Quick answer
Good TV games for seniors have simple turns and no time pressure: trivia about classic movies, music and history, a memory matching game, and hangman. On Apple TV, Pass the Remote! has all of these, played by passing one Siri Remote. Grandkids can join on the same color team.
Why do TV games with one remote work well?
Everyone can see the big screen from their chair, there's no phone or app to learn, and there are no accounts or passwords. One person takes a turn, then hands the remote to the next.
- One remote, passed around. Nobody needs their own device, so nobody gets left out because they don't have a smartphone.
- Nothing to sign up for. There are no accounts, no ads and no subscriptions, and the App Store privacy label is Data Not Collected.
- Teams, not just turns. Up to four color teams of any size, so the whole room plays even though only one person holds the remote.
- It's forgiving. Pressing Back by mistake asks END THIS GAME? with KEEP PLAYING already selected, so a slip of the thumb never ends the game.
Which games are the best fit?
Memory, Trivia Battle with the classic categories, Hangman and Read the Room. They're turn-based, easy to follow on the TV, and good for conversation.
Memory
Flip two tiles and look for a pair. Find one and you keep the remote; miss and it passes to the next color. Calm, simple turns that grandparents and grandkids can play side by side. The Classic tile set is free.
Trivia Battle
Pick a category and answer multiple-choice questions on the TV, with a fun fact after every answer. There's no question timer, so a team can talk it over before locking in. Classic Films, Classic Rock, Country Music, US History and TV Sitcoms come with Unlock Everything; Around the World, Wild Science and Odd One Out are free.
Hangman
The classic word game. Swipe to a letter and click to guess it. With a group, pick CREATE YOUR OWN WORD and spell out family names, hometowns or old favorites for everyone else to guess.
Read the Room
One person sees where a hidden target sits on a dial and gives a one-word clue; everyone else guesses. There's no timer, and the fun is in the arguing. Good for a talkative group.
Trivia questions for seniors
15 multiple-choice questions on classic movies, TV, music, history, geography and science, easy ones first. Read them aloud or print them; answers and fun facts are under each one, and Quiz mode hides them.
Which 1954 Supreme Court case ended legal school segregation?
- ALoving v. Virginia
- BBrown v. Board of Education
- CSweatt v. Painter
- DPlessy v. Ferguson
Answer: Brown v. Board of Education
Fun fact: The decision was unanimous.
Which radio show began in 1925 as the WSM Barn Dance?
- ALouisiana Hayride
- BRenfro Valley Barn Dance
- CThe Grand Ole Opry
- DMidwestern Hayride
Answer: The Grand Ole Opry
Fun fact: It is the longest-running radio broadcast in US history.
Which Nashville venue is known as the Mother Church of Country Music?
- AThe Ryman Auditorium
- BThe Bijou
- CTootsie's
- DThe Bluebird Cafe
Answer: The Ryman Auditorium
Fun fact: It housed the Opry from 1943 until 1974.
Which city did Black Sabbath come from?
- AManchester
- BLiverpool
- CSheffield
- DBirmingham
Answer: Birmingham
Fun fact: Its factories and foundries are often credited with shaping the sound.
In which year did the United States enter World War I?
- A1919
- B1917
- C1914
- D1915
Answer: 1917
Fun fact: American troops arrived in numbers that broke the stalemate.
Which 1960s sitcom starred a talking horse?
- APetticoat Junction
- BMister Ed
- CThe Beverly Hillbillies
- DGreen Acres
Answer: Mister Ed
Fun fact: The horse's handlers used several tricks to make him appear to talk.
Which of these is a fungus rather than a plant?
- AA mushroom
- BA fern
- CA cactus
- DA moss
Answer: A mushroom
Fun fact: Fungi are actually more closely related to animals than to plants.
Tagalog is the basis of the national language of which country?
- AThailand
- BMalaysia
- CThe Philippines
- DIndonesia
Answer: The Philippines
Fun fact: The standardized form is called Filipino.
Wiener schnitzel is named after which city?
- ABerlin
- BMunich
- CVienna
- DZurich
Answer: Vienna
Fun fact: 'Wien' is the German name for Vienna. Authentic Wiener schnitzel must be veal.
What is Frasier's profession in his own series?
- ANewspaper columnist
- BUniversity lecturer
- CRadio psychiatrist
- DHospital director
Answer: Radio psychiatrist
Fun fact: His call-in show gives the series its structure.
Which 1956 western follows a years-long search for a kidnapped niece?
- ARed River
- BThe Man Who Shot Liberty Valance
- CThe Searchers
- DShane
Answer: The Searchers
Fun fact: Its final shot, framed in a doorway, is one of the most copied images in film.
Which 1939 western turned its star into a leading man after a decade of B-movies?
