For Seniors: Games and Recreational Activities to Enjoy in April

Shiritori

Shiritori Anywhere

It’s a recreational activity where you play shiritori using a grid to draw out various topics.

By gradually adding rules through discussion and making the game more complex, you get to think in different ways, and it also seems like good brain training.

It’s fun that a single game can create so many points to think about.

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Hirakawa Masako (Bōkarisuto: Sakata Mizumako)

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Make dorayaki

[Easy with Hot Cake Mix] Effortless and Delicious Dorayaki Recipe (Dora yaki)

Do you prefer tsubuan (chunky red bean paste) or koshian (smooth red bean paste)? There are many kinds of anko beyond those, like uguisu-an (green pea paste) and imo-an (sweet potato paste).

And guess what—April 4 is Dorayaki and Anpan Day.

Even those who don’t usually spend time in the kitchen, let’s get excited and make dorayaki together.

Leave the job of cooking the pancakes to someone skilled in the kitchen, and once the cakes have cooled, it’s all fun from there! Let’s chat and have a good time while sandwiching the anko together.

As for the origin of the name “dorayaki,” one theory says it comes from its resemblance to a dora (a gong).

Be sure to share some fun trivia about dorayaki, too!

Rock, paper, scissors

[Senior Recreation] Create Laughter with Rock-Paper-Scissors Finger Exercises

It’s a game where you change the order of rock, scissors, and paper—or add variations—as you go.

Since the mouth and hands are closely connected, saying it out loud while moving your hands is said to be especially effective as brain training.

Increasing the tempo boosts motivation, too.

Even a simple game can yield better results if you build in a structure that raises everyone’s motivation.

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Hirakawa Masako (Bōkarisuto: Sakata Mizumako)

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horticulture

[Exciting] Let’s Plant Flowers! Outdoor Gardening Activity — Hyotan-ya Group Home for the Elderly

Speaking of spring, it’s all about flowers, isn’t it? After the cold months, the colorful blooms we haven’t seen in a while lift our spirits and soothe the soul.

Garden centers and home improvement stores are full of many kinds of flowers in spring.

Even if you don’t have a yard or flower bed, how about getting a planter and some soil and planting some cute flowers? Some varieties bloom for a very long