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Plus tips for throwing a trivia night seniors will love
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Trivia is a super entertaining and engaging activity for seniors. It keeps their mind sharp, and it’s also a fun way to connect with others socially. Whether you’re having a game night with seniors in your own family or helping to plan a trivia night for seniors in your community, you’re in the right place! We’ve compiled a thorough list of trivia questions specifically geared toward seniors, and we’ve even included some expert advice from trivia expert Roy Cohen. Keep reading for everything you need to know!

Trivia for Seniors

  • Who was the first man to walk on the moon? Neil Armstrong
  • Who sang the hit song “Love Me Tender”? Elvis Presley
  • What was the name of President John F. Kennedy’s wife? Jacqueline
  • What popular music festival took place in 1969? Woodstock
  • What actress’s real name was Norma Jean Mortensen? Marilyn Monroe
  • Who was the drummer in The Beatles? Ringo Starr
  • Which states joined the union in 1959? Hawaii and Alaska
Section 1 of 13:

Easy Trivia Questions for Seniors

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  1. When doing trivia with seniors, it’s important to accommodate a wide range of ability levels. Some seniors may have a harder time with complicated questions, so you’ll want to include a fair amount of simple options, too. This gives everyone a chance to enjoy themselves and score some points for their team. Here are some examples:
    • Question: Who sang the hit song “Can’t Help Falling in Love”?
      • Answer: Elvis Presley
    • Question: What was the first name of President John F. Kennedy’s wife?
      • Answer: Jacqueline/Jackie.
    • Question: Who was the first president of the United States?
      • Answer: George Washington
    • Question: What TV series starred Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz?
      • Answer: I Love Lucy
    • Question: Who was the first man to walk on the moon?
      • Answer: Neil Armstrong
    • Question: Which English rock band formed in 1960 is named after an insect?
      • Answer: The Beatles
    • Question: A man in a top hat with a mustache is the mascot of which classic board game?
      • Answer: Monopoly
    • Question: What is the capital of France?
      • Answer: Paris
    • Question: Who wrote the novel To Kill a Mockingbird ?
      • Answer: Harper Lee
    • Question: What is the chemical symbol for water?
      • Answer: H 2 O
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Section 2 of 13:

’60s Trivia for Seniors

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  1. Questions about the 1960s are sure to delight seniors. Depending on the year they were born, the seniors at your trivia night were likely tweens or teens during the ’60s. This means that questions about 1960s pop culture will probably be pretty fun and nostalgic for them! Here are some examples to try out:
    • Question: The four members of The Beatles were Paul McCartney, John Lennon, Ringo Starr, and who else?
      • Answer: George Harrison
    • Question: Who was the U.S. president in the year 1960?
      • Answer: Dwight D. Eisenhower
    • Question: What was the name of Audrey Hepburn’s character in the 1964 movie My Fair Lady ?
      • Answer: Eliza Doolittle
    • Question: What was the name of the first artificial satellite launched by the Soviet Union?
      • Answer: Sputnik 1
    • Question: Which U.S. president was assassinated in 1963?
      • Answer: John F. Kennedy
    • Question: What popular music festival took place in 1969?
      • Answer: Woodstock
    • Question: Which famous civil rights leader gave his famous “I Have a Dream” speech in 1963?
      • Answer: Martin Luther King Jr.
    • Question: Who sang the 1967 hit “Brown Eyed Girl”?
      • Answer: Van Morrison
    • Question: What’s the nickname of the iconic British model from the 1960s whose real name is Lesley Lawson?
      • Answer: Twiggy
    • Question: In what year did Neil Armstrong become the first man to walk on the moon?
      • Answer: 1969
    • Question: Who was the lead singer of The Supremes in the 1960s?
      • Answer: Diana Ross
    • Question: During the 1960s, rock bands from England became very popular. What was the nickname given to this phenomenon?
      • Answer: The British Invasion
    • Question: Which singer played Catwoman in the Batman TV series in 1967?
      • Answer: Eartha Kitt
    • Question: Which 1967 musical features the songs “Aquarius” and “Good Morning Starshine”?
      • Answer: Hair
    • Question: What was the name of the mission that put the first humans on the moon?
      • Answer: Apollo 11
    • Question: Which iconic 1960 horror film featured the Bates Motel?
      • Answer: Psycho
    • Question: Which jazz legend released “What a Wonderful World” in 1967?
      • Answer: Louis Armstrong
Section 3 of 13:

