The short answer
Easy trivia for seniors with dementia works when it feels like a chat, not a test. Ask about things learned long ago, such as old songs, sayings, holidays and everyday life, and always offer two or three choices. Give the answer freely, never single anyone out, skip the score, and use each answer to start a story. "This or that" questions with no wrong answer suit later stages.
- Ask about long-familiar things: songs, sayings, holidays, food and everyday life from years ago.
- Offer two or three choices so the answer can be recognized rather than recalled.
- Say the answer warmly and move on. Any guess that starts a story is a good guess.
- No points, no teams racing, no calling on one person. Let answers come from the whole room.
- When choosing between answers gets hard, switch to this-or-that questions with no right answer.
On this page (9 sections)
Trivia is one of the most requested group activities in care homes and day programs, and many families play it at the kitchen table too. Run the usual way, with points and one person answering, it can leave someone with dementia feeling put on the spot. Run gently, it is a lively way to hear stories. Below are 50 easy questions with answer choices and something to talk about for each, followed by how to run a session.
How do you make trivia work for someone with dementia?
Make it about recognizing and remembering long-ago things, and make every answer welcome.
- Ask about the distant past. The Alzheimer’s Association says the most common early symptom of Alzheimer’s is trouble remembering newly learned information. Songs, sayings and everyday life from decades ago are often easier ground.
- Always give choices. Picking the right answer from two or three is much easier than producing it from nothing.
- Read questions aloud and show them large. A whiteboard or a tablet held up helps people who hear less well.
- Give the answer freely. If nobody knows, say it warmly and move on. Never “Come on, you know this.”
- No score. Not for individuals and not for tables. If people want a number, keep one group total.
- Never call on one person. Let answers come from anyone. In a one-to-one, answer together: “I think it’s the piano. What do you think?”
- Use the talking point. The answer is the start, not the end. Stories are the real goal.
- Keep it short. Ten questions with stories in between is plenty.
The National Institute on Aging puts the core rule simply: watch for frustration and make sure the person feels successful. The Alzheimer’s Foundation of America lists trivia among activities for the early stage. In the middle stage, keep to two choices and lean on the talking points. Later, switch to the this-or-that questions further down.
Music and entertainment trivia
The answer is in bold. Tailor these to the person: someone who grew up with Motown will want different singers from someone who grew up with big bands.
| Question | Choices | Talk about |
|---|---|---|
| Who was called the King of Rock and Roll? | Elvis Presley, Frank Sinatra, Bing Crosby | Did you ever see Elvis on TV? |
| Which singer was nicknamed Ol’ Blue Eyes? | Dean Martin, Frank Sinatra, Perry Como | Which Sinatra song do you like best? |
| Bing Crosby dreamed of a white… | Christmas, wedding, house | Sing a line together |
| Louis Armstrong sang “What a Wonderful…” | Day, World, Life | What makes the world wonderful to you? |
| “Over the Rainbow” was sung by Judy Garland in which movie? | The Wizard of Oz, Gone with the Wind, Singin’ in the Rain | Where did you see your favorite movies? |
| Who starred as Lucy in “I Love Lucy”? | Lucille Ball, Doris Day, Betty White | What shows did your family watch together? |
| Which cowboy rode a horse named Trigger? | Roy Rogers, Gene Autry, John Wayne | Did you play cowboys as a child? |
| Who hosted “The Tonight Show” for 30 years? | Ed Sullivan, Johnny Carson, Bob Hope | Did you stay up late to watch TV? |
| Which instrument has 88 keys? | Guitar, piano, trumpet | Did anyone in your family play? |
| Which dance is counted one-two-three, one-two-three? | Waltz, twist, tango | Where did you go dancing? |
For more on music, see music activities for dementia.
Everyday life trivia
| Question | Choices | Talk about |
|---|---|---|
| Before refrigerators, many homes kept food cold in an… | Icebox, oven, attic | Who delivered the ice? |
| Who brought milk to the door in glass bottles? | The mailman, the milkman, the paperboy | What else got delivered to the house? |
| How did you dial a rotary phone? | Pressing buttons, turning a wheel, talking to it | Tell me about the phone in your house |
| Which company made the Model T car? | Ford, Chevrolet, Buick | Tell me about a car you liked |
| Where would you find a soda jerk? | A soda fountain, a bakery, a bank | What did you order at the counter? |
| What toy is a metal spring that can walk down stairs? | Yo-yo, Slinky, hula hoop | What toys did you love? |
| A drive-in was a place to watch… | Movies from your car, ball games, parades | Who did you go with? |
| Whose face is on the one-dollar bill? | Lincoln, George Washington, Jefferson | What did a dollar buy back then? |
| Whose face is on the penny? | Abraham Lincoln, Washington, Franklin | Did you save pennies in a jar back then? |
| What color is a school bus usually? | Red, yellow, blue | How did you get to school? |
Holidays, nature and places
| Question | Choices | Talk about |
|---|---|---|
| Which holiday is on the fourth Thursday in November? | Labor Day, Thanksgiving, Memorial Day | What was always on your table? |
| Jack-o’-lanterns are made for which holiday? | Halloween, Easter, Christmas | Tell me about Halloween where you grew up |
| The Fourth of July celebrates the Declaration of… | Rights, Independence, Freedom | Where did you watch fireworks? |
| Mother’s Day is in which month? | April, May, June | How did your family celebrate? |
