The Best Activity Books for Seniors and How They Can Help

Finding activities for seniors is an important, and surprisingly difficult, task. Part of the problem is that seniors suddenly have a lot of free time, more than they ever had during their working life.

They may also have fewer options for activities, particularly if they suffer from physical or mental impairment. This is where activity books for seniors come into play.

Activity books give people something to do in the quiet and slow times. They’re fantastic during the evening or when waiting for an appointment. Plus, with so many different styles, there’s an activity book out there for everyone.

What are Activity Books?

The name says it all, really. Activity books for seniors are simply books that contain games, puzzles, and other types of activities for the user to complete.

You’ve probably used such books yourself, from time to time. They’re a fantastic way to challenge yourself, especially when you’re waiting.

There are plenty of different styles, including the following.

• Number puzzles, like sudoku, magic squares, and kakuro.
• Word puzzles, like crosswords, word searches, code words, arrow words, and more. Some of these rely on knowledge, while others are more focused on manipulating the placement of letters.
• Cognitive challenges, including brain teasers, logic puzzles, riddles, and the like. These are puzzles that are designed to make you think hard, rather than relying on manipulating words or numbers.
• Visual puzzles, like spot the difference, identify the shadow, and mazes.
• Coloring. Coloring for adults has become increasingly popular. There are now plenty of adult coloring books, often with intricate designs. This is a great activity for anyone who wants to calm down and be mindful.  

There are also mixed activity books. These often combine multiple types of activities, like sudoku, word searches, mazes and more.

This style provides plenty of activities to choose from. Such books are fantastic ways to see which types of activities the senior prefers.

However, it’s important to look at these activity books for seniors carefully, as some focus more heavily on particular types of puzzles. For example, I’ve seen many puzzle books that are 90% word puzzles, with just a few other types thrown in.  

The Best Activity Books for Seniors

The following books are some of our absolute favorites. Of course, the best for your situation will depend on the senior’s cognitive abilities and what they enjoy.

If we’ve missed any of your favorites, please let us know in the comments section at the end of the post.

Little Moments of Joy Adult Activity Book

This puzzle book has a few interesting features. One is the focus on positivity. This makes it much more interesting than a book with puzzles and little else.

The positivity aspect can be seen in the sections too. These include: A Kind Word, Delightful Morning, and Moments with Nature.

There are a decent number of images too. They are all in black and white, but they do help to make the book more interesting.  

The puzzles are all on the large side. This should make them perfect for seniors whose eyesight is declining.

As the book cover mentions, these are easy puzzles. They’ll be good for seniors with cognitive impairment and for those who like simple challenges. However, it isn’t a good choice for seniors who like to test themselves.

Like most Amazon books, you can use the ‘Look Inside’ feature to see part of the book. This should give you a sense of whether the activities are a good fit.

The Ultimate Brain Health Puzzle Book for Adults

This book offers plenty of different puzzle types, segmented into warm up, easy, medium, and difficult categories. The variation in difficulty means that most seniors should be able to do at least some of the puzzles.

Many will be able to start with the simple ones and improve their skills as they go along.

There are other books in the same series too, including a Brain Health Logic Puzzle book and one that focuses on crossword puzzles instead.

Sensory Activity Books and Blankets

This product is a little different. It’s basically a fabric fidget book, one that helps to keep senior’s hands engaged.

Needless to say, such books won’t work for everyone. They’re mostly relevant in the mid to late stages of dementia, where even activities like simple puzzles are too much.

For seniors in this position, the books can help to keep them engaged.

The pictured version comes from Amazon, but you can also find homemade products on Etsy. There’s an almost endless selection of components that can be included, so it shouldn’t be hard to find a perfect version for your family member.

Memory Activity Book

Here’s an interesting alternative to regular activity books for seniors.

This one focuses on memory activities. It doesn’t stop there either, as the book offers plenty of advice and cognitive strategies for improving your memory.

The book is designed for adults of all ages, so it could be just as good for caregivers as for seniors. The combination of activities and information also makes this a fantastic tool for learning more about your mind.

The New York Times Ultimate Crossword Omnibus

The New York Times is famous for its crossword puzzles, so you know exactly what you’re getting with this book.

There’s an impressive 1001 puzzles to choose from, all of which were published in The New York Times. Difficulty levels vary, so the book should offer something for everyone.