’50s Trivia for Seniors

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  1. Try out some fun questions about the 1950s. Many seniors were likely young children during the ’50s, so a few interesting pop culture questions about this decade will likely be super entertaining for them. Here are some options:
    • Question: Which U.S. state became the 50th state in 1959?
      • Answer: Hawaii
    • Question: Which doll was introduced in 1959 and later became a cultural icon?
      • Answer: The Barbie doll
    • Question: Dr. Jonas Salk created a successful vaccine for which disease in 1952?
      • Answer: Polio
    • Question: What was Marilyn Monroe’s real name?
      • Answer: Norma Jean Mortensen or Norma Jean Baker
    • Question: In what year did Disneyland open?
      • Answer: 1955
    • Question: Who became the monarch of Great Britain in 1953?
      • Answer: Queen Elizabeth II
    • Question: What year did Elvis Presley make his first appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show ?
      • Answer: 1956
    • Question: Which famous baseball player married Marilyn Monroe in 1954?
      • Answer: Joe DiMaggio
    • Question: Which American actress became a princess after marrying the prince of Monaco in 1956?
      • Answer: Grace Kelly
    • Question: Which music and lyrics duo wrote the songs in the 1956 movie musical Carousel ?
      • Answer: Rogers and Hammerstein
    • Question: Who wrote the 1951 novel The Catcher in the Rye ?
      • Answer: J.D. Sallinger
    • Question: The Tonight Show premiered in 1954. Who was its first host?
      • Answer: Steve Allen
    • Question: Les Paul is associated with which instrument?
      • Answer: The guitar
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Section 4 of 13:

’40s Trivia for Seniors

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  1. If you’ve got some seniors in their 80s or 90s in the mix, they’ll likely be excited about a few fun pop culture questions about the 1940s. Here are some awesome examples to try out:
    • Question: What year did World War II begin?
      • Answer: 1939
    • Question: Which iconic mystery author wrote And Then There Were None ?
      • Answer: Agatha Christie
    • Question: Who was the U.S. president at the start of World War II?
      • Answer: Franklin D. Roosevelt
    • Question: Which actress became the first African American to win an Academy Award in 1940?
      • Answer: Hattie McDaniel
    • Question: What surprise attack led to the U.S. becoming involved in WWII?
      • Answer: Pearl Harbor
    • Question: What 1940 animated Disney movie was about a puppet whose nose grew when he lied?
      • Answer: Pinocchio
    • Question: Who became the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom in 1940?
      • Answer: Winston Churchill
    • Question: Which actress starred as Scarlett O’Hara in the movie Gone with the Wind ?
      • Answer: Vivien Leigh
    • Question: In which year was the microwave oven invented?
      • Answer: 1945
    • Question: What was the actual date of the WWII beach invasion known as D-Day?
      • Answer: June 6, 1944
    • Question: Who was the first African American baseball player to break the color line in Major League Baseball in 1947?
      • Answer: Jackie Robinson
    • Question: What date was called “a date which will live in infamy” by Franklin D. Roosevelt?
      • Answer: December 7, 1941.
    • Question: Which countries were known as the Axis Powers during World War II?
      • Answer: Germany, Italy, Japan
Section 5 of 13:

