Games for older relatives

Good games for older relatives are the ones where nobody is being tested. The aim is company and conversation, with the game as a reason to sit down together.

Below: card and table games, memory-friendly options, reminiscence activities and adjustments for eyesight, hearing and mobility.

Card and table games that always work

• Rummy - familiar to most generations, easy to play at any pace.
• Whist and Newmarket, both British household staples.
• Dominoes, which needs no reading and works with poor eyesight if the tiles are large.
• Cribbage, if there is a board and someone remembers the pegging.
• Draughts and Ludo for two-player visits.
• Bingo, which remains popular in homes for good reason.

Memory-friendly options

• Music from their teens and twenties - name the artist, no pressure to be right.
• Photo sorting - go through a box of pictures together and label the backs.
• Old adverts and slogans - finish the jingle.
• Name the film from the poster.
• Simple word games with no timer, ever.
• Games where being wrong costs nothing. Anything competitive can go wrong quickly.

Reminiscence activities

• Ask about their first job, first car, first dance.
• Cook or bake something from their era and talk while you do it.
• Look at a map of where they grew up on a tablet.
• Listen to a radio programme they remember.
• Write down one story each visit. You will be very glad of it later.

Adjusting for eyesight, hearing and mobility

• Large-print cards and big dominoes are cheap and change everything.
• Sit on their better-hearing side and face them when you speak.
• Play on a tray table if reaching across is difficult.
• Good light, no glare, plain tablecloth.
• Short sessions - twenty minutes is often plenty.
• Follow their lead on pace and never hurry a turn.

Games for a whole family visit

• Team quizzes with mixed ages, so nobody carries the round alone.
• Charades, with gentle categories.
• Pass the photo album, one story per person.
• Guess the year of family photographs.
• Anything where grandchildren ask the questions and the older relative answers.

Browse thinking of you cards

How to write it so it lands

• Large-print cards and big dominoes cost very little and change the whole visit.
• Write down one story each time you visit. You will not regret it.

Where to shop next

• Car journey games
• Waiting room games
• Games for a pub table
• Kids' party games by age
• Games for older relatives
• Best board games for families
• Charades word lists
• Pictionary word lists
• Old fashioned party games
• Rainy day activities for families
• Classic family card games
• Nostalgic quiz questions
• Planning the party? Birthday party ideas
• How to make a balloon arch
• Photo booth prop ideas
• All guides

Frequently asked questions

What games are good for someone with dementia?

Non-competitive, no-timer activities - music from their youth, photo sorting, dominoes, simple card games. The aim is company, not testing recall.

What card games are easiest for older people?

Rummy, whist and newmarket are widely known across generations. Large-print cards make all of them far easier.