MenteBrillante
What each sheet is for
- Memories through the decades: twelve open questions about one period: childhood and school, the 1950s, the 1960s, the 1970s or the 1980s. The Coronation and ration books, Beatlemania and the 1966 World Cup, decimalisation and the Silver Jubilee, Live Aid and the Great Storm. They ask about people’s own lives, not dates to learn.
- Things from the past: draw a line from each object to what it was used for: the mangle, the washboard, the coal scuttle, the darning mushroom, the ration book… Half the fun is the stories that come with them.
- Old jobs: the rag-and-bone man, the milkman, the knocker-upper, the lamplighter, the bus conductor. Match each job to what the person did, and ask who remembers them in their street.
- Memories of a lifetime: the first job, Sunday lunch, the shops on the high street, the best present ever.
How to run a reminiscence session
Reminiscence is about the conversation, not the paper. The sheets give you a starting point and a shared focus; what matters is that people feel listened to. Twenty to forty minutes is plenty, with a small group sitting where everyone can hear.
- Choose the right decade. For a group born in the 1940s, the 1950s and 60s sheets will be their teenage years and young adulthood, which is when memories are often strongest.
- Bring something to hold. An old tin, a ration book, a record or a photo makes the questions come alive.
- One question at a time. There is no need to get through all twelve. If one question gets everyone talking, stay with it.
- Be gentle. Not every memory is a happy one. Let people pass, and never push for an answer.
An honest word
These sheets are enjoyable, help people get to know each other and get everyone talking, which is no small thing. But there is no solid evidence that activities like these prevent cognitive decline, and they do not replace an assessment or a plan from a professional. We go through the sources in what the science says about puzzles.
More large-print sheets: memory activities, finish the proverb, reality orientation worksheets, word games for seniors and the large-print activity sheets.
