Games Scrabble Grams #4 3/31/2022 | By SCRABBLE for Hasbro Take on the Scrabble Grams puzzle to improve your Scrabble game, to challenge your mind, or just for fun. Scrabble Grams #4 for Seniors Guide Answers below Answers to Scrabble Grams #4 More on puzzle challenges, fun, and brain health from Seniors Guide Benefits of Play for Seniors We usually think of playtime as being for young children and fondly recall games of our youth: hide and seek, ghost in the graveyard, marbles, jacks, hopscotch, Candyland, Trouble. At some point, kids outgrow these non-productive activities and move on to the more serious aspects of life. Right? Not so fast! It turns out that play is beneficial for people of all ages: from games of tag on the playground to bingo in a nursing home, games offer mental stimulation, social engagement, stress relief, and fun. Related: Sudoku for Seniors Guide, updated daily Science behind the benefits of playing games There is little doubt that games are beneficial for children, but it takes a neuroscientist to explain how and why. Dr. Sam Wass is a child psychologist who studies children’s brains as they play. He made the following discoveries: Compared to adults, children’s brains are “messier,” meaning they have more links between different neurons. “(Playing) helps the process of sorting out this messy wiring diagram,” Wass explains. “You’re making connections between different parts of the brain which haven’t necessarily been connected before, and then you’re repeating it.” But the benefits of play don’t subside as we grow to adulthood. Wass says the research suggests playing games can help preserve brain function: “People who played more games at age 70 had a less steep decline overall in their thinking skills.” Read more Related: Fun & Games at Boomer Magazine How to Play Wordle – And Why Perhaps you’ve seen Facebook or other social media shares of a small stack of mysterious colored blocks. Or maybe you’ve heard some buzz about the new word game craze, Wordle. If you haven’t yet tried this free, popular puzzle, I’m here to tell you how to play Wordle and why – especially for older adults – the game can be beneficial for brain health. Read more Read More SCRABBLE for Hasbro Hasbro and its logo, SCRABBLE, associated logo, the design of the distinctive SCRABBLE brand game board, and the distinctive letter tile designs are trademarks of Hasbro in the United States and Canada. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.