This Boggle Is for the Birds

By David L. Hoyt and Jeff Knurek | July 4th, 2022

How many words can YOU find? Or, How many BIRDS can you find?


Man sitting on sofa with paper and laptop, possibly doing a puzzle. Image by volodymyr melnyk dreamstime

Exercise your mind by searching for words hidden in the Boggle cube. The more letters the better – plus bonus words to up the ante. Find as many words as you can by linking letters up, down, side-to-side, and diagonally, writing words on a blank sheet of paper. You may only use each letter box once within a single word. Play with a friend and compare word finds, crossing out common words. Up this week, Boggle BrainBusters word challenge.

 

This Boggle is for the birds! This week's Boggle puzzle word search game

 

Bonus answers to Boggle brain-building puzzle below

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Boggle brain-building puzzle answers

EMU

HERON

EAGLE

ROBIN

FALCON

CONDOR

PIGEON

© 2022 TRIBUNE CONTENT AGENCY, LLC.


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The Benefits for Seniors of Playing Games

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.

Science behind the benefits

A recent French study found that “stimulating leisure activities (board games) are considered as possible protective factors against dementia and cognitive decline in elderly people, particularly due to enhancement of cognitive reserve.”

Many seniors enjoy board games such as chess, backgammon, and Trivial Pursuit. Card games like rummy, pinochle, cribbage, bridge, and canasta can help improve memory and enhance brain function with a stimulating mix of numbers, letters, and colors.

Playing games with others provides social benefits, whether for cards, board games, or word games like Scrabble and Scattergories. Those who meet regularly experience fewer feelings of loneliness and isolation, not to mention the boost in brain power and confidence they get.

For those who have maintained their health and mobility, physical games and sports provide other benefits of play for seniors: can improve motor and visual skills and provide cardiovascular benefits. Shuffleboard, darts, miniature golf, corn hole, pickle ball, croquet, and bocce fall into this category.

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