Activities to keep your memory flexing

Just like the rest of your body, your brain needs a good workout to stay fit and healthy.

We all have those occasional moments of walking into a room and forgetting what we’re doing, or even forgetting someone’s name out of the blue. Thankfully, with some everyday flexing and refreshing, you can keep your memory in tip-top form even as the years roll by with activities to keep your memory sharp.

To spend less time retracing your steps for misplaced glasses, try giving your brain a daily workout. Here are a few fun memory games for adults to get you started.

Fun and effective ways to sharpen your memory 

A sharp memory and mind isn’t something you just have or don’t have, it’s something you can nurture at any age.

Here are a few fun and simple ways that can give your brain a workout:

Share a photo album 

Get together with a friend or a group and dust off those old photo albums. Take turns going through the albums, sharing the stories behind the photos, adding whatever details you can remember such as names, places, the season, and even who took the photo. This is not just a beautiful way to reconnect with your past and share your precious moments with friends, it will also help you to exercise your memories and remind you of things you may have even forgotten.

Give yourself a guided tour of your city 

How much do you know about the landmarks and historical points around your city or town? There are probably plenty of places and points that you’ve walked past all your life without learning much about them.

Head online and do some research around the prominent places, people, and dates in your area, then give yourself a walking tour. You’ll learn a few things, test your memory, and even teach others about their surroundings as well. Plus, according to our New Zealand Seniors Quality of Life Report, one in six New Zealand seniors will go a full week without any meaningful social interaction, so take this as your excuse to get some friends together for a tour. 

Take up birdwatching 

Birdwatching is a peaceful and rewarding hobby that gets you outdoors, helps you reach that daily step count and offers real cognitive benefits.

Not only will you be learning to identify different species and remember their calls or habitats, but you’ll also be building up knowledge that can sharpen your focus and attention over time. It’s an activity you can enjoy anywhere, with anyone, whether that’s in your backyard, a local park, or while travelling around the country.

Research-backed tips for improving memory function 

Need some quick tips for improving your memory? Try these: 

How learning a new language can enhance cognitive health 

Have you ever wanted to learn French? Or simply understand more Maori? Now’s your chance!

Invest in a language dictionary (or download a language app such as Duolingo), and pick a few words to learn every day. Whether you memorise them in the morning and remember them at night, make flash cards, or keep a daily language journal, you’ll quickly build a solid foundation of vocabulary and give your brain a good workout while you’re at it.

If you don’t feel a second language will be useful, you can also do this with English – there are plenty of rare words you probably don’t know. Words such as halfpace, genuflect and kerfuffle are some options to get you started! 

If you have young children or grandchildren, tune into their conversations and pick up new words that the younger generations are using (rizz is a good one to start with). 

And when it inevitably gets tough, remember that there are some serious brain benefits associated with learning a new language. One analysis of studies found that speaking more than one language can improve cognitive health later in life, delay the onset of dementia, and enhance the brain’s flexibility.

The power of puzzles and games for memory retention 

Doing a 1,000-piece jigsaw is basically doing 1,000 tiny memory exercises, all piled on top of one another.

You have to remember the colours, patterns, and shapes you’re looking for, and where they go, in order to complete a puzzle. It’s also easy to set up a puzzle and work on it for an hour or so each evening with a cup of tea and a biscuit, so it’ll hardly feel like brain training at all.

If puzzles aren’t for you, there are plenty more games out there. Have you ever tried NYT Connections? It makes Wordle look like child’s play, it really gets you thinking, but that’s part of the fun. 

Sporcle is another great website for brain teasers with answers, whether you love quizzes, word puzzles, geography tests, or just about anything in between. 

Trying different memory exercises for your brain as you age is just as important as different exercises for your body as you age, and the best part is, it can be just as fun, social, and rewarding as physical exercise.

Caring for your mind is one way to invest in your wellbeing. Another is planning for your family’s future. With New Zealand Seniors Funeral Insurance, you can help ease the burden, giving them peace of mind when it matters most. 

7 Aug 2025