AGEUK, based in London, is the umbrella for a massive network of organizations and charities supporting in various capacities the senior population of the United Kingdom. AGEUK‘s overarching mission pivots around efforts to educate, inform, instruct, advice, assist seniors for the purpose of bettering or uplifting their wellbeing, and raising the quality and comfort of their aging process. An admirable and noble stretch of the human heart.
I was asked to contribute to an article on AGEUK suggesting activities for seniors in their homes. I am posting here what was published in AGEUK Mobility online magazine (November 2018). My text in quotes is part of a lengthy, comprehensive piece (the magazine’s comments are in italics). AGEUK‘s entire thoughtful piece on toolkits for seniors is a nudge to remind us of the importance and value of the senior population to humanity. Being a baby boomer myself (and a stubborn romantic idealist at heart), I’d like to think that we are the gems of wisdom, the “Yodas” of this world’s generations.
From AgeUK Mobility:
Puzzles and riddles are great for the mind, and for fun
Blogger, author, and grandma Linda Jacob, known online as Baby Boomer Lola, recommends riddles and word games:
“A special aura and excitement hover around winter holidays. While schools close for a couple of weeks and adults take holiday, multiple opportunities for family gatherings surface. That means grandparents get to see their children and grandchildren more. I’m a grandma to a nine-year-old wonderful boy who loves to read and who collects riddles and trick questions that challenge the mind. On winter times, when the cold outside pokes the bones, staying indoors is most preferred. These are good times to engage the youths in conversation or story-telling or reading. With my grandson, I take great delight in lively repartee triggered by riddles, trick questions and word games like word Pictionary. You can tell, I love these word and mind games, especially when I play with my grandson who often takes the lead in managing these games. Try this with your grandchildren. Remember to laugh a lot. It’s okay to give way to spontaneous giggles or chuckles; they come with the territory of playing with your adorable grandchildren.”
Ask grandchildren to share their own stories
Sometimes, the simplest solution can be the most successful. As a great way to bond, talking to grandchildren about their own stories and what is going on in their life is a great way to spend a day together. Blogger, Baby Boomer Lola, weighed in on this:
“When the riddles run dry, and they will, unless you want repeats, ask your grandchildren to tell you stories about school, or of activities and projects they’re involved in, or of books they’ve read. Recently, my grandson showed me a comic book he and three friends created. Marvelous imagination and creativity. When my grandson read me the conversation text on every panel, I thought, this boy reading to his grandma felt wonderful. While often what happens is grandparents reading to their grandchildren – it gives the youths a boost of confidence and sense of accomplishment when you ask them to read to you. And if the young ones haven’t yet mastered the skill of reading, that just might motivate them to learn more how to read, so they can read to Grandma and Grandpa.”
[More of the entire article that published my text is on AGEUK Mobility online]
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