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.

[hr88948696]

I do surveys daily.

[cneglew]

I play the 5 different solitaire games & read a lot.

[Rhymesometimes]

Volunteering as a team lead on AARP's weekly Thursday Night's Virtual Trivia and Pub Poll games.

[BillyB1]

Play Advanced Mahong Tiles

[chryan]

I tutor math students at the local community college. After teaching middle school math for a long time, I have challenged myself by tutoring calculus.

[mt2477564]

I do the mini crosssword puzzle daily, eat 5 fruits and veggies daliy, walk my dog 2-3 times daily, read, sing, and garden.Connect with friends phone calls, in person, or social media daily.

[mmchen]

I like to play SUDOKU to challenge my brain.  I like to try various recipes.  I follow live exercise lessons to keep my body strong.  I walk in the nearby public Gardens with friends weekly.

[SolitarySally]

When taking my daily walks, I write down the names and descriptions of new dogs I meet, occasionally review the list (which now has over 50 names), and then try to remember them whenever I run into them again. (I don't even bother asking for their human partners' names...)

[ck6345]

My husband and I make copies of the USA TODAY puzzles at the library and do these paper and pencil puzzles while waiting at appointments or at restaurants. 

[dh7368988]

I'm still working at 64 years old and working with the public will definitely keep your brain active. Also by exercising daily, I'm  lucky enough to have a apartment in the downtown area of my state and my job is just 6 blocks from my home. So I can walk to and from work every day, but one my favorite thing to do is reading.  I read about 3 books every week, my second home is our public library. 

[lamatos]

Since joining aarp rewards I have learned so much.I have started exercising every day learning so much from your videos.I love doing your various puzzles and quizzes every day trying to keep my brain active.Keep chalenging us older adults to be the best that we can be.

[AnnetteJ460145]

I do AARP mini crossword every day and complete a lot of the quizzes. My daughters, niece and I have a group text message called "Wacky Wordlers" where we post our Wordle score and harass each other. I belong to an international book club on bookclubs.com. I walk my two dogs twice a day and try to stay very active. AARP has a lot of great resorces. I like the interactive online events. The two part series on Musicals was excellent.  

[grandma0292]

After retiring, I use the medical transcription skills I still have in my volunteer job for a Free Clinic. It keeps my mind sharp while still keeping up with medical terminology and computer skills. I discovered doctors can now use phone apps to dictate which I can access remotely in the comfort of my home. It’s a win/win situation for all as the clinic benefits from my work experience and I get the benefit of keeping my mind engaged and active. 

[km353471]

Every morning I head to the pool to do 45 minutes of aquacise and plan my day. I eat healthy (usually LOL!), but treat myself to a square or two of dark chocolate after dinner. I keep my mind occupied by playing Spider Solitaire with four decks. I'm planning a trip to French Canada, so I'm trying to learn a few phrases in French. Oo la la!

[arleen94]

Hi,

I am 76 yrs. young and I like to keep active with some projects around the house.  I recently cleaned, sanded , primed and painted our kitchen cabinents.  They came out looking pretty good. I did receive some assistance.  So now we are in the process of putting on a new backsplash.  I also helped my companion put a serpintine belt back on his pickup. 

  I like to do word find puzzels .  Another past time is paint by number....also I started a new hobbby since last year which is called diamond painting which is very relaxing and rewarding.

i was also a member of a senior fit class but unfortunity had to close because of covid.  I do some exercises at home on occasion. 

And I have this silly little tidbit to help me remember something ...I will go through the the alphebet from A to Z and most of the time it works..try it !!!

[PhyllisL927529]

To keep my brain active, I enrolled in a sign language class (ASL), every night I make sure I play a  word game or 2 on my tablet, plus I take a dance class for seniors. This class is great for following 2 and 3 steps directions.

[loisjanke]

I do a lot of reading books, newspapers daily.  I watch wheel of fortune daily and do word finds to keep my brain engaged.   I do a daily workout session, either walking or using my health rider and using weights for strength training.  I eat lots of fruits and vegetables every day.  I watch my sugar intake too. I watch my grandkids frequently to keep my mind and body in shape.   I want to stay in shape because if you don't use it you lose it!

