Simple Games to Play That Help Improve Memory

As people get older they always seem to complain that they can’t remember things. But, does this have to happen? The answer is no. Your brain is a muscle and like any other muscle it is necessary to exercise it to keep it in top shape. How do you keep your brain in shape? If you want to see brain memory improvement try one of these simple games.

One of the best known memory games is the simple match game. This can easily be played with a deck of cards. You turn the cards over, and try to match up the card in pairs as quickly as possible.

Another classic is the picnic game. This game is played in a group where each person adds an imaginary object into the basket. As play goes around the table each person must recall in the correct order what everyone else put in to the basket before adding their own object. A person is out if they cannot remember what someone put in the basket or if they remember things out of order. This is a great game to play with your children.

The story game is another great game to play if you have a group of people. Place a random group of objects on a table and then begin constructing the story. If three of the objects on the table were a dog biscuit, a flashlight and a nickel; the story might begin with the first person saying:

“Mary grabbed the flashlight”

The second person continues the story “Mary grabbed the flashlight. She put the dog biscuit in her pocket.”

Then the third person might say, “Mary grabbed the flashlight. She put the dog biscuit in her pocket. In her hurry she knocked the nickel on the floor.”

Play continues until all the objects on the table have been included in the story. Now, you remove the objects and try to remember the story. Or in a more competitive version each person writes down on a piece of paper as many objects as they can remember.

If you are on your own, a simple game to play is the blind jigsaw. Study the picture carefully and then try to put the puzzle together without referring to the picture.

The picture memory game is fun to play in restaurants. The person whose turn it is looks around the room for one minute and then closes their eyes. The second person then asks a question about a person or object in the room.

The question could be anything. What was the waitress’ name? What color was the man’s shirt at the table behind us? The idea here is to combine memory with a visual image.

Trivia is always a great way to help remember things. It gets you to focus and use your recall to dig up long forgotten facts. Trivia can be played anywhere and with anyone. You can play it with your children in the car or with friends while driving in the car pool to work.

Anyone of these games is a great way to help improve your memory. Not only will you begin to notice that your memory is improving but you may also notice that you have increased your level of cognitive thinking. The more you play the better you will become. As with anything else practice makes perfect.