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The JD's Collections

Prototype collection

Thoughtfully Designed Games for Meaningful Moments

Created to encourage connection, conversation, laughter, and joy across generations

Five games built for dignity, conversation and connection, created for one father and now being finished for other families, care teams and communities. There are no winners or losers here.

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Currently in prototype and finalization. Facility, organization and group inquiries especially welcome.

Carmen Merriweather with her father JD, smiling together
JD with the Roll of the Dice board game. He is the reason all of this exists.

JD is my father. He has always been my hero.

He had likely been living with vascular dementia far longer than any of us knew. It was about a year and a half ago that it became clear to our family, and his decline moved fast after that.

I created these games for my father, who has dementia, as a healthy and meaningful way for us to cope, connect, and engage. What began with him has grown into part of his legacy and an opportunity to create something that may help other individuals and families as well.

Every smile is a victory. Every conversation is a gift. Every memory shared is a success.
Carmen Merriweather, Founder, The JD’s Collections
Carmen Merriweather, founder of The JD's Collections, smiling
Carmen Merriweather, founder of The JD’s Collections.

The collection, in prototype

Five collections. One idea: meet someone where they are today.

Each of these is a working prototype. Artwork, components and packaging are still being refined, so treat what you see as the design direction rather than a final specification.

01

JD’s Bingo

The room gets loud again.

Bingo without numbers to decipher. Every square is a picture almost everyone recognises instantly: an apple, a red car, a teapot, a clock. Call a picture, find a picture, and watch a table of people light up together.

  • 12 bingo cards
  • Picture based, no reading required
  • Designed for group play
  • Prototype in refinement

Prototype · Group bingo, picture based

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Bingo box, dementia-friendly picture bingo with 12 cards
02

JD’s Picture Match

Recognition, not recall.

Fifty matching pairs across twelve sets. A golden retriever finds a golden retriever. A red apple finds a red apple. The images are bright and unambiguous, so success comes from seeing rather than remembering. Play it as a full game, or lay out four cards and simply talk about what is on them.

  • 50 matching pairs
  • 12 matching sets
  • Visual recognition
  • One player or many

Prototype · Matching pairs card game

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50 matching pairs
03

JD’s Memories & Moments

The one that makes people talk.

Fifty conversation cards, grouped into Favorite Vacations, Special Occasions, Childhood Memories, and Family & Friends. Read one out loud and wait. Sometimes you get a full story. Sometimes you get one sentence you have never heard before. Both are worth the whole box.

  • 50 conversation cards
  • 4 memory categories
  • Clear, readable print
  • Built for caregivers

Prototype · Conversation card deck

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JD's Memories and Moments box, 50 conversation cards
04

JD’s Match

The calm one. Start here.

The first game Carmen ever made, and still the gentlest way in. A short, quiet card game with a single clear task and no time pressure at all. If a new game feels like too much for someone today, this is the one to open. It asks very little and gives back more than you expect.

  • Card game format
  • One simple task
  • No timer, no pressure
  • Good for one-to-one time

Prototype · Simple card game

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JD’s Match box, a simple game of colors, shapes, memories, and connection
05

JD’s Roll of the Dice

A board game nobody loses.

The only game in the collection with a board, and the closest thing to a family game night. Roll, move, and land on something worth talking about. Everyone travels the same path together, so nobody is ever behind. Bring three generations to the table and let the dice run the conversation.

  • Board game format
  • 2 or more players
  • Shared path, no elimination
  • Multi-generational

Prototype · Board game with dice

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JD's Roll of the Dice box, a colorful game of fun, moves, and memories for 2 players ages 6 and up

More than an activity. Created with purpose, inspired by love, and designed for meaningful connection.

01

Designed to be seen

Large images, high contrast, and clear print throughout. Nothing fails because it could not be read across a table.

02

Adult, always

Simple is not the same as childish. Every card is designed for a grown person with a whole life behind them.

03

No score to keep

No winners, no losers, no round anyone has to complete. One moment of recognition is the entire goal.

04

Built for the helper too

Caregivers get an easy way in. Pick up a card, ask a question, and let the visit take care of itself.

Who this is for

Families
Adult children, spouses and grandchildren who want a real visit instead of a quiet hour in front of a television.
Caregivers
Professional and family caregivers who need something dependable to reach for on a hard afternoon.
Therapists and rehab programs
Occupational, speech and recreational therapists working on recognition, sequencing and verbal engagement after stroke or brain injury.
Senior communities
Activity directors at assisted living, memory care and adult day programs who run group sessions across a wide range of abilities.
Facilities and organizations
Programs exploring group quantities, pilot sessions or partnership as the collection moves out of prototype.

Current phase

A prototype collection, shared openly while it is still being finished.

There is no warehouse behind this page. What there is: five designed collections, a clear purpose, and room for facilities, organizations and families to help decide what the finished version looks like.

  1. Where we are

    Prototype and finalization

    The five collections exist as working prototypes. Artwork, components and packaging are being refined with real families and real care settings, not guessed at in a vacuum.

  2. What we need

    Facility and program input

    Activity directors, therapists and organizations are helping shape quantities, formats and session length. If you run programming, your input genuinely changes the final product.

  3. What is next

    Early access and group interest

    As production timing is confirmed, the people and organizations who raised their hand first hear first. No commitment is required to be on that list today.

Request information

Request information

Tell us who you are and what you would like to know.

Nothing here is an order and nothing is a commitment. This is how families, programs and organizations get on the list and hear first as the collection is finalized.

A rough estimate is completely fine, and optional.

Follow the collection as it comes together

Prototype progress, moments with JD, and the small design decisions along the way.

The honest answers.

Are the games available now?

Not yet. The collection is in its prototype and finalization stage, so what you see here is the real design work in progress rather than stock on a shelf. Inquiries are very welcome in the meantime, especially from facilities, organizations, therapists and early supporters who want to be first in line.

Can my facility or organization ask about group quantities?

Yes, and those conversations are the most useful ones right now. Tell us roughly how many sets a program would need and what your activity sessions look like, and Carmen will follow up personally as quantities and timelines are confirmed.

Who are these games designed for?

Adults living with dementia, Alzheimer's, stroke or brain injury, and every person who spends time with them. Families use them at kitchen tables. Therapists use them in sessions. Activity directors use them with a full room.

Will these feel childish to my loved one?

No, and that was the whole reason they were built. Clear pictures and readable print exist so that play is possible, not because the person playing has been simplified. Every card is designed for an adult with a full life behind them.

What if my loved one cannot finish a game?

There is nothing to finish. No score, no rounds anyone must complete, no losing. If one picture leads to twenty minutes of talking about an old car, the game did its job perfectly.

Is the design final?

The concepts are set and the artwork is close, but components, sizing and packaging are still being refined. Anything shown here should be read as a prototype rather than a finished specification.

How do I hear when the collection is ready?

Join the interest list through the form on this page. You will hear directly from Carmen when the collection moves from prototype into production, with early access offered to the people who raised their hand first.

Which one should I ask about first?

If you want energy and a group, ask about JD’s Bingo. If you want conversation and one-to-one time, ask about Memories & Moments. If today feels fragile, JD’s Match is the gentlest place to begin.

Dementia will take a great deal. Let it not take the afternoon.

Five collections, built by a daughter for her father, now being finished with families, care teams and organizations in mind.

Request informationSee the collection