New Cool Things for Seniors to Do When Bored
Nothing to Do? The Random Wikipedia Game is a Cure for Boomer Boredom
Jun 8, 2009
Seniors and Boomers need creative games to keep their minds active. So, if there's nothing to do, read on. The cure for boredom is found in The Random Wikipedia Game of Trivia. Seniors and Baby Boomers grew up amusing themselves back when there were only 3 TV stations. So, here are some fun things to do online when bored at work or home.
Play the Random Wikipedia Game, a Cure for Boredom
This game is played by taking two unrelated Wikipedia articles and finding a similarity between them. It is like Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon, because this trivia game can be done at work when the boss is in another room.
Why this game is good for older people:
- Seniors and Baby Boomers have an advantage because they have accumulated random knowledge for more decades than 12 year olds.
- The more random knowledge (trivia) one has, the easier to win by making connections between two unrelated encyclopedia articles.
- The game doesn't involve speedy hand-eye coordination.
This trivia game can be adapted for anyone because there are no hard and fast rules. To play, click this link to a Random Wikipedia Article.
If there is a photo on the webpage, it means that the Wiki subject has enough information to use for the game. If the random article is very short, try again. Now, read this first Wikipedia page and write down the title of the article, in case it is needed later for reference.
Next, come back this Suite 101 page and click the "Random Wikipedia Article" link (above) again, to get a second article.
How to Play The Random Wikipedia Game
The two articles which came up during this writing were:
- Tolpuddle Martyrs (a banned trade union in England)
- Campo Lemini Venus (a marble statue unearthed at a Roman Villa).
To play, one would try to find similarities between these two random articles. It's easy to find a related piece of trivia: Both the Tolpuddle Martyrs and the statue were (or are) found in Britain.
Find Trivia Links in Articles
Look for some kind of trivia which links the two Wikipedia articles which came up randomly.
The next two articles which came up during this writing were:
- Kennedy Half Dollar
- Moonstone (gemstone)
It is nice to be old and know that the Kennedy half dollar was made of silver in the 1960s. Try to come up with some link between silver and semi-precious stones. After Googling a minute or two, one would find that both moonstones and silver are found in Mexico.
This is, of course, not the only similarity between the two web pages. Seniors and Baby Boomers who are sick of Sudoku and FreeCell are encouraged to find others.
The Wacky Photo GameRebellious Boomers will love this. The trick is to find a really random-packed weird picture, then give it some rebellious (or loving) captions. It's nothing but fun. The game uses a random photo generator from the web. To get a picture click this Wacky Photos link.
This link goes to a website with an endless stream of cool photos. If nothing shows up, just keep clicking the phrase "New Word" on this website until something interesting happens. The phrase "New Word" is 5 lines from the top and it's on the left.
- Download a strange and fabulous random picture to the computer desktop.
- Next, go to strix.org.uk and click on Mix Poetry.
Here, the bored-at-work Boomer can make protest notes to paste onto an uploaded photo. This new "work of art" can be emailed to friends. Well, it's not as good as winning the lottery, but it's something to do when one is sick and tired of FreeCell. (Be careful not to say anything insulting about one's boss when emailing rebellious pictures.)
There are other fun things on strix.org.uk:
- Ransom notes
- Ways to change writing to drive people crazy
- Stencil Maker to use for T shirts or artwork
Other Ideas for Chasing Boredom
Here are some ideas for making new friends. It's written for divorcees, but these ideas work for widows or women (also men) who have lost their best friends over time.
Read a good travel book or research a fantastic destination online. Sure, no one has a lot of spare cash right now, but it's fun to check out options for the future. Here is a good place to find possible travel buddies: It's Rick Steves' Graffiti Wall. There's no charge for putting one's name on the list. Wouldn't it be fun to plan a trip (maybe during the cheaper off-season) for Italy? Using the Rick Steves method makes it (almost) affordable for anyone. What the heck? Putting one's name on the wall might net a new friend, who has a cousin in London with a sofa bed, or something.
When there's nothing to do, it's fun to make up some silly, but mind-bending, creative games. Try the Random Wikipedia Game or The Wacky Photo Game. They are cures for boredom at work or boredom at home. Seniors, Baby Boomers, and intelligent younger people will like these cool things to do when bored. And, hey, it's not as easy as it looks.
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