Classic Movie Trivia for Seniors

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  1. A few fun questions about classic cinema are sure to be a hit. The seniors participating in your trivia night are likely to have a special place in their hearts for classics like The Wizard of Oz , The Sound of Music , or Casablanca , so this category will likely be a fan favorite. Here are some example questions:
    • Question: What actress starred in Casablanca with Humphrey Bogart?
      • Answer: Ingrid Bergman
    • Question: Who directed the iconic 1960 movie Psycho ?
      • Answer: Alfred Hitchcock
    • Question: What is the name of Dorothy’s dog in The Wizard of Oz ?
      • Answer: Toto
    • Question: “Well, nobody’s perfect,” is the final line from which 1959 classic starring Marilyn Monroe?”
      • Answer: Some Like It Hot
    • Question: Which actress played Holly Golightly in Breakfast at Tiffany’s ?
      • Answer: Audrey Hepburn
    • Question: In which classic movie does Humphrey Bogart deliver the iconic line, “Here’s looking at you, kid”?
      • Answer: Casablanca
    • Question: Who directed Citizen Kane?
      • Answer: Orson Welles
    • Question: What line does Dorothy say in The Wizard of Oz to get back to Kansas?
      • Answer: “There’s no place like home.”
    • Question: Who played Atticus Finch in To Kill a Mockingbird?
      • Answer: Gregory Peck
    • Question: Which two actresses star as best friends in the movie Gentlemen Prefer Blondes ?
      • Answer: Marilyn Monroe and Jane Russell
    • Question: In which iconic movie musical does Julie Andrews sing the song “My Favorite Things”?
      • Answer: The Sound of Music
    • Question: What was the first feature-length animated movie ever released?
      • Answer: Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
    • Question: What movie musical set in the 1950s stars Olivia Newton-John and John Travolta?
      • Answer: Grease
    • Question: Which Steven Spielberg movie is about an island where dinosaurs roam again?
      • Answer: Jurassic Park
    • Question: In which horror movie based on a Stephen King novel does Jack Nicholson say “Here’s Johnny!”?
      • Answer: The Shining
    • Question: Which classic animated sitcom followed a family living in the high-tech future?
      • Answer: The Jetsons
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Section 6 of 13:

Classic TV Show Trivia for Seniors

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  1. Keep the fun vibes going with questions about classic TV shows. Iconic shows like I Love Lucy , The Twilight Zone , and Bewitched are likely super nostalgic for the seniors at your trivia night, so they’re bound to enjoy the interesting questions in this category. Here are some options to choose from:
    • Question: Which 1960s animated show featured a family of characters from the Stone Age?
      • Answer: The Flintstones
    • Question: What were the names of the three daughters in The Brady Bunch ?
      • Answer: Marcia, Jan, and Cindy
    • Question: Which popular sitcom from 1964-1972 centered around a man married to a woman named Samantha who had magical powers?
      • Answer: Bewitched
    • Question: What was the name of the spaceship on the TV series Star Trek ?
      • Answer: The USS Enterprise
    • Question: Which TV series featured beloved actor Robin Williams as an alien named Mork?
      • Answer: Mork and Mindy
    • Question: What was the name of the boat on Gilligan’s Island ?
      • Answer: The S.S. Minnow
    • Question: Which TV show was set in a military hospital?
      • Answer: M A S*H
    • Question: Which 1950s sitcom featured a real-life married couple?
      • Answer: I Love Lucy
    • Question: Which iconic sci-fi anthology series features Rod Serling as the narrator?
      • Answer: The Twilight Zone
    • Question: Which TV show is set in the fictional town of Mayberry?
      • Answer: The Andy Griffith Show
    • Question: Which classic sitcom is set in a Boston bar?
      • Answer: Cheers
    • Question: What’s the longest-running game show in television history?
      • Answer: The Price is Right
    • Question: What was the name of the ranch in Bonanza ?
      • Answer: The Ponderosa
    • Question: Which gloomy member of the Addams family is named after a day of the week?
      • Answer: Wednesday Addams
    • Question: What’s the name of Dr. Who’s time-travelling box?
      • Answer: TARDIS
Section 7 of 13:

