Facebook has been the talk of the town lately in my small town.  The high school and college kids have known about it for a long time, but the news is finally spreading to some of the Luddites in my peer group and to members of my parents’ generation.  Aside from (re)connecting with friends, Facebook offers some great ways to waste time and have some mindless fun, but I think that some of these games may benefit our intellectual health as well.  At least that’s the line I’m using when I talk about how much I enjoy some of these addictive word games.

You may have heard news stories about the benefits of crossword puzzles and word games in staving off the signs of Alzheimer’s disease.  Now, I’m not going to claim that online games are a miraculous cure, but the transition of traditional word games to online venues does offer additional advantages in terms of accessibility, variety, and competitive spirit.  Players can add a new dimension by challenging their friends, which for some people can make an otherwise-dull game into something new and exciting.  Some of my favorites combine mental aerobics with an existing community of friends and family.

SCRABBLE Beta, the Facebook version of the classic board game, adds animation and chat functionality to the traditional format.  You can also customize the speed of the game and can choose between starting games with friends or participating in public games.

Word Challenge also offers you the opportunity to play independently or challenge Facebook friends.  Try to make as many words as possible from a set of six letters.  You receive points for each word, a special bonus round for using all letters at once, and extra time for words using four or more letters.  As you become increasingly adept, you can move up higher in the rankings, and Word Challenge can also be played in several languages other than English.

Bubble Words is another word-forming game, but there are no restrictions on length in this game.  Letters drop like bubbles, and you drag your mouse to connect bubbles to form words.  Longer words receive more points, and you can challenge friends to see who earns the highest score.

My current favorite is Scramble, another word-forming game that presents you with letters on tiles in a 4-by-4 or 5-by-5 grid.  As with Word Challenge, you can play solo or challenge friends, and Scramble also offers live chat functionality.

The combination of word games with Facebook’s social network lets me give this delightful time-monopolizing site the sheen of intellectual exercise.  I can have fun with friends, in those coveted moments when I can relax and let go of stress, and still feel as though I’ve done something worthwhile.  I may be a couch potato while I’m playing, but at least my brain gets some exercise.  Are there any online games that you enjoy for their mix of mental exercise and fun?  I would love to learn of more ways to waste time flex my mental muscles.

Images from Zynga and Playfish, creators of Scramble and Word Challenge, respectively.

Robin collects stories and musings about her family, work, and hobbies at The Driftwood Collector.