhD, Director of the Georgia State University Brain Health Clinic, founder and president of Cerebrofit, and author of Keep Your Wits About You: The Science of Brain Maintenance as You Age (Part of the American Psychological Association’s LifeTools Series).
But the key is variety. If you keep doing the same puzzles, they become less challenging and less effective.