Music Trivia for Seniors

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  1. Include a few entertaining questions about classic music, too. Maybe the seniors playing trivia with you are major Elvis fans. Or, maybe The Beatles, Frank Sinatra, or Aretha Franklin are more their speed. Whatever the case, some fun questions about classic songs and musicians will definitely get them excited!
    • Question: Who is often referred to as the “Queen of Soul”?
      • Answer: Aretha Franklin
    • Question: Which band is famous for the hit song “Here Comes The Sun”?
      • Answer: The Beatles
    • Question: Which singer first recorded the song “What a Wonderful World?”
      • Answer: Louis Armstrong
    • Question: What was the name of Elvis Presley’s wife?
      • Answer: Priscilla
    • Question: Who sings “Sittin’ on the Dock of the Bay”?
      • Answer: Otis Redding
    • Question: What band was known for hits like “Good Vibrations” and “Wouldn’t It Be Nice”?
      • Answer: The Beach Boys
    • Question: Which singer and actor was also known as “Old Blue Eyes”?
      • Answer: Frank Sinatra
    • Question: Who was the drummer in The Beatles?
      • Answer: Ringo Starr
    • Question: Which classic song by Don McLean is 8 and a half minutes long?
      • Answer: “American Pie”
    • Question: Which group released the hit “Stop In the Name of Love” in 1965?
      • Answer: The Supremes
    • Question: Who sings the song “Imagine”?
      • Answer: John Lennon
    • Question: What state does the devil go down to in the famous song by Charlie Daniels?
      • Answer: Georgia (“The Devil Went Down to Georgia”)
    • Question: What instrument does Stevie Wonder play?
      • Answer: The piano
    • Question: Who was the lead singer of the band Queen?
      • Answer: Freddie Mercury
    • Question: What iconic band were Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham members of?
      • Answer: Fleetwood Mac
    • Question: What band sings the disco classic “Stayin’ Alive?”
      • Answer: Bee Gees
    • Question: Who was the lead singer of the rock band Aerosmith?
      • Answer: Steven Tyler
    • Question: Which singer recorded a version of Dolly Parton’s song “I Will Always Love You” for the movie The Bodyguard ?
      • Answer: Whitney Houston
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Section 8 of 13:

Arts & Literature Trivia for Seniors

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  1. Get a little intellectual with questions about literature or the arts. These types of questions are staples at trivia nights, and for good reason. They’re a chance for players to show off how well-read or educated they are, and they might even get a chance to talk about their favorite book or artist. Here are some fun questions to try out:
    • Question: Who painted the Mona Lisa ?
      • Answer: Leonardo da Vinci
    • Question: Which classic novel features the characters Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy?
      • Answer: Pride and Prejudice
    • Question: Who composed the music for The Nutcracker ?
      • Answer: Tchaikovsky
    • Question: Which artist is famous for his “Campbell’s Soup Can” artwork from the 1960s?
      • Answer: Andy Warhol
    • Question: In what city was William Shakespeare born?
      • Answer: Stratford-upon-Avon
    • Question: Which artist painted The Starry Night ?
      • Answer: Vincent Van Gogh
    • Question: Who wrote the play Death of a Salesman ?
      • Answer: Arthur Miller
    • Question: Which novel is told from the perspective of a young girl named Scout Finch?
      • Answer: To Kill a Mockingbird
    • Question: Which artist painted the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel?
      • Answer: Michelangelo
    • Question: What novel begins with the line, “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times”?
      • Answer: A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens
    • Question: Who wrote The Lord of the Rings trilogy?
      • Answer: J.R.R. Tolkien
    • Question: What was the pen name of the author Samuel Clemens, who wrote the classic Adventures of Huckleberry Finn ?
      • Answer: Mark Twain
    • Question: What Spanish artist was famous for a painting titled The Persistence of Memory, which featured melting clocks?
      • Answer: Salvador Dalí
    • Question: Which playwright wrote A Streetcar Named Desire ?
      • Answer: Tennessee Williams
    • Question: Which novel by George Orwell is set in a society under constant surveillance by Big Brother?
      • Answer: 1984
    • Question: Who composed The Four Seasons?
      • Answer: Vivaldi
    • Question: Which Broadway musical was based on the Victor Hugo novel about the June Rebellion of 1832 in France?
      • Answer: Les Misérables
Section 9 of 13:

