Trivia gets people talking. A question about an old movie or a favorite singer often leads to a story, and those stories are the best part of the game. Below are 33 easy questions for seniors, with answers, sorted by topic. Read them aloud or copy them onto cards.
Movies and TV
- Which actress starred in “I Love Lucy”? Answer: Lucille Ball.
- What is the name of Dorothy’s dog in “The Wizard of Oz”? Answer: Toto.
- Who played Rick in “Casablanca”? Answer: Humphrey Bogart.
- What is the heroine called in “Gone with the Wind”? Answer: Scarlett O’Hara.
- In “The Sound of Music”, which country is the von Trapp family from? Answer: Austria.
- Which movie from 1975 made people afraid of sharks? Answer: Jaws.
- Who plays Mary Poppins in the 1964 film? Answer: Julie Andrews.
Music
- Which singer lived at Graceland? Answer: Elvis Presley.
- Which English city did the Beatles come from? Answer: Liverpool.
- How many keys does a standard piano have? Answer: 88.
- In what year was the Woodstock festival held? Answer: 1969.
- Who was known as “Ol’ Blue Eyes”? Answer: Frank Sinatra.
- Which singer was known as the Queen of Soul? Answer: Aretha Franklin.
History
- Who was the first person to walk on the moon? Answer: Neil Armstrong.
- Who was the US president in 1955? Answer: Dwight D. Eisenhower.
- Which state became the 50th, in 1959? Answer: Hawaii.
- Which country gave the Statue of Liberty to the United States? Answer: France.
- In what year did Disneyland open? Answer: 1955.
- Who first reached the top of Mount Everest in 1953? Answer: Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay.
- Which doll was introduced in 1959? Answer: Barbie.
Nature and geography
- What is the largest ocean on Earth? Answer: The Pacific.
- What is the tallest animal in the world? Answer: The giraffe.
- What is the largest planet in our solar system? Answer: Jupiter.
- What is the capital of Canada? Answer: Ottawa.
- Which European country is shaped like a boot? Answer: Italy.
- What do bees make? Answer: Honey.
- How many colors are usually named in a rainbow? Answer: Seven.
Everyday knowledge
- How many days are in a leap year? Answer: 366.
- How many items are in a baker’s dozen? Answer: 13.
- Who painted the Mona Lisa? Answer: Leonardo da Vinci.
- Who wrote “The Adventures of Tom Sawyer”? Answer: Mark Twain.
- How many cards are in a standard deck, without jokers? Answer: 52.
- What is the first gift in “The Twelve Days of Christmas”? Answer: A partridge in a pear tree.
How to run a trivia session
- Read each question slowly and repeat it once.
- Play in teams of three or four, so that nobody feels put on the spot.
- Give hints freely. A close answer deserves a point and a laugh.
- Pause for stories. If a song comes up, sing a line of it.
- Keep it to 20 or 30 minutes. Finish with a topic everyone enjoyed.
Make it easier or harder
- Easier: give two choices for each question, or show a picture.
- Harder: ask for the year or a second fact, like the name of the actor who played opposite.
- More personal: ask people to write one question about their own hometown or working life.
Questions activity staff and families ask
Is trivia good for people with memory loss?
Often, older memories are easier to reach than recent ones, so songs and old movies can work well. Keep it relaxed, skip scoring, and move on if someone seems upset.
What prizes work?
A small treat, first choice at the snack table or simply a round of applause.
What can we do after trivia?
Try word games or brain games, or hand out sheets from our large print puzzles.
