At one point I was concerned that Cindy might have an “accident.” Cindy, our daughter Serena, her boyfriend Kevin and I were gathered around the kitchen table playing a card version of “Family Feud.” Just as with the television version, some of the survey answers to questions were hysterical, as were some of our own answers. As an observer, Cindy was laughing harder than all of us, so hard at one point that I prudently interjected a tiny bit of sobriety in order to keep body functions under control.
This is one of the two advantages for brain health and caregivers of certain types of games, laughter. Over the years we have played a few different games designed to induce raucous mirth from participants. One of my favorites have been “Wise and Otherwise.” This involves guessing the correct old saying when embedded among submissions from the game participants. Sometimes the old sayings, selected from cultures around the world, are as strange as, well, some Family Feud answers. That has to be so because the “old sayings” from folks around the table are likely to bust a gut with laughter.
“Wise and Otherwise” is much like a game anyone with a dictionary can play. Called “Fictionary,” the game involves guessing the correct definition embedded among other submissions from the participants. Of course, “Fictionary” calls to mind “Pictionary,” a popular game that requires drawing pictures of concepts for your team to guess. If you draw like I do, this is sure to lead to a chuckle or two.
In general, any game that calls for participants to get creative will lead to health-promoting laughter and a fun caregiver activity. Not all board games or card games do this, but still have one advantage over increasingly popular video games. I play video games as well, but even the online games that bring people into cyber contact do not offer the healthful social interactions available from even serious, strategic games.
Strategic games might also enhance the mind through learning. I say “might” because research has shown a difference between brain games where people merely become more efficient at doing the same thing, rather than rewiring the brain by doing something new, similar to learning a new hobby. This third advantage to learning games … and puzzles … no longer is available to Cindy, now in an advanced stage of Alzheimer’s, but could be therapeutic for those in an earlier stage, while engaging the caregiver as well.
Ah, but Cindy still does benefit from the laughter and the social contact provided by the right kind of games, once again as an observer. In a way this confirms all the research that indicates most of communication is nonverbal. Cindy may not be picking up on all of the words or concepts, but she perceives a gut buster when one happens.
In our Family Feud game around the kitchen table, the survey answer that busted my gut was a response to what bears and humans have in common. Apparently, a few folks out there think both species are “huggable,” which suggests to me the potential for the next Darwinian Award recipient. If you have any games sure to “bust a gut,” please let me know, leave a comment if you will. I’ll make a gut buster bucket list for Cindy and I while she still has that opportunity.
Huggable?
