MaggieGames

Word Games for Seniors

For adults

A large print word search where you tap the first and last letter instead of dragging, missing letter puzzles with a clue, and old sayings to finish. Three levels each, no timer, and nothing to download or sign up for.

Level

    Settings

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    A word search you can actually read

    The word search in the paper is printed for younger eyes: a 15 by 15 grid of small capitals, with a list of twenty words in smaller type underneath. This one goes the other way. Level 1 is an 8 by 8 grid with five words, so on a tablet each letter is about the size of a thumbnail. Every puzzle has a theme, which helps more than you might think, because once you know the words are all about the garden your eye starts picking out ROSE and HEDGE on its own.

    Finding a word takes two taps: the first letter, then the last. Dragging a finger across a screen in a straight line is fiddly with stiff joints or a slight tremor, and tapping removes the problem. If you prefer to drag, that works too. A tapped letter stays highlighted until you tap the second one, so there is no hurry, and if you tap the same letter again it lets go.

    The three games

    GameWhat you doLevel 1Level 2Level 3
    Word searchFind every word on the list in the grid. Found words are shaded in their own colour and crossed off.8 by 8, five words, across and down only.10 by 10, seven words, and some run diagonally.10 by 10, eight words, some written backwards or running upwards.
    Missing letterA word with a gap, and a clue so there is only one right answer. Tap the letter that fits.Short words, three letters to pick from.Longer words, four to pick from.Long words with two gaps.
    Finish the sayingA well known saying with the last word missing. Pick the ending.The everyday ones, three endings.Less common, four endings.The longer old proverbs, with tempting wrong answers.

    The word search counts as one puzzle per round; the other two run in rounds of eight. When a round is done you can play again at the same level or move up, and the level buttons are always there if you want to come back down.

    Why the sayings come back so easily

    People are often surprised how quickly they finish "a stitch in time saves" when they could not say what they had for lunch. Sayings learned as a child are rehearsed thousands of times over a lifetime, and they are stored in a different way from what happened this morning. That makes Finish the saying a nice one to play with someone else: it tends to go well, and it starts conversations. Ask where they first heard it, or who used to say it. You will often get a story.

    Word games to play away from the screen

    • Word chains. Each person says a word that starts with the last letter of the one before: apple, egg, garden, nest. Good in the car or on a visit, and there is nothing to set up.
    • Categories. Pick a letter and name a fruit, a town, a river and a name that start with it. Easy to make gentler by dropping the hard categories.
    • Scrabble with the board between you. Play with open tiles and help each other. It stops being a contest and becomes a puzzle you do together.
    • The crossword, read aloud. One person reads the clue and the other answers. Large print crossword books are easy to find, and doing one together is often more fun than alone.
    • Hangman on paper. Use a theme, such as the names of the grandchildren or places you have lived.

    Settings worth knowing about. The speaker button turns all sound off in one tap. The settings button makes the text even bigger and can read each instruction aloud. The square button fills the screen with the game, which makes the word search letters bigger still.

    Common questions

    Is there a large print word search I can play online for free?

    Yes, the one at the top of this page. Level 1 is an 8 by 8 grid with five words, so the letters are very big, and levels 2 and 3 use a 10 by 10 grid. You tap the first letter of a word and then the last, so there is no need to drag, and each puzzle has a theme such as the garden or the seaside.

    Are word games good for older adults?

    They are a good way to spend time, and many people find them absorbing and satisfying. Vocabulary tends to hold up well with age, so word games are often a strength rather than a struggle. They are not a treatment and no game has been shown to prevent memory loss, but keeping the mind busy with something you enjoy, especially with other people, is worthwhile for its own sake.

    What if I cannot find a word?

    Press Show me a start and the first letter of one of the words you have not found will flash. There is no time limit and no penalty for using it.

    Do the sayings use British or American wording?

    They use the most common English wording, and where a saying has two versions the other one is never offered as a wrong answer, so you cannot lose on a technicality.

    Do I need to download anything or create an account?

    No. The games run on this page in the browser you already use, on a phone, tablet or computer. Your settings, such as sound and text size, are kept on your own device and nothing else is saved.

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