Fun & Games in The Age of COVID

“Life is too short! Don’t hate it. Enjoy its every moment.”

~ Unknown

We’ve been stuck in our bubbles for so long! We’ve grown accustomed to wearing masks whenever we go out! We miss getting together with our friends and we are longing for the day when we can hug our loved ones. We need some novel ways to have fun, keep our minds keen, our bodies moving, and stay connected while we wait for our second vaccinations. Don’t you? Read this collection of creative ideas we discovered — you might find a new favourite.

Mind Games

It is indisputable that we are growing older (no matter how many times we turn 29)! But as we age, we want to stay healthy, active, and sharp — we want to be able to move, think and participate in life fully, for as long as we can. But can we slow or prevent the degeneration of our minds and bodies?

The scientific community has long believed that brain function deterioration, like physical decline, is inevitable. But is it? New research shows promising evidence that our brains keep producing neurons throughout our entire lives. Not only do these studies hold out hope for cures of diseases such as dementia and Alzheimer’s, but they also point the way to keeping our minds sharp and clear as time marches on.

Although science has not yet found definitive proof that “brain-training” or any other one thing helps to maintain cognitive abilities, brain games are fun and can’t hurt! Keep reading — we found some amusing activities that may improve our brain function as we age, while entertaining us at the same time!

Photo by Levent Simsek from Pexels

Chances are, you have fond memories of sitting around the dining room table while working on a jigsaw puzzle with your family. This engrossing pastime is a mental workout, one that engages both sides of your brain. Check out these benefits of puzzle-building, then get busy on that 1000-piece jigsaw that you want to put together!

Word and number puzzles such as crosswords and Sudoku, are also fun and when done consistently, improve skills in memory, reasoning, and problem-solving.

Try Luminosity if you like online games and puzzles.  Luminosity is a simple online tool to “train your brain” with many fun and challenging cognitive tests. You need to sign up to play, but you can play for free. Paid plans are available if you want to have more options.

Bring out your inner child — try some of the above suggestions for fun brain exercise. If you want more, a quick Google search will find a variety of brain games, puzzles and strategies for staying fit and feeling young!

Learn Something New

We all like to preserve those memories of events and people, but somehow we still hesitate to show the pictures we take of ourselves. Taking a selfie is an art that we are still trying to master. No Baby Boomer wants a photo of themselves with double chins showing or unflattering shots that highlight wrinkles, spots or sagging jowls. We found this post, Selfie Tips: Trepidation from a Baby Boomer and Advice from a Millennial, written by Boomer, Annie Tobey & Millennial, Rachel Marsh that has some great ideas for getting your best shot. Are you ready to up your selfie game?

Photo by Cristina Zaragoza on Unsplash
New ways to Socialize

Let’s face it — staying in our small bubbles during this pandemic is depressing and even though we know it isn’t forever, we still miss seeing the smiling faces of our dear ones. That is why we love these innovative ways to stay connected while physical distancing.

Time for a Chat
Video chat apps are a great way to stay connected when we can’t get together in person. Use an app like Google Duo, Apple Face Time, or Skype to call your kids, grandkids, or friends. It isn’t the same as an in-person visit, but it is wonderful to be able to see and talk to loved ones in real-time. We recently held a virtual family birthday celebration via Messenger video chat. We all wore party hats as we sang Happy Birthday. We ate birthday cake together. The Birthday Girl opened her (delivered) presents and showed off the gifts on screen. It was different, but it was a celebration, and it was fun!

Game Time
Houseparty is an app that allows you to host a virtual games night for up to eight people on your Android, iPhone, PC, or Mac. Available games include Chips and Guac, Heads Up!, Trivia, and Quick Draw. Sounds like fun, right?!

Photo by Suzy Hazelwood from Pexels

Movie Night — the COVID-19 Way
Love watching movies with friends? Download Netflix Party, a free Chrome extension that enables you to watch movies together with a group when you can’t get together physically. It features a group chat and synchronized video playback. The downside? It is only available for Chrome browsers on desktops or laptops.

Reading in Isolation
Do you miss your book club meetings? Try a Zoom meeting — an inventive app for group meetings of all kinds. If you love to read and talk about books as much as we do, a virtual book club meeting may be just the thing to try. You could join or start your own book club or extend the reach of the book club you already have. Check out this site for the 7 Best Online Book Clubs to Join.

Tell us in the comments what you are doing to stay safe, healthy and fit while physically distancing,

4 Comments on “Fun & Games in The Age of COVID

  1. Great selection here. I will have to look into some of your recommendations. I have to admit that I am a jigsaw person, which is very good for one’s brain and one’s sanity. Especially mine. I highly recommend them.

    • Me, too. We usually find a jigsaw under our Christmas tree every year and work on them as a family. Now there is just the two of us in the house, it takes us a bit longer to finish but we still carry on with the tradition. Our 2020 puzzle was a 1000-piece that’s described as a kaleidoscopic wave of colour from the trippy, dimensional design. If you would like to see the finished version, you can view it here. When we were done we realized that the puzzle was indeed missing a piece!! Thank you for your comment!

      • I will have to read them – I love puzzles, too. But my real puzzle addiction is crossword puzzles. 🙂

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