When a person’s ability to interact with the broader physical world is limited, creating intellectually and visually stimulating moments can become becomes much more difficult. At the same time, quality of life may depend even more on that kind of stimulation.
Birdcage Books makes a Renaissance Art Game that stimulates sense, mind, and memory with cards printed in rich, vibrant colors. The cards feature 30 works of Renaissance art; they’re meant to be used to play versions of the traditional “Go Fish” and “Concentration” card games.
People with moderate visual impairment may not see all the details, but may still be able to play by relying on the richness and style of the color patterns.
A booklet is included with two pages of related information for each card, presenting lots of opportunity to learn about the art, and for trivia questions. A few noted on the website:
- Who punched “the divine Michelangelo” in the nose?
- Why did Leonardo da Vinci write backwards?
- Who painted his most annoying critic as the Devil on the wall of the pope’s chapel?
- Which paints were made from beetles, burnt bones and precious jewels?
The game is perfect for someone who has always enjoyed Renaissance art, but just fine for the art novice, too, who’ll become an expert fast.
By themselves, the cards themselves might be great conversation starters, or used as invitations to storytelling — more fine ways to stretch brains and enrich lives.
The Renaissance Art Game, online from BirdCage Press, or available at museum stores all around the country.