Fun and Brains: 3 Board Game Ideas for Your Game Night

Who doesn't like games? Whether it's children or adults, everybody likes to spend time playing games with family or friends. It's great for parties, get-togethers, or simply when you want to kill time at home.

But did you know that games aren't only for fun? Many studies have found out that playing games, especially board games, are effective in keeping the brain healthy. It's proven to reduce stress and boost your brainpower. In fact, a study found out that people who constantly play cards and board games have sharper memory and thinking skills as they grow older.

Thinking of spicing up your game night? Here are three board games that you (and your brain) will enjoy!

Bananagrams

Similar to Scrabble, Bananagrams is a game of words that gets your competitive adrenaline rush going.

In this game, you race to build crossword grids. Players draw an equal number of tiles from the bunch and strive to create word grids in an interlocking or intersecting manner. When you've run out of tiles, you can shout "Peel!" which makes all players draw a new tile from the bunch. You win if you've already used up all your tiles and the number of players exceeds the number of tiles in the bunch. Oh, and did we forget to mention you'll have to shout "Bananas!"?

Rather than points, Bananagrams is a game of speed, so it's no wonder why the game keeps your brain juices flowing.

24 Game

Are you a number cruncher? Or are you trying to be one? Well, this next game's perfect for you.

The 24 Game can easily satisfy your hunger for problem solving. In this game, each player has to draw double-sided cards which contain two problems. Each card has four numbers that must be equal to 24. Now here comes the fun and tricky part: you can add, subtract, multiply, or divide the numbers to arrive at 24, but you can only use each number once.

If you're seeking the joy in Maths, then play 24 Game.

Mahjong

Mahjong has been around for hundreds of years, and we'll still play it for many years to come.

This group game develops your eye and hand coordination as you decide which tiles you keep and discard. It's also played for at least two hours and involves repetitive hand movements, improving your focus and ability to recognize patterns.

Not only that, but mahjong has been proven to prevent dementia among elderly people and improves your short-term memory. If you're up for a game of strategy, focus, and skill, then mahjong is your go-to game.

Playing board games is a fun and effective way for your brain juices to keep flowing. Board games help increase brain function, as you try to think of ways to win. Not only that, but it also helps you as well as children in developing people skills such as teamwork and sportsmanship.

So what are you waiting for, grab a board game and boost your brainpower on your next game night.