| How many stars are on the American flag? | 48, 50, 52 | The flag had 48 stars until 1959. Either answer is a good memory |
| Which ocean is on the East Coast? | Pacific, Atlantic, Arctic | Did you ever go to the beach? |
| In which city is the Statue of Liberty? | Boston, New York, Philadelphia | Have you been to New York? |
| What do bees make? | Milk, honey, silk | Honey on toast or in tea? |
| A baby cow is called a… | Foal, calf, kid | Did you ever live near a farm? |
| Which tall yellow flower is famous for turning toward the sun? | Rose, sunflower, tulip | What grew in your garden? |
| How many days are in a leap year? | 365, 366, 360 | Tell me about a birthday you remember |
| Which season comes after winter? | Fall, spring, summer | What is your favorite season? |
Food and sports trivia
| Question | Choices | Talk about |
|---|---|---|
| Raisins are dried… | Plums, grapes, cherries | Did you pack raisins in lunches? |
| Prunes are dried… | Plums, figs, apples | Who in your family loved prunes? |
| Peanut butter and… | Jelly, cheese, ham | Crunchy or smooth? |
| Guacamole is made mostly from… | Peas, avocados, cucumbers | What dips came out at parties? |
| Which pie is a Thanksgiving favorite? | Pumpkin, lemon, cherry | Which pie did you make? |
| How many players does a baseball team have on the field? | 7, 9, 11 | Which team did you root for? |
| How many strikes make an out in baseball? | Two, three, four | Did you ever play ball? |
| Babe Ruth was famous for which sport? | Boxing, baseball, golf | Did you go to ball games? |
| How many holes are on a standard golf course? | 9, 18, 24 | Have you ever played golf, or mini golf? |
| In which sport do you score a touchdown? | Football, hockey, basketball | Who watched football at your house? |
Familiar sayings
Finishing a saying draws on language learned long ago and often comes easily. Our Finish the saying game has many more, with a tap to show any ending.
| Saying | Choices | Talk about |
|---|---|---|
| An apple a day keeps the… | Doctor away, rain away, cat away | Who used to say this to you? |
| The early bird catches the… | Bus, worm, train | Are you a morning person? |
| Don’t count your chickens before they… | Hatch, sleep, sing | Did your family keep chickens? |
| A penny saved is a penny… | Earned, lost, spent | Who was the saver in your family? |
| Home is where the… | Garden is, heart is, kitchen is | What makes a place feel like home? |
| Better late than… | Early, never, sorry | Who was always late? |
| Every cloud has a silver… | Lining, spoon, coin | Tell me about a lucky break |
| Actions speak louder than… | Words, music, thunder | Tell me about someone who said that |
This-or-that questions with no wrong answer
These suit every stage, including later on, because there is nothing to get right. Ask, listen, and share your own answer too.
- Coffee or tea?
- Beach or mountains?
- Dogs or cats?
- Summer or winter?
- Pie or cake?
- Dancing or watching?
- Sunrise or sunset?
- Front porch or back yard?
- Radio or records?
- Pancakes or eggs?
- Roses or daisies?
- Train trip or road trip?
For conversation prompts that go with pictures, try our printable Conversation cards.
How do you run a trivia session in a care home or group?
- Seat people so they can see and hear. Hearing aids in, glasses on, the TV off.
- Introduce it as a chat. “I have some questions about the old days, and I bet you know more than I do.”
- Read each question twice and show the choices large.
- Welcome answers from anywhere in the room. Repeat good answers so everyone hears.
- Say the answer for everyone, then ask the talking point to the room.
- Follow the energy. If one question starts ten minutes of stories, let it.
- End with a song or a this-or-that round, so everyone finishes on something easy.
For other group formats, including picture bingo and sing-alongs, see group activities for care homes.
When to change the plan
If someone looks worried, goes quiet or says “I don’t know” more than once, make it easier: drop to two choices, answer together, or switch to this-or-that questions. If the group would rather talk about one question all afternoon, that is a success. The aim was never the right answers. It was time in good company.
Common questions
Is trivia a good activity for people with dementia?
It can be, if it is run gently. The Alzheimer's Foundation of America lists trivia among activities for the early stage. Keep questions about long-familiar topics, offer choices, never put one person on the spot, and treat the answers as a way into conversation rather than a test.
What topics work best for dementia trivia?
Things learned long ago tend to work best: popular songs and singers from the person's youth, familiar sayings, holidays, food, sports, and everyday life such as milk deliveries and rotary phones. Avoid recent news and anything that needs remembering something from earlier in the session.
How do I run trivia in a care home without embarrassing anyone?
Read each question to the whole group, show or say the choices, and welcome answers from anyone. Do not call on individuals or keep score. Say the answer with a smile whatever was guessed, and ask a follow-up such as 'Who here ever went to a drive-in?' to turn it into stories.
What can I do instead of trivia in later stages?
Switch to questions with no wrong answer, such as 'Coffee or tea?' or 'Beach or mountains?', and to finishing familiar sayings or songs together. Looking at pictures and describing them together also works well.
Sources
We link to the organizations and studies this page relies on. Each was checked when the page was updated.
- Therapeutic Activities for 3 Main Stages of Alzheimer's disease · Alzheimer's Foundation of America
- Adapting Activities for People With Alzheimer's Disease · National Institute on Aging
- Activities · Alzheimer's Association
- What is Alzheimer's Disease? · Alzheimer's Association