Family game nights are not a new concept. Americans have been enjoying family game night for decades, and for good reason. Welcoming seniors into friend and family games nights may seem like a no brainer at first. Of course you want your senior relatives and family friends to join in the fun so all you have to do is invite them, right? Well, it may not be that easy.
Playing along with the family may be a frustrating experience for senior citizens if proper considerations have not been made beforehand. For example, consider how small the print is on some game cards and game boards. For the visually impaired, small print can be a nightmare. Also consider how difficult it can be for some mobility impaired guests to grasp annoyingly undersized game markers and pieces. This frustration can be doubled if the topic of the game is, say, Hannah Montana or Justin Bieber.
If you want Grandma Mayor and Great-uncle Maxwell to not only join in family game nights, but also have a good time and feel completely welcome while playing along, it is important to do a little bit of planning beforehand. You can purchase low vision card decks or easy to grasp bingo markers, for example, that are catered towards the visually impaired or seniors.
A Barrier Free family games-night is a wonderful idea that will help create fun memories and bring everyone closer together. Do you have any ideas to make your family games night barrier free? If so, please leave your suggestions and stories in the comments box below.