[MaraP233339]

Besides going to the YMCA 6 days a week, I eat plenty of fresh fruit including blackberries, bananas, blueberries, apples, oranges, grapes and raspberries. I include a salad with every dinner meal with lettuce, tomatoes, avocados, mini peppers and sliced mango.  When the weather is good I work in the yard digging up weed and cutting back the berry bushes.

[lindas248686]

Sudoku and Wordle online, jigsaw puzzles, zoom presentations on gardening and cooking and reading books and the newspaper.

[b58635c]

I like to watch quiz shows like Jeopardy and Wheel of Fortune, do word search puzzles, and love to read a variety of books. Love taking visual trips with Rick Steiv as we explore varies European cities and walk the treadmill in my home.

[Linda2000]

I like to do different types of puzzles to keep my mind active - spot the difference, Sudoku, crossword puzzles.  I also exercise every day which keeps my body active which helps keep my mind active.

[MontanaJem]

I have always loved all kinds of puzzles but logic problems, word games, and math puzzles help to keep my brain active. 

[jm5979]

I watch documentaries on TV whether I do it on sat TV or streaming. I have purchased several GREAT COURSES programs. I research subjects online such as genealogy and follow the trail to places my ancestors have lived. And since I discovered the GAME SECTION on AARP I try to do several of these a day. I enjoy them and they challenge me sometimes and give me a "warm up" on my mousing and typing. There is never a boring day!

[TerrieH718114]

Keeping engaged with other people is more challenging when you work from home. I volunteer for a food pantry weekly. Also I opened up my backyard as a Mini Dog Park to neighbors with small yards and under socialized dogs.My dog Turner has a new girlfriend now.

[Dakotalady401]

I sign up for free online classes from universities across the country. Sometimes I find a class that I may have never been interested in back in the day to be very interesting and informative!

I sign up for free art classes on Facebook Live-(buy supplies at the dollar store)-I'm not very good, but I have fun!

I have become a very active library user and besides finding new books to read, I will check out the cookbook sections and learn a new cuisine. Right now I'm working through Indian cooking. Delish!

I always sign up for Community Ed exercise classes, especially for those over 50. I'm doing yoga at the library and this fall I'll be learning to belly dance! To heck with those inhibitions!

[MarkS453220]

I read books ,and I go for long walks, I do some form of exercise every day .I also make sure I get enough sleep, drink water and eat well.

[WaltK13]

When I, dramatically, failed a sleep study test in 2018 I gave no argument to going on a CPAP machine.  It was simple logic.  When you are waking up, even when you don't realize it, every few minutes your brain is not getting the rest or the proper amount of oxygen it needs during your sleep cycle to keep it healthy.  I've also put away the calculator and do all the math for my checkbook and other purposes manually, in the manner I was taught way back in grade school.  I have a clear path from the front of my house to the back so even when the weather is bad I can walk laps for 20 or 30 minutes without stopping everyday.  I've also learned that in your sixties fleeting thoughts, are exactly that.  If you decide to do something really focus on it for a few moments, so when you get to the room you're going to do it in, you're not asking yourself "What did I come in here for?"  

[ChristieB509106]

Crossword puzzles have interested me since I learned to read. I have decided to learn to work the puzzles with the calm patience I used with my students for 38 years. Starting slow and celebrating every correct word makes crossword puzzling fun for me!

[AeC661652]

I am a supposed "boomer," here saying goodbye to 60.  I am going easy on myself as I age (maybe 10%).  I won't beat myself up when I forget something.  I pause, take a breath, and slow down.  I spend at least an hour a day reading news and doing quizzes.  I also have to work on my daily to-do list to free up my brain to focus on individual tasks. 

[BrendaW721269]

I had a problem with my chemo that makes it hard to remember things on a daily basis.I find I have to write notes a lot. I find that doing a lot of puzzles and reading to keep up on everything really helps. Also staying busy with regular exercise and taking care of the yard (mowing,flowers,etc.)helps a lot.I can't do a lot like drive because of neuropathy in my hands and feet but for 65 I feel that I'm doing great!