- ARed River
- BTrue Grit
- CStagecoach
- DThe Searchers
Answer: Stagecoach
Fun fact: He had spent the previous decade in low-budget westerns.
Who was the Rolling Stones' drummer for nearly 60 years?
- AMick Taylor
- BCharlie Watts
- CRon Wood
- DBill Wyman
Answer: Charlie Watts
Fun fact: He was a jazz fan who never much cared for rock and roll.
What does DNA stand for?
- ADinitrogen acid
- BDeoxyribonucleic acid
- CDynamic nuclear acid
- DDeoxyribose nitrate
Answer: Deoxyribonucleic acid
Fun fact: If you stretched out all the DNA in one of your cells, it would be about 6 feet long.
Which 1970 documentary captured a three-day festival in upstate New York?
- AGimme Shelter
- BThe Last Waltz
- CMonterey Pop
- DWoodstock
Answer: Woodstock
Fun fact: It won the Oscar for Best Documentary.
More questions by topic: movie trivia · classic rock · country music · US history · geography · TV shows
Playing with the grandkids
Mix the generations on each color team. Grandparents know the history and classic-movie questions, kids spot the pop-culture ones, and everyone shares the win.
Give each color a real name, up to 10 characters, and one of 16 silly avatars, like a pizza, a ninja or a unicorn, so the game cheers for GRANDPA instead of RED. In Memory, a sharp-eyed grandchild and a patient grandparent make a strong team. Pass the Remote! is rated 9+ on the App Store, so grown-ups can decide which games suit the youngest kids.
Visiting for the holidays? Thanksgiving games for the whole family · Christmas party games · family game night ideas
Tips for activity directors
Make each table a color team, seat players close to the screen, and run Trivia Battle as the main event. One Apple TV and its remote run the whole session.
- Teams by table. Up to four colors, each as big as you like. Pass the remote to whoever's answering for that table.
- Seat people close. Bring the chairs in so everyone can read the questions on the TV, and read each one aloud as well.
- No rush. Trivia Battle and Read the Room have no timers, so a table can talk it over before anyone clicks.
- Pick familiar categories. Classic Films, Classic Rock, Country Music, US History and TV Sitcoms tend to get the room talking.
- Setting up. Install it from the App Store on the Apple TV itself. It's free; the optional $9.99 Unlock Everything opens every category and deck. Nobody needs an account, and the App Store privacy label is Data Not Collected.
Printable game plan
A 45-minute game hour
-
0:00–0:05
Make color teams
Two to four tables or groups, each a color. Name the teams on the TV if you like.
-
0:05–0:25
Trivia Battle
Five rounds, one question per color per round. Start with a category the room knows well, like Classic Films or Country Music.
-
0:25–0:35
Memory
Find a pair and keep the remote; miss and it passes. Calm turns after the trivia.
-
0:35–0:45
Finale: Hangman
CREATE YOUR OWN WORD: a hometown, a favorite song, a resident's name. Whoever solves it picks the next word.
Read every question aloud, and give each table a minute to talk before they lock in.
Getting comfortable with the Siri Remote
Swipe on the top of the remote to move around the screen, and click it to choose. That's nearly all you need. The touch surface takes a minute to get used to, so take a practice turn first.
- Light swipes. Short, gentle swipes are easier to control than big ones.
- Click to choose. Press down on the top of the remote until it clicks.
- Back is safe. In the middle of a game, Back asks before ending anything, with KEEP PLAYING already selected.
- Typing names. The only typing is the optional team names. Someone with an iPhone can type them with the Apple TV Remote in Control Center.
TV games for seniors: questions
What are good TV games for seniors?
Games with simple turns and no time pressure: trivia about classic movies, music and history, a memory matching game, and hangman. On Apple TV, Pass the Remote! has all of these, played by passing one Siri Remote around the room.
Do seniors need a smartphone to play?
No. Pass the Remote! uses only the Siri Remote that came with the Apple TV. Nobody downloads an app, signs in or joins on a phone, and there are no accounts to set up.
How many people can play at once?
Play solo, or pick 2, 3 or 4 colors. Each color can be one person or a whole team, so a big group or a whole activity room splits into up to four color teams that share the remote.
Can grandparents and grandkids play together?
Yes. Color teams can mix the generations, so a grandparent and a grandchild play on the same side. Pass the Remote! is rated 9+ on the App Store, so grown-ups can decide which games suit the youngest kids.
Is the Siri Remote hard to learn?
It takes a minute. You swipe on the top of the remote to move and click it to choose. Most people get the hang of it after a few turns, and an accidental press of Back never wipes out a game in progress.
How much does it cost?
It's free to download, and every game is free to play with a starter lineup. One optional $9.99 purchase, Unlock Everything, opens everything else. There are no ads and no subscriptions.