When my friends at BoomBox Network invited me to test out a new online site called Cranium Crunches, filled with games that challenge my brain, I gladly obliged. I always liked games when I was a kid – Candyland was my favorite with all the colored squares. I was also very good at playing card games with Nana M – War, Gin Rummy, Solitaire – I enjoyed them all.
With my menopausal memory fading fast, I was quick to try a teaser or two to sharpen up my skills. Am I game? You betcha! Here goes:
First up, was Memory Match, where I honed my attention, categorization and recall skills. I had to match as many photo pairs as I could before my time was up. What 44 clicks to get to 10 matches? I know I can do better than that. I did not back down. Again, 44 clicks. I tried one more time, with more determination. Sixty clicks. Ooh, ah. Ooh, ah. I was ready for a different game.
Next, I moved on to Find The Difference. I was very good at this game. This game required attention to detail, focus and searching strategies. I had to find as many differences as I could in each photo set. One, two three – I beat level I. One, two, three, four, five – I made it through level II. Uh oh! Uh oh! The puzzles in level III were not as easy. I needed help.
Next, I tried the Match game, which required me to act quickly, put things in categories, do problem solving and visual memory all at once. The images were fast moving and my fifty-something mind was a little dizzy by the last banana bunch.
One Of These Things Is Not Like The Other puzzles also kept my attention in check. I remember this type of game when I used to read Highlights magazine in the pediatrician’s office. I was much better at finding the differences in the pictures back when I was five versus now at almost 55. I was best with the pictures of babies versus more scenic shots.
Ruth Curran, founder of Cranium Crunches, has a background in psychology and says that her website offers good exercises for people with a broad range of abilities and levels of functioning. In fact, next time I am visiting Flo-ree-da, I am going to bring along my iPad and have a Crunch match up with my 90 year old mama. May the brainest girl win.
