By Sandra Nachlinger
After waking in the morning and eating a bowl of cereal, I
have a cup of chai tea. Only then do the mists in my mind start to dissipate.
But it takes a round of word games on my computer to actually clear out all the
fog. Here are links to a few games that jumpstart my brain and get it going:
Make as many words as possible from sixteen letters
displayed in a grid (four across, four down.) You can set the timer for sixty
seconds, ninety seconds, or more. I usually opt for ninety, especially early in
the morning.
Type Writer on the AARP website has four levels. On the first
level, your task is to make as many four letter words as possible, using a “key”
letter. You get more points if you place the letter in the highlighted space.
In the second level, your words consist of five letters; six letters in the
third level; ending with seven letters in the final level.
Players can choose “regular” or “master” skill level. First
thing in the morning, “regular” is my choice. That’s challenging enough!
Another source of online crosswords is Dictionary.com. “Regular” and “experts”
levels are options here, too.
All of these games get my brain in gear and, surprisingly,
often bring long forgotten words to the surface. Just last week I remembered “ennui”—a great word I haven’t thought of in ages. An online game jarred it loose from the filing cabinet in my head.
You might want to give these word games a try to see if they
activate your brain, too. But be warned. They can be addictive and can cut into
time that could be spent on more productive things, like writing or reading.
Do you have a ritual to start your mornings and jumpstart your brain?
