These Games Will Keep Your Brain Active on Weekends
The popular phrase “All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy” is true to the letter. It’s also true that the brain is like a muscle... the more it is exercised, the more powerful it grows! Well, the ‘challenge’ aspect of games is what makes them effective in engaging the brain and keeping it exercised. This is actually why most workplaces have team building events and sports days in their work calendar. It allows the employees and their bosses to break from the work monotony and at least be aware of their environment as they socialize with their colleagues and interact with their bosses at a social level.
Apart from entertaining you and triggering the release of your brain’s happy chemicals, some games cure laziness and increase your level of concentration. Some are effective in boosting attention span, memory, and brain activity in general. Some can even help you learn new things or grow your skills in certain areas like language and mathematics, for instance.
This having said, here are some games that will keep your brain active on weekends.
1. Scrabble
The game is played by two to four players who score by forming words using tiles that contain single letters on them. The letters are used to form complete words in a crossword-style where the players score. The game can be bought in the bookstores or you can download it online. Played by people of all ages, scrabble is one of the most popular board games out there. Apart from being a fun activity that makes you happy, playing scrabble with friends and loved ones can be a great way to unwind during the weekend. Among other health benefits such as improving immunity and reducing blood pressure, scrabble is also effective in boosting memory and enhancing cognition.
Especially for beginners, the most popular word-game is even more fun if you have a tool that helps you unscramble words and letters or gives you clues. If you browse this site, you will learn what a word unscrambler is; how to use it, and the benefits of using one. Maximize the fun by not letting those high-scoring words escape you during a round.
2. Sudoku
Out of experience, this is one of the most addicting games you can come across. It is an age-old number placement game that puts your concentration and keenness to the test. You also need to be good at evaluating numbers since as per the Sudoku rules, you’re not supposed to place the same number twice in a selected area. Sudoku comes in varying degrees of difficulty. You can start on easy and learn your way up to pro-level where you can play the complex version. It is readily available in the bookstores, even online, and even in the daily newspapers.
3. Check Out Lumosity.com
This website holds a collection of brain training and mental wellness games that anyone can benefit from. There are also plenty of tests, games, and activities backed by science, with apps available for iOS and Android. Lumosity is interesting because you can keep track of your results and gauge your improvement as you proceed. You can also check f95zone for famous games.
4. Crosswords
Just like Sudoku, crosswords come in different levels of complexity. They can be based on a particular area of study or just general knowledge. Crosswords can help boost your vocabulary and language skills, improve work performance, and improve logic and reasoning. They are also very engaging and can help in relieving stress, improve mood, and even prevent diseases that affect the brain.
5. Jigsaw
This is also a tiled game like scrabble where players assemble funny-shaped pieces to form a complete picture. Jigsaws improve your visual reasoning and can also be a great tool for meditation. You have to look at an individual piece and then find out where it will be placed for it to form a complete picture when combined with the other pieces. It’s a mind-engaging exercise that grasps all your concentration and attention, thus giving your brain a good dose of exercise while having fun.
Unlike what some are misled to believe, there’s nothing childish in playing games, especially those that engage your mind. They help build us mentally and psychologically. Once you meet up with friends, you can always play a game as it improves your bond and makes meetups more interesting. For those times you have no company, just use your smartphone or laptop and search for some of these games online to refresh and stretch your mind a bit.