My Dad did the crossword puzzle from The Providence Journal every-single day, up until about a week before he died. He loved it. He said it kept him sharp and that it was relaxing. And he did it in pen, because he said a pencil was “non-committal” and “for cheaters.” Apparently, Dad wasn’t far off in his assessment of the benefits he felt he got from word games. Science even proves it out. So here’s why you may want to think about adding crosswords, word searches, Wordle, Scrabble, Boggle and the like to your routine, because the benefits of word games are pretty amazing.
Word Games Can Improve Your Memory
According to TheWorldGame.com, scientists have found that “Participation in crossword puzzles delayed the onset of accelerated memory decline in subjects who developed dementia by 2.54 years compared to non-puzzlers.” Holy moly, Batman! That’s amazing. I don’t know about you, but my memory can always use a boost. So that’s an amazing benefit of word games for sure.
You Can Also Expand Your Vocabulary
Bruce and I had an argument the other day about the word easel (spelled E-A-S-E-L, Bruce). This is a word that I definitely know how to spell because, owning a store like Consignments Ltd., people bring them in all the time to sell. My tags would look pretty goofy if I didn’t. Bruce, however, was insistent that it was spelled E-A-S-L-E. “No way,” I said. “That’s not even a word.” But, guess what, according to Google and The Collins English Dictionary, easle is indeed a word. It’s a noun that means ” a quantity of hot embers or ashes.” Who knew, right? So another benefit of the word game we were playing: a new word I learned and probably will not soon forgot. LOL
Word Games Can Sharpen Your Problem Solving Skills
When you play Scrabble you start with 7 letters. A lot of times you can make some measly sort of 4-letter word with those first few. Then you replenish your stash and you get 4 new letters and they are all “R’s.” What are you going to do? This fun board game is actually making you problem solve on your next move. Consequently, if you play it enough, you’ll be upping your problem-solving skills.
Word Games Help You De-Stress
Like my Dad said, word games are relaxing. They take you out of your daily routine for minutes (or hours) and let you focus on the solve. Just like reading and yoga and running and meditation, word games give your mind something else. It’s one of the great benefits of playing word games.
Word Games Strengthen Social Connections
Bruce and I Wordle everyday with our friend Sheila. We do ours together first thing in the morning over our coffee. Then we send our results to Sheila and she sends hers back to us. We congratulate each other on well played words. And we gripe about it to each other when it takes us all six tries, or we have an epic fail. If either of us is traveling, we still do it. It keeps us connected and we share other information about our days and lives. She’s our dear friend and Wordle keeps us talking on the daily. Its one of the best benefits of word games.
Insider Tip: Consignment and thrift stores are great resources for all types of word games. If they don’t have word games on hand? You can get deals on Scrabble, Boggle, Crossword Puzzle Books and Word Searchs by clicking the links.
And if you want to keep reading, check out some of my previous blogs like: I Guess I’m A Runner Now? and Add Personal Style with Consignment and Thrift.
Have a lovely day, my friends. Marianne
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