Is it just me getting older, or is my mind not as quick as it used to be?
Back in school, decades ago, I did math in my head all the time. We weren’t allowed calculators until, oh, I can’t even remember now, but probably around advanced calculus or something.
These days, I find myself so reliant on a calculator for even the most basic computations, and that’s not something I’m proud of.
So here I am, determined to change. I have to find ways to improve my mind, especially as I am getting older. Studies have shown that playing games to keep the mind active reduces the chances of developing cognitive impairment.
I found this site with many children’s games. Sounds easy enough. I don’t want anything too intense.
I started with the Cashier Games.
Giving Change
Giving Change is an easy & simple game to play.
You’re shown a price tag, and on the upper right side, you’ll see the bill the customer paid with.
All you have to do is calculate the change in your head, and drag the bills and coins (located at the bottom) to the white area, to complete the change amount.
There are some helpful hints at the top of the white area.
After you drag the correct amount of change, click the CHECK button.
It’s easy, there’s no time limit that might stress one out.
I recommend bookmarking this game to play when you need a break. Just 2-5 rounds should be good enough to ease your mind a bit.
This game is also nice to keep your kids/nieces/nephews occupied if they’re at that age where this is applicable. Give them incentives for every correct answer 🙂
Grocery Cashier
Grocery Cashier is a bit more challenging, because there’s a time limit.
While you don’t have to calculate the change, you do have to give change and choose the bills and coins to give as change.
You have to click fast to ring up the total, and give change, before time runs out. You use your computer mouse to click on the register.
Hazardville
Hazardville, while not exactly mentally taxing, reminds us of ways we can mitigate natural disasters.
Sometimes, we forget those lessons that we were taught in school, and this is a good refresher. It’s also great for kids to play so they can learn about these basics.
The city of Hazardville goes through storms, floods, earthquakes, a volcanic eruption… all you have to do is to install the proper equipment to mitigate the disaster.
It’s actually a very easy & instructional game.
Merge Salad
Merge Salad is a very easy game, easier than tic-tac-toe! All you have to do is arrange 3 of the same ingredients in a row. They merge and become a prepared {chopped) ingredient. Do this for all the ingredients, and then merge them all to finally make a salad! There’s a time limit of 30 seconds, but there are no dire consequences if you don’t finish on time. You just restart that level.
There are 10 levels and it’s a quick, stress-free game you can play in less than 5 minutes.
Bonus: You get some ideas for salads you can make.
Math Challenge
Math Challenge, as the name implies, is a more challenging game. You are given an equation to solve, AND you have to look for the correct answer in a grid of numbers within a very short time limit.
I often miss because while I know the correct number, it takes me time to find the correct number, and I cannot use the mouse to pick the number. Instead, I have to rely on the WASD keys to “move” the cursor to the correct answer.
But, this game wakes me up and, of the games I have tried on the site so far, is the best one at keeping my mind active and challenged. It challenges me to get better and faster. Hopefully, it will improve my hand-eye coordination as well!
Bookmark https://mortgagecalculator.org/money-games/ to play some quick games when you need a break.
These games are relatively stress-free, educational, and can be played even on older computers.
There is a place for these kinds of stress-free games in your life. I was introduced to MOBA (Mobile Online Battle Arena) games, and they often left me more stressed and angry than before I started the game! Players are toxic, your teammates are terrible… Eventually, I realized it’s not worth all the drama!
These days, I just play easy, non-rage-inducing games like these from https://mortgagecalculator.org/money-games/ instead, and life is more pleasant. Give them a try. The site has over a hundred games you can choose from.