The biggest problem is simply that this is a huge book. The size would make it difficult to bring with you, so it’s probably a book to keep at home.

399 Games, Puzzles & Trivia Challenges

The trivia focus of this book is a little unusual and could be perfect for many seniors. There’s also a fantastic variety of puzzles and games, along with some information about cognition and the brain.

This book (and others in the same series) is well reviewed, suggesting that most readers will enjoy it.

The most common complaint is simply that the trivia questions are outdated, some even referencing back to the 1920s. For seniors, though, the focus on older trivia could be perfect – giving the book a nostalgic feel in places.

On a side note, though, the trivia in this book is very America-centric. If you live outside of the United States, you may not be able to do all the puzzles without looking up some of the answers.

Large Print Word Search Puzzles

There’s nothing complicated about this book at all. It’s simply a word search with larger print than normal.

An interesting feature is that the book is spiral bound, so it will lay flat on a table. This style is much easier to use than regularly bound puzzle books. There’s also just one puzzle per page, which helps with readability.

This is also an inexpensive book, making it an easy one to try out.

Remember When? Picture Puzzles

The puzzles in this book are simple spot the difference. The pictured version focuses on nostalgic images, including some of people, cars, and houses.

The style makes the puzzles easy and enjoyable for seniors. The pictures all come with a little trivia too. This helps to put the images in context

There are other books in the same series. These have different themes, like one that’s focused on Christmas and another on amazing places.

Wheel of Fortune Word Puzzles

The Wheel of Fortune theme makes this a fun puzzle book, one that would be nostalgic for many seniors. It’s a spiral bound book too, which makes it easy to use.

That said, the book isn’t packed full of Wheel of Fortune puzzles.

It does offer some Wheel of Fortune related puzzles, along with a few other unusual styles. But, most of the puzzles are traditional word puzzles, ones that are common in other books.

For many seniors, the balance of old and new puzzle types could be perfect. However, this isn’t the book to buy if you just want Wheel of Fortune style puzzles.

Best Hidden Pictures Puzzles Ever

The title gives this book away – as it really does focus entirely on hidden picture puzzles. This is an easy style for seniors to pick up, making it immediately entertaining.

Plus, hidden object puzzles can easily turn into a collaborative game, with family members lending a hand or all working together. This could make the book even more enjoyable. There are even some specially designed two-player puzzles in the mix.

While this book is designed for kids, it would be great for adults as well.

How Activity Books Can Help

They’re Engaging

The first benefit of activity books for seniors is simply that they keep seniors engaged. Having lots of free time and not much to do in it isn’t good for anyone’s mental health.

There are plenty of other ways to stay engaged, but activity books are more flexible than most. After all, they can be taken anywhere and don’t need to be charged.

They’re particularly good on days when the weather is too miserable to go out or in the evening when there’s little on. 

They’re a Solo Activity

While seniors do need social connection, it’s essential to have some solo activities too.

These means that seniors can be emotionally independent and don’t need to always rely on other people (a particularly good outcome for needy parents).

They May Help with Cognition

Some theories suggest that we can train our brains to make them better and to improve our cognition. Part of doing so is to regularly challenge the brain by doing different things.

Activity books can be fantastic here, as each problem is different to the last. This is particularly true if the book contains multiple types of puzzles, along with other tasks.

How to Choose Activity Books

There’s a lot of variation between the different types of activity books. Some will be a better fit for your family member than others.

Here are a few things to consider:

• What are their favorite activities? For example, the senior loves sudoku, a sudoku-focused book may be more appealing than one with mixed activities.
• What difficulty level? Seniors with full cognitive abilities will be able to do more challenging activities than those with cognitive difficulties. Also, seniors who have completed complex puzzles for most of their lives will need more challenging activities than those who haven’t.
• What about the print size? Some activity books have large print, making them easier for seniors to use.
• What about the style? Most books follow the same general style, with black and white puzzles, some instructions, and solutions in the back. There are some exceptions though (like this one!), including faith-based activity books and the Wheel of Fortune version we discussed earlier. An unusual style might be perfect for a senior who is getting bored with the same old thing.

Also remember that activity books aren’t your only option. You could also turn to indoor activities, music, puzzles, or even tablet apps.