Games that Help Improve Memory

Though you can find several exercises that will improve your memory, not all of them are particularly fun. However, several simple games can help you improve your memory. Trivia, cards and even puzzles can help you learn to commit things to long-term memory more easily and keep your mind sharp as you get older.

Trivia Quizzes

• Trivia quizzes are a great way to improve your memory because you use skills such as recall and relying on past experience to come up with answers. Each time you play a trivia board game or use trivia cards, you learn new things and use your memory skills. Playing memory games in a group can be a fun way to have a get-together. In groups, you can use trivia questions in a game or make up your own personalized questions.

Puzzles

• Though puzzles may not seem like a great way to keep your memory active, putting together "blind" puzzles can improve your memory significantly. Working a "blind" puzzle means you do not rely on the picture on the box to put the puzzle together. Instead, you look at the picture for a few minutes before starting to work the puzzle and then work it using just your memory to put the picture together.

Card Games

• Select 24 cards of 12 matching pairs to mix up and lay out face-down on a table. Turn two over at a time until you get a match. Repeat the process until you have successfully matched each pair. This game requires you to memorize the locations of several different cards. Play by yourself or with a friend to improve recall memory skills. As you get better at the game, add more cards to create more of a challenge for yourself.

Stories

• Story telling can help you practice connecting certain events to objects and vice versa, improving your method for storing and retrieving memories. For instance, think of a couple of random objects and write a story in which each item is connected to the others. A story about shoes, doors and the grocery store could translate into a story about a man who puts on his shoes, goes out the doors and drives to the grocery store. Do this activity by yourself or with a friend, though it might be more fun with a friend.