Any Age. Any Game. Let Your Brain Play.
Did you know that playing board games is associated with a reduced risk of dementia? Until a few years ago, neither did we! Research shows that participating in cognitively demanding leisure activities in late life may provide protection against this disease as well as Alzheimer's1, 2, 3. Here at Spielbound we are determined to help adults stay sharp through playing games. We are developing programming through our Stay Sharp initiative that allows people to learn new games and to teach others old favorites. We are partnering with local senior communities and universities to provide gaming opportunities at Spielbound and across the greater Omaha area. Also, memberships to the game library are discounted for teachers and seniors (age 55+).
- Community Outreach
- Stay Sharp Approved games
- Game Accessibility and Adaptations
- Partner with Stay Sharp
Community Outreach
Stay Sharp crew in front of the Spielbound mural.
Drew Taylor teaches participants at the Amburst YMCA Qwixx.
Giant Settlers of Catan at UNO’s “De-stress Fest” in April.
Stay Sharp's Sarah Foster attempts to balance a game piece while teaching suspend to participants at St. Joes Tower.
Stay Sharp committee members presented on the therapeutic benefits of geriatric gaming at the 2019 Nebraska Occupational Therapy Conference.
Participants at Trinity Courtyard play Spielbound's giant connect 4.
Participants at Trinity Courtyard play Stay Sharp's giant kerplunk.
Stay Sharp provided outdoor games at Hillcrest Grand Lodges Fathers Day cookout.
Speilbound and Stay Sharp donated over 250 games to be distributed at the YMCA's across the greater Omaha area.
Stay Sharp Approved Games
| Connect 4 | Dixit | Sequence | Spot It |
| Suspend | Tenzi | The Game | Word Slam |
| Mancala | No Thanks | Jenga | Yahtzee |
| Pass The Pigs | Patchwork | Tsuro | Apples to apples |
| Anomia | Scattergories | Boggle | Scrabble |
| Uno | Parade |
Game Accessibility and Adaptations
Committee members trained in activity analysis provide education on how to modify and adapt games for successful participation. Stay Sharp advocates for equal accessibility. Stay Sharp has developed educational materials on how to adapt games based on cognitive and physical dysfunction. The Stay Sharp committee advocates for reasonable accommodations to promote universal game design to game publishers
Stay Sharp believes that everyone should be afforded the opportunity to play games no matter physical or cognitive limitation. Several of the Stay Sharp committee members have a background in rehabilitation sciences, with a primary focus on gerontology and healthy aging. Committee members are working on advocating for more accessible game design to facilitate participation for all abilities. For specific cognitive adaptations during game play please contact [email protected] for recommendations. Listed below you will find common physical adaptations recommended.
Low Vision - Enlarged Cards
Dexterity - Enlarge game pieces
One-handed - Card Holder
Partner with Stay Sharp
If you are interested in hosting an event or would like Stay Sharp to provide an educational presentation on the therapeutic benefits of geriatric gaming please contact [email protected]
Further Reading
- Dartigues, J. F. et al. Playing board games, cognitive decline and dementia: a French population-based cohort study. BMJ Open 3, e002998 (2013). DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2013-002998
- Verghese, J. et al. Leisure Activities and the Risk of Dementia in the Elderly. N. Engl. J. Med. 348, 2508–2516 (2003). DOI: 10.1056/NEJMoa022252
- Wilson, R. S. Participation in Cognitively Stimulating Activities and Risk of Incident Alzheimer Disease. JAMA 287, 742 (2002). DOI: 10.1001/jama.287.6.742