Intergenerational game nights bring laughter and connection

KANAB, Utah — Social isolation and loneliness aren’t just unenjoyable, they can have significant nega­tive impacts on indi­viduals’ physical and mental health. Accord­ing to the CDC, being socially isolated and/ or feeling lonely has been shown to raise the risk of heart disease, stroke, dementia, and mental health condi­tions like depression and anxiety - leading to an increased risk of premature death com­parable to smoking 15 cigarettes per day.

Photos courtesy of Healthy Kane County Foundation.

The Healthy Kane County Foundation has hosted two game nights (one in January and one in February) in partner­ship with Kanab’s own game store, The Game House, and Evelynn Geiger, whose Miss Kane County Pageant platform focuses on engaging teens in con­necting with and sup­porting seniors.

These events aim to fight social isolation and loneliness by con­necting people across generations through playing a variety of tabletop games, and so far we’ve been meeting that goal. These events have been home to laughter, playfulness, and sharing across generations - not just in teaching each other games but connecting over other hobbies and learning about each other’s interests.

The joy at our game tables is palpable and the energy can be summed up in one par­ticipant’s enthusiastic, “Just one more round!” as our event came to a close. And more rounds there will be!

Game nights will continue every fourth Thursday through May (March 26, April 23, May 28), 3:30 - 5 p.m. in the mul­tipurpose room at the Kanab City Library.

We hope to see you there, and hope to host future game nights at a variety of times to create access for those unable to attend at that time.