Sports Trivia for Seniors

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  1. Test their knowledge with some sports questions. Any seniors at your game night with a special interest in sports or athletics will jump at the chance to score some points for their team with these fun questions:
    • Question: What sport is known as “the beautiful game”?
      • Answer: Soccer
    • Question: How many miles is a marathon?
      • Answer: 26.2 miles
    • Question: In baseball, during what inning is “Take Me Out to the Ballgame” traditionally sung?
      • Answer: The 7th inning
    • Question: Who holds the record for the most home runs in Major League Baseball?
      • Answer: Barry Bonds
    • Question: How many rings are there in the Olympic logo?
      • Answer: 5
    • Question: What is it called when a bowler makes 3 strikes in a row?
      • Answer: A turkey
    • Question: What’s the name of the trophy given to Super Bowl champions?
      • Answer: The Vince Lombardi Trophy
    • Question: In what sport would you hear terms like “bogey” and “birdie”?
      • Answer: Golf
    • Question: What was the nickname of baseball player Babe Ruth?
      • Answer: The Sultan of Swat
    • Question: How many Grand Slam tennis tournaments are there in a year?
      • Answer: 4
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Section 10 of 13:

Famous People and Celebrity Trivia for Seniors

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  1. From actors to musicians to inventors to politicians to sports stars, these questions about famous people cover it all!
    • Question: Which mother-daughter duo is known for their separate work in movie musicals like The Wizard of Oz and Cabaret ?
      • Answer: Judy Garland and Liza Minnelli
    • Question: Who invented the first working telephone?
      • Answer: Alexander Graham Bell
    • Question: Which boxer is nicknamed “The Greatest of All Time”?
      • Answer: Muhammad Ali
    • Question: Who played the iconic character Forrest Gump?
      • Answer: Tom Hanks
    • Question: Who was the first Black president of the United States?
      • Answer: Barack Obama
    • Question: Who played Vito Corleone in The Godfather ?
      • Answer: Marlon Brando
    • Question: Who directed the movies E.T. the Extra Terrestrial and Jaws ?
      • Answer: Steven Spielberg
    • Question: Who founded Microsoft?
      • Answer: Bill Gates
    • Question: Which actor stars in the Indiana Jones franchise?
      • Answer: Harrison Ford
    • Question: Which U.S. athlete has the most Olympic medals?
      • Answer: Michael Phelps
    • Question: Who plays Luke Skywalker in the Star Wars movies?
      • Answer: Mark Hamill
    • Question: Which music artist is known as the King of Pop?
      • Answer: Michael Jackson
    • Question: Who played the title role in Mary Poppins ?
      • Answer: Julie Andrews
    • Question: Who was the first Hollywood actress to be featured on a postage stamp?
      • Answer: Grace Kelly
    • Question: Which famous playwright was also Marilyn Monroe’s third husband?
      • Answer: Arthur Miller
    • Question: Which famous aviator became the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean in 1932?
      • Answer: Amelia Earhart
    • Question: Who was Fred Astaire’s most famous dancing partner?
      • Answer: Ginger Rogers
    • Question: Which actor stars opposite Jennifer Grey in Dirty Dancing ?
      • Answer: Patrick Swayze
    • Question: Which U.S. president resigned in 1974 following the Watergate scandal?
      • Answer: Richard Nixon
Section 11 of 13:

