Memory games are one of the easiest ways to add a little mental activity to the day. They need no special skills, most cost nothing, and many can be played alone, with a partner or with the grandchildren.
This guide collects 20 memory games for seniors and the elderly, grouped by how you play them: with paper, with cards, in conversation and on a tablet. If you are an adult child looking for something to do with a parent, there is a section on how to suggest games without making them feel tested.
A Quick, Honest Word About Benefits
Memory games are good fun and good practice, but they are not medicine. The National Institute on Aging explains that brain training can improve the specific skills people practice, while the evidence that it prevents dementia or improves everyday memory is limited.
What memory games reliably give you is a pleasant routine, small wins, conversation and a reason to sit down together. That is reason enough. If you or a parent have noticed real changes in memory, talk to a doctor first. Our guide on dementia vs normal aging explains the difference.
How to Choose a Memory Game
A good memory game for an older adult is:
- Short. Five to fifteen minutes is enough.
- Easy to start. Begin below the level you think is right, then step up.
- Free of time pressure. Racing a clock makes many people anxious and adds nothing.
- Clear to see. Large print, high contrast, big cards or big buttons.
- Forgiving. Mistakes should be part of the game, not a verdict.
If memory is already a concern, our guide to memory games for seniors with mild memory loss has gentler, errorless versions of many of the games below.
Paper and Pencil Memory Games
1. The Shopping List Game
Write a list of eight grocery items. Read it twice, turn it over, and write down as many as you remember. Grouping items helps: "three fruits, two dairy, three for the bathroom." Start with five items and add one when it feels easy.
2. Picture Recall
Look at a busy magazine photo or painting for one minute. Put it away and list everything you saw. Then check. It also works as a two-person game: one person studies the picture, the other asks questions.
3. Study, Fold, Recall Worksheets
Printed sheets with a list on one half and blank lines on the other are a tidy way to play alone. Our free large-print memory list worksheet works this way, with answers on the last page and Letter and A4 sizes.
4. Yesterday's Diary
Each evening, write three things you did, ate or talked about that day. The next morning, try to recall them before you look. It is practice and a small diary at the same time.
5. Route Recall
Draw a simple map of a familiar route from memory: the walk to the shops, the street you grew up on, the way to church. Then add details: shop names, colors, neighbors. This one often turns into a lovely conversation.
Card and Table Games
6. Concentration (Matching Pairs)
Lay cards face down and turn over two at a time, looking for pairs. Start with 6 to 8 pairs instead of a full deck. Picture cards or large-print playing cards are easier to see. For more ideas, see our list of card games for seniors.
7. The Tray Game (What Is Missing?)
Put 8 to 10 everyday objects on a tray: a spoon, a key, a button, a pencil. Study them for a minute, cover the tray, and remove one item. Uncover it and ask what is missing. Grandchildren love this one.
8. Card Recall
Show three playing cards, turn them face down, and ask for them in order. Add a card when three becomes easy.
9. Dominoes and Memory
Ordinary dominoes are a good fit: you track which numbers have been played and which might still be out. Play a few rounds and talk through your choices.
10. Matching Photo Pairs
Print two copies of a few family photos and use them as matching cards. You get a memory game and a reason to tell stories about each photo.
Conversation Games (No Equipment Needed)
11. I Packed My Suitcase
The first player says, "I packed my suitcase and in it I put a hat." The next repeats the list and adds an item. Keep going until someone misses one. Played kindly, nobody really loses.
12. Story Recall
Read a short news story or a page from a book aloud. Then retell it in your own words: who, what, where and how it ended. Reading the story again afterward is part of the fun.
13. Finish the Song
One person sings or says the first line of a well-known song, and the other finishes it. Familiar music is often remembered very well, which makes this game confidence-building. Our article on music for seniors has more ideas.
14. Name the Year
Pick a year that mattered: a wedding, a first job, a move. Take turns remembering what happened that year: songs, prices, news, family events.
15. Categories
Choose a category, such as flowers, capital cities or desserts, and take turns naming one item each. Repeating an item or getting stuck ends the round. It practices quick recall of words, which many people notice slowing with age.
Memory Games on a Phone or Tablet
Tablet games are handy for playing alone, at any hour, without setting anything up. The best ones for older adults have big text, no ads and no countdown timers. Our guide to iPad games for seniors explains what to look for.
SilverMind is an iPhone and iPad app we make for older adults. It has 23 calm exercises, seven of them for memory, with large text and no ads. These are its memory games:
16. Match Up (Free)
Classic matching pairs with big, clear cards. A good first game for anyone new to tablets.
17. Shopping List (Free)
The shopping list game from above, on screen: study a list, then recall what was on it.
18. Word Recall and Sequence
Word Recall shows a list of words to remember. Sequence asks you to repeat a pattern in the right order, a bit like the classic Simon game.
19. Pairs and Name Game
Pairs links two things together to recall later. Name Game practices putting names to faces, a skill many people say they want help with.
20. Card Recall
Remember which cards you saw, a screen version of the card game above.
Eight of SilverMind's 23 exercises are free, including Match Up and Shopping List. The others are part of an optional Premium subscription with a one-week free trial.
Playing Memory Games With a Parent
If you want to share these games with a parent, how you suggest them matters more than which game you pick.
- Invite, don't prescribe. "Want to try this with me?" lands better than "You should do memory exercises."
- Play too, and miss some. It turns a test into a game.
- Keep score lightly or not at all.
- Stop while it is still fun. End on a success.
- Tie it to something already in the day, like after lunch or during a weekly call.
For a step-by-step approach, read how to help an elderly parent start brain games. If your parent lives far away, you can play the conversation games above over the phone.
Build a Simple Weekly Routine
You don't need a program. A small, varied routine works well:
| Day | Idea |
|---|---|
| Monday | Shopping List game (paper or app) |
| Tuesday | Story recall with the newspaper |
| Wednesday | Concentration with a grandchild |
| Thursday | Route recall drawing |
| Friday | Finish the Song |
| Weekend | A printable worksheet or a tablet game |
Mix memory games with word, number and attention games for variety. Our daily brain workout routine shows how to fit several skills into about five minutes.
The Bottom Line
The best memory game for a senior is one they enjoy enough to come back to tomorrow. Start easy, keep it short, play together when you can, and treat every round as a pleasant few minutes rather than a measurement.
