8 Games to Boost Your Brain Power

Use it or lose it is a saying that applies to so many aspects of life, but definitely brain power. If you want to stay sharp and ward off dementia in your older years, one of the best ways to do it is by playing games that make you think. Playing games that make you think is just one of 15 ways you can increase brain power according to Brainz.org.

My favorite games include:

Smarty Pants: Trivia for Everyone for Wii – players answer trivia questions in a variety of categories but with a bit of a twist. You may have to play tug of war with your opponents, you can bump the spinner and change your opponents categories, and do a dance for double points. You enter your age when you play the game which helps the game make sure you get age appropriate challenges. This is a favorite family game in our house.

Scrabble – a true classic game for the ages. Scrabble is available in so many formats including classic board game versions, online versions (Get SCRABBLE FREE with GamePass), mobile versions and even versions for Facebook and other social media sites. Check out the new variation that is for kids and grown ups called Bananagrams.

Boggle – there are so many variations of the game Boggle and it can also be found in a classic board game form, online variations, and you can make printable versions of the game, too. The goal is to see how many words you can make out of a group of random letters moving from letter to letter without skipping over one. I even have this for my mobile phone – for when I am bored out of my mind at the doctors or dentist office.

The Game of SCATTERGORIES – roll a letter and then see how many words you can think of that start with that letter that also are the answers to certain category clues. It is fast paced game that kids and grown ups can enjoy.

Brain Age: Train Your Brain in Minutes a Day!, Brain Age 2: More Training in Minutes a Day!, and Big Brain Academy are all available for Nintendo DS and other game systems. All three contain a range of games and activities guaranteed to make you think creatively and challenge your brain power.

Cranium - the Cranium series of games has something for everyone – kids, grownups, big thinkers, and creativity hounds. The new Cranium Family Edition is perfect for family game nights combining the best of the original Cranium with a simpler format and slightly shorter game.