Science Trivia for Seniors

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  1. Amp up the difficulty with a few tricky science questions. Test their knowledge (and how well they paid attention in science class!) with these interesting questions about things like space, biology, and chemistry.
    • Question: What is the only metal that’s liquid at room temperature?
      • Answer: Mercury
    • Question: Which scientist is famous for the theory of evolution?
      • Answer: Charles Darwin
    • Question: What’s the largest planet in our solar system?
      • Answer: Jupiter
    • Question: Which scientist is famous for his 3 laws of motion?
      • Answer: Isaac Newton
    • Question: What is a scientist who studies weather called?
      • Answer: A meteorologist.
    • Question: How many chambers are there in the human heart?
      • Answer: 4
    • Question: What is the scientific name for the process plants use to make food from sunlight?
      • Answer: Photosynthesis
    • Question: Which gas is most abundant in the Earth’s atmosphere?
      • Answer: Nitrogen
    • Question: What is the largest organ in the human body?
      • Answer: The skin.
    • Question: At what temperature does water boil?
      • Answer: 212 degrees Fahrenheit (100 degrees Celsius)
    • Question: How many elements are there on the periodic table?
      • Answer: 118
    • Question: How many bones are there in the human body?
      • Answer: 206
    • Question: What’s the largest desert on Earth?
      • Answer: Antarctica
    • Question: What are the three layers of the Earth?
      • Answer: Crust, mantle, core
    • Question: What blood type is known as the “universal donor”?
      • Answer: O negative
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Section 12 of 13:

Advice for Throwing a Trivia Night for Seniors

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  1. 1
    Choose question topics that resonate with seniors. When you’re throwing a trivia night for older guests, it’s important to think about their interests and the type of media they like. For instance, seniors may not relate to questions about Gen Z or millennial pop culture. Instead, try to stick to categories that are nostalgic and fun for them. If your senior guests grew up in the 1940s or 1950s, for example, questions from these decades are sure to be entertaining for them!
  2. 2
    Include a wide range of difficulty levels. Some seniors in attendance might struggle a bit with their memory or cognitive abilities, so they may enjoy simpler questions more. On the other hand, seniors who aren’t experiencing any cognitive changes might be looking for tough questions to exercise their brains and keep their minds sharp . Because of all this, it’s important to include questions with easy, medium, and hard difficulty levels, so that all seniors in attendance can enjoy themselves.
  3. 3
    Try to choose interesting, unique questions. “People love interesting things [..] I structure all my questions around that concept—things people don’t realize they want to know,” explains Cohen. “Instead of asking a dry fact, offer a funny or clever clue to help people figure it out. People love feeling smart when they solve a tricky clue,” he says.
    • For example, a question about the number of words in a Charles Dickens novel might be tricky, but it’s not all that interesting.
    • Cohen offers an example of a literature question that’s equally tricky but way more fascinating and unique:
      • Question: Ray Bradbury's classic sci-fi novel "Fahrenheit 451" was serialized in three 1954 issues of which magazine, lending credence to people who claimed they "only bought it for the articles"?
        • Answer : Playboy.
  4. 4
    Figure out the logistics to suit everybody’s needs and abilities. When you start your senior game night, you’ll want everything to be clear and planned out, so that there’s no confusion. For example, if some seniors are hard of hearing, you’ll probably want to use a microphone to ask questions. Similarly, if some seniors have trouble with their eyesight, you’ll want to make sure you have written materials in larger fonts. It’s all about making sure everyone’s comfortable and taken care of, so they can all have an awesome time.
  5. 5
    Create a fun, welcoming atmosphere. Remember, a trivia session for seniors is about having fun and connecting with others. To facilitate this, have some yummy snacks and beverages on hand and play some good music. If you’re throwing your trivia party at someone’s house, Cohen recommends splitting guests up into teams for some friendly competition, and he also recommends playing in the backyard if it’s warm outside. All of these things come together to create a great vibe for your trivia night!
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Section 13 of 13:

Benefits of Trivia for Seniors

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  1. It actually has some significant benefits for the health and wellness for seniors, including:
    • Keeping their minds healthy: Trivia is an enjoyable way for seniors to test their memories and exercise their brains . Research shows that a higher level of cognitive activity can delay the onset of dementia, so brainy activities like trivia can be super helpful for seniors. [1]
    • Providing a sense of achievement: When seniors practice and study up to be an asset to their trivia teams, it provides them with a sense of accomplishment and pride in their abilities. Research also shows that learning and mastering new skills helps keep seniors sharp as they age. [2]
    • Encouraging social connection: Whether the trivia night is at an assisted living facility or with family members at home, it’ll give seniors the opportunity to connect with others. Social connection is essential to boost seniors’ moods and fight against mental health issues like depression, stress, and anxiety. [3]

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