One of the best things about living at Park Regency is the community. Whether it's from one of the staff or a fellow resident, a warm smile and friendly greeting is never far away when seniors go for a walk, eat in the dining room or head for one of the common areas.
Seniors looking for ways to socialize have many opportunities through the planned activities and events. However, this shouldn't discourage them from taking the initiative and creating their own chances to spend time making new friends and getting to know old ones better.
Board games are a great way to start conversations, and old classics such as The Game of Life, Clue, Yahtzee, Monopoly and Scrabble let everyone share their own memories as they play.
But the fun doesn't have to end with the old classics, there are also a lot of popular modern titles that seniors can try. If you're looking for a new hit for your weekly match up or a way to spend a rainy day in your assisted living apartment, here are six board games to encourage fellowship with your neighbors.
1. Ticket to Ride
Who doesn't love a train adventure? This German-style board game combines the romance of traveling cross-country by rail with easy-to-pick-up rules. Similar to the classic card game Rummy, players draw and discard cards as they attempt to claim the longest train route on the map. Playable by two to five people, it's perfect for a small group to enjoy and usually lasts 30 minutes to an hour.
2. Carcassone
This fantasy card game takes its name from a walled city in France. Players literally build their own medieval-style map and earn points by placing city, road, cloister and field tiles as they go. This keeps the rules simple, and because players are never eliminated, everyone gets to keep playing until the end.
3. Above and Below
Perfect for a leisurely afternoon, this game blends town-building and storytelling into a unique experience. As two to four players select jobs for their villagers, they will have the option to explore scenarios and read from a book of encounters. These adventures will pose optional choices, and the players can discover rewards or penalties according to their responses to the unfolding story.
It's less competitive than other games, which helps a group of friends root for each other as they complete quests.
4. Forbidden Island
This is a cooperative board game. Two to five players have to use strategy to collect treasures from a sinking island and escape with their lives. Adventurer cards grant players a set of strengths they can use to benefit their team, and this propels the group to work together to find the best possible outcome.
A sequel, Forbidden Desert, requires your team to balance their water rations and explore the constantly changing board in a search for the pieces of a legendary flying machine lost beneath the sand.
5. Blokus
This deceptively simple-looking game won a Mensa award for promoting healthy brain activity. Up to four players compete to see who can place the most blocks on the board, and with only one rule to define their placement, everyone can jump straight into playing.
6. Qwirkle
Another winner of a Mensa award, this scrabble-like game challenges players to create rows of tiles that match in either color or shape. The game play is intuitive, so all skill levels can join in, but the strategy and variety of moves keep it fresh and exciting.
