Liven up the Respect-for-the-Aged gathering: A roundup of recreational activities everyone can enjoy.
Keirokai is an event held to express our daily gratitude to older adults.
Respect for the Aged Day is celebrated in various forms, such as events for day-service residents or those hosted by local governments.
Recreation games are an essential part of any Keirokai.
In this article, we’ll introduce many recreation games that people of all ages can enjoy together.
Since Keirokai brings together participants from different age groups, we recommend activities that everyone can enjoy as a form of intergenerational exchange.
We hope you find this helpful.
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Liven up the Respect-for-the-Aged gathering. A roundup of recreational activities everyone can enjoy. (81–90)
Dropping Colored Balls
We would like to introduce a color ball drop activity for pairs.
Have two older adults sit facing each other, each holding two sticks by their tips.
Place baskets labeled with colors between them.
Roll balls along the sticks and drop each ball into the basket with the matching color label.
This game emphasizes cooperation between the two participants.
Encourage them to communicate and synchronize their movements.
It’s a fun activity that can spark conversation and help expand social connections.
Ready, set, go! Game
This is a variation on the thumb game many of us played as children, but instead of using just your fingers, you use both hands and feet.
After everyone says “Ready, go!” you call out a number; if it matches the total number of hands and feet that people have raised, you win.
It’s simple, so it’s easy for older adults to join in.
You don’t need any special equipment or preparation, so it’s easy to start and guaranteed to get everyone excited.
Just be careful not to get too carried away and fall if you’re playing while seated in chairs.
Giant Ball Relay
How about trying the “big ball relay,” a common event at sports days? Everyone can enjoy it even while seated.
At the starting signal, pass the ball to the person behind you; once it reaches the last person, pass it forward again.
The team whose ball returns to the starting point first wins.
If the ball is dropped, pick it up at that spot and resume from there.
You can have fun with small or large balls, and even with a big balloon, whose light and unstable movement adds to the fun.
Yamanote Line game
It’s a simple game where players take turns answering with items that fit the given theme.
The key is how well you can draw on the knowledge you’ve stored, making it a good brain-training activity.
There are various rules—such as answering rhythmically or being out if you repeat a previously given answer—so it’s important to set rules that suit the participants.
Competing for clear wins and losses can be exciting, but it might also be fun to work together and see how long you can keep the chain of answers going, building camaraderie along the way.
playing rock-paper-scissors after seeing the opponent’s move (i.e., acting with hindsight/cheating)
You might think, “Can a game as simple as after-the-fact rock-paper-scissors really be exciting?” Right? We’ve all been familiar with rock-paper-scissors since childhood, but this version—where you deliberately play after your opponent—actually has several fun twists.
First is the normal style: play after and “win.” Next, play after and deliberately “lose.” And for an extra challenge, speed up the tempo and enjoy alternating between winning and losing.
It sounds easy, but it’s surprisingly tricky—and a great brain workout!
Spot the differences
Spot-the-difference puzzles that everyone loves, from kids to adults! It’s pretty common for adults to get totally absorbed even with ones meant for children (haha).
These days, lots of spot-the-difference videos are uploaded on YouTube, so it might be a good idea to make use of those.
If it’s difficult, you can pause the video and take your time to think.
Since these puzzles come in various difficulty levels, choose clear and easy-to-understand ones that everyone can enjoy together.
Liven up your Respect-for-the-Aged Day gathering: A roundup of recreational activities everyone can enjoy (91–100)
Slipper Toss
As a simple yet highly competitive activity that we can recommend for intergenerational interaction, try slipper throwing.
It’s an adapted version of the shoe-toss game usually played in gyms or on fields, and it’s safe and approachable for older adults.
Arrange chairs around the player to create a circle and build excitement together with the audience.
Use slippers made of soft materials to keep it safe and make them easier to throw—this is key.
Thinking “How can I make it fly farther?” also serves as brain training.
Give this seated recreation a try so older adults can enjoy it casually.
