While Grandma might not spend hours playing Where’s My Water?, there are plenty of things senior citizens might like to do on a tablet.
Gaming it up
Classic card games are likely a must for any senior tablet owner. Solitaire by MobilityWare is a good one designed specifically for Android devices. Fun Bridge by GOTO Games and Canasta by Karman Games are two more card games an older generation might enjoy. They’re entertaining, and the challenge helps keep the brain sharp. Grandparents can even play games with their grandkids from afar. Check out popular favorites such as the Scrabble-inspired Words With Friends®, as well as Jeopardy® and Wheel of Fortune®.
A new way of reading
Many seniors purchase tablets with reading in mind. Thanks to larger screens and the ability to increase text size with ease, it’s more enjoyable than ever to read books, magazines and newspapers. With the Kindle® reader app, buy e-books or borrow downloadable copies from the local library. No need to search for large-print editions, since a simple stretch of two fingers enlarges the text for easy reading. Get Nana to read to your little one—or vice versa—for a special story time.
If Grandma or Grandpa like to watch or listen to the news, then they can download apps from their local TV news stations or NPR to get access to excellent public broadcasting. Then, they can create a playlist of stories to listen to on commutes or while doing activities around the house.
Customized entertainment
Load Pandora® on the tablet and Grandpa can stream music from the disco era, the golden oldies of Motown or any genre he wants. Once the app is loaded, it only takes a short tutorial to learn how to search for artists and design a radio station. Pretty soon, Pops will be sharing favorite tunes from his teenage years and all of the generations will be dancing to the beat.
YouTube™ is another fun app for seniors to add. Full of video clips and live performances from classic artists, it can be a music video station for seniors. Show your elders how to use a few keywords in their searches and they’ll be entertained for hours.
So plan some time soon for your kids and your parents to play on their tablets together. You might find your father talking about the right angle to shoot a bird while your preschooler jabbers on about the strategy of solitaire. And all of a sudden, they’ve found something they both enjoy.