Senior Fun: Trivia, Taboo, and Trail Mix

I love games. Not the kind that require great knees, lightning reflexes, or the ability to run without wheezing. I’m talking mental games—Trivia, Taboo, 25 Words or Less—the kind where the only risk is pulling a brain muscle reaching for that word on the tip of your tongue.

Our Continuing Care Retirement Community hosts an annual resident-staff tourney, where we compete in very civilized sports—bocce, croquet, golf, and tennis. Then, last year, someone (probably a trivia buff with creaky joints) added mental games to the mix. Finally! A category where our decades of accumulated wisdom are actually an advantage. We may not sprint, but we remember when gas was 29 cents and Elvis was king.

Trivia shows are booming—Jeopardy, The Chase, Who Wants to Be a Millionaire, and now Trivial Pursuit Live. Being a senior gives us a serious edge. I’ve noticed that many times in trivia that being old can be a major advantage. We seniors have lived through seven decades. or more.  When trivia games ask questions that deal with the 40s, 50s, 60s, 70s, and even the 80s, we lived it.  That’s our turf. Gen Zs or millennials have to study books to know the answers to the questions we all all experienced. Of course, when you are playing with other seniors, you don’t have an advantage.

Watching Jeopardy as a senior sometimes feels like having the answer key. “What singer was known as the King of Rock and Roll?” Please. Toss us something harder—like how to use the TV remote without calling your grandson.

Everyone has their trivia strengths. Mine? Art and music from back when lyrics were actual sentences. My husband’s a science guy. Ask about atoms or electricity, and he lights up like the Eiffel Tower on New Year’s Eve.

Then there’s Taboo. It’s a high-speed word game that’s half vocabulary test, half improv comedy. It’s fabulous for using your brain and having fun with your friends. The idea is to get your team to guess a word without using the word itself or five forbidden words. Easy, right? Ha. Try getting someone to say “dog” without using "pet," "bark," or "tail," or barking. Suddenly, you’re sweating over how to describe "dandelion” without saying “lawn,” "weed," “yellow,” "puff-ball,",” or “blow.”

Our team practiced before our tournament. No pressure, just fun. Two of our resident Taboo veterans gave us pointers. For example, use synonyms – if you can’t say dog, say canine.  Sing songs. If you can’t think of a clue for submarine without using one of the taboo words (water, boat, ), sing ‘We all live in a...’ and most people will respond “yellow submarine.”

But it’s important to avoid references to current pop artists like Sia unless you’re playing with someone who knows what Spotify is! One day, I tried to get the team to guess Chandelier by singing, “I’m gonna swing from the…” and was met with dead silence. My friend later guessed it right away but said, “It was the only logical answer... though I’ve never heard the song.”

If you prefer a little structure, try 25 Words or Less. You get your team to guess five mystery words. You don’t have forbidden words, like Taboo, but unlike Taboo, you have a time limit and a word budget. You can only use 25 words or less. Teams bid against each other to use fewer and fewer clues. “I can do it in 18!” “Make that 14!” “I can do it in ten!” In Taboo, you can use sentences to describe things, but if you said you could get someone to say footprint using only 3 words without using the word foot or print, using a sentence like “the mark you leave in the sand when walking" would use nine words and loose the round. It gets your brain thinking.

And if you don’t feel like buying the game, you can always watch it on TV.

Whether you’re competing or just playing for laughs, these games are all about connection—and cracking each other up.

You don’t need fancy gear, either. My Taboo game came from Goodwill—missing a timer and maybe a few cards, but we made do with a kitchen timer. Etsy sells printable game sets for just about every holiday or theme—Name That Bunny for Easter, Bridal Shower Jeopardy, even a St. Patrick’s Day 25 Words or Less set if you want to celebrate with wordplay and shamrocks.

And hey, if word games aren’t your thing, fear not. Classic games like Mexican Train and Hand and Foot are huge hits around here, too. Easy to learn, fun to play, and ideal for catching up with friends while plotting your next move. Plus, they pair beautifully with coffee, cookies, and a little harmless gossip. Have a few game nights and suddenly your social calendar is full—and your brain’s getting a workout that doesn’t involve a gym.

Mexican Train

And yes, most of these games are grandkid-approved—just pick the right themes. Avoid “1960s Movie Quotes Jeopardy” for your 12-year-old, and maybe skip “Hip-Hop Jeopardy” unless you’re comfortable answering “Kanye” to everything.

Bottom line: Whether you’re a trivia titan, a word wizard, or just in it for the snacks, games are a fantastic way to bond with friends, keep your brain humming, and fill your golden years with golden laughs.