AARP Rewards Community Learning & Earning Contest August 2022

[AARPTeri]

August 2022, Learning/Earning/Back to School Contest!

Tell us how you keep your brain active to keep engaged for the chance to be one of five (5) winners of a $50 VISA Gift card! 

Post your message by clicking reply at the bottom of this message! Contest runs from 8/1 until 8/31/22.  Click here to see Contest Rules.

Some examples to help get you started!

My son moved to Germany, and I take German classes so I can feel a little more comfortable with the language when I visit him for the holidays.

I like to take quizzes and watch videos about topics I’m interested in like “what do you know about long-term care” from the Rewards earning page.

[DeborahB44176]

I work part time at a community snr center, i continue to exercise 5 days a week , variety, Pilates, yoga, eccentrics, aerobics. I eat organic produce with some fish, chicken and a little dairy, yogurt in the AM, keep gluten/GMO free. But more important than all of that is that i have been working to understand how such an intelligent species as our own got "ourselves" into this Great Mess! With several degrees, the last one in environmental science in 2012, I gained enough background material to understand enough as to how but better, to posit a New Story based on what we "can now know" if we drop the blinders of the limited level of seeing most of us appear to experience. There is a New possible Story, that's what activates my me and my brain.

[PatriciaB991966]

I do my best to eat healthy, get 8-9 hours sleep each night, walk for 30 minutes each day on the treadmill, lift light weights every other day, and do genealogy research. Genealogy research has enough confusion in it alone to challenge one's mind in keeping facts straight. I often do the brain exercises on the AARP website.

[WendeeR429803]

I take weekly Zumba and cardio dance classes at my local gym. Having to learn new dance steps and keep up with the much younger instructors keeps my brain active.

[LydiaH182426]

I mostly play Scrabble, Daily Crossword, Ball Stort and Heza Block on my phone.  I have tried some AARP games and find them challenging. I read articles on the AARP site and find them to be very helpful.  I also read Daily Christian Devotionals that I receive automatically on my computer, these feed my mind and my soul.

[r780795k]

I do a stretching and breathing yoga class three days a week coupled with an aerobic workout beforehand. I start the day with wordle and quordle and worldle. Reading and books on tape keep me thinking.I have also reached 400+ days on Duolingo working on a bit of Spanish. I am getting there!

[CleoMist]

I take French classes on Duolingo to keep my brain sharp and learning another language is always good.  I plan to continue on and take Spanish as well.  I play the memory games that help keep the brain sharp.  

[BernardW404908]

Serving as President (pro bono) of the Seniors Job Bank keeps my brain constantly engaged. The Seniors Job Bank is a nonprofit community organization in the Hartford, CT area that connects people over 50 looking for work with businesses, households, and other employers that have work to be done. Our service is free, to jobseekers and employers. Visit www.seniorsjobbankct.org.

[MeauxXO]

I play games like Wordle, Wordscapes, Soduko, Mini Crossword. I also have a school-age child, so I also do homework. I still proofread papers for my college age children. I also enjoy watching quiz shows like Jeopardy! 😊

[KathyO472035]

I do search a word puzzles. Watch Jeopardy and Wheel of Fortune and also read a lot.

[Maureen7045]

I work part-time teaching computer skills to adults and I also learn so much from the AARP videos and quizzes. I love sharing what I learn with my 93 year old mom! She's been doing the balance exercises since I watched that video. She's a member too but isn't online. I also really enjoy doing Right Again Trivia and the Jumbles in the Sunday newspaper. 

[p81562m]

I’ve made it a daily habit to do the following things, even when I don’t want to!  I start the morning out with coffee and the newspaper to keep up with local events. Then I take our golden retriever for a 1.5 mile walk. Afterwards, I either walk or run myself depending on what I have scheduled for the day. After that, I do body weight exercises. Finally, my brain is ready for some learning!  I study Spanish via the Duolingo app for about 20 minutes. Then finally I will read either a fiction or non-fiction book for about an hour. Reward: short nap before lunch!

[elizabethb585601]

I walk my dog 1 mile every day.  It keeps my mind engaged in my surroundings and fuels my thoughts to get things done at home.

[LindaC2357]

I work one day a week and volunteer one day a week - keeps both my mind and body active.

[Jeandom]

I keep my brain active by reading my bible daily and attending my religious meetings on Zoom.

[LydiaH165678]

The NYT mini crossword and the Boston Globe crossword are daily musts for fun. I was recently introduced to Wordle. My three pets, two cats and a dog, keep me thinking as I care for them. I also watch videos and movies.

[DianaG505033]

Hi! I keep my brain active by playing games on the computer/phone such as those found on the AARP site. I also like to do arts and crafts and sewing. I also have taught myself to use the Cricut and have kept busy by making our Christmas cards the last few years.

I also enjoy traveling and exploring new places. I love planning trips, attending online webinars and travel talks, and sometimes even getting to go on the planned adventures!

I also try to eat well and exercise on my recumbent bike knowing that will help to keep my mind clear.

[CrystalH382645]

I challenge myself by playing Soduko and cribbage everyday.   

[LanceE664747]

Words With Friends 2 is a great way to keep the brain active. I also like to post reviews for movies, books and shows.

Tracking the national weather satellite and seeing how those patterns are affecting local conditions. 

[vz4214]

I keep my brain active by playing word games on my phone, reading and taking a weekly line dance class.  I am also trying to learn new things all the time, like how to crochet and salsa lessons.  if I am active, my brain is working!  

[RoyT823256]

I do the quizzes, as well as watch the videos in the health section on AARP, also joined a workout group that includes yoga, meditation as well as work outs. I have adopted new food groups, such as nuts and other vegetables to add to the natural vitamins and nutrients that will help me physically and mentally. I am a member of AARP. 

[Littlebit1353]

This is what I do:  I drink, I garden, and I know things!

(can't claim this as original, as it came from a sign hanging by the back door . . . )

Seriously, though:  gardening, reading, word games and puzzles, writing, jewelry-making, house renovations.  And daily exercise!

[KarlaP693738]

I start my day by reading the news online from several sources. Then, I play Wordl, Spelling Bee, NYT Mini crossword and Phoodl. I take quizzes and read every night before bed. My husband and I discuss current events on our daily walks. And we watch Jeopardy every night and play along.

[MsGray50]

How I keep my brain active 1. I watch the local & national news every morning 2. I talk to family & friends every day 3. I read and 4. I honor the Sabath Day.

[SusanR505010]

I recently retired, but all my life I have enjoyed doing crosswords and playing scrabble. Ever since I joined AARP, I have learned a lot about keeping my brain sharp. It seems like I was doing the right things all along. I have always been a nature lover. Growing up in rural Pennsylvania in the sixties, my family only had one car which dad took to work. My mom would take us kids on walks daily. All of these things are things I continue do to keep mentally sound. When I’m sad I take a walk. Good advice from mom.

[trainingqueen]

Nature!  Get outdoors everyday...no matter the weather.  And no headphones/audiobooks, etc.  Use your senses to enjoy, whther it's the city or the country. 

[daniel4ever]

I enjoy sewing, especially when I am modifying a pattern or even just trying to figure out how to make something I saw online! Instructions are sometimes lacking. Last Christmas, I made some gifts for my newborn granddaughter, including a cloth cube ornament on which I embroidered her name and birth date, as well as "First Christmas." It took a lot of experimenting since I had to look around at many places and pull together resources to figure out letter shapes and sizes for my needs.

[kjl1039]

I believe the best way to keep my brain active is thru variety, not only in subjects but in physical activity. I take online quizzes covering multiple subjects, read a variety of articles, try to learn new skills, take walks, play softball and disc golf, tutor my grandkids, and try new things as often as I can. So a variety of experiences in learning, teaching and doing keeps my mind active.

[SLOUISED]

I play games on the computer such as mahjong, free cell, solitaire and pyramid, some of which are timed.  I also do puzzles on the computer and word games. I also enjoy reading.

[kmpeach]

After retiring a few months ago, I started painting rocks and leaving them around the neighborhood for others to find and enjoy. I haven't painted since my last art class 52 years ago, but I'm loving it and so are my neighbors when they eventually figure out who left them.

[ck65845783]

I like to keep making quilts.  It is like putting a puzzle together in many cases.  It keeps my brain active and also my creativity is stimulated.  

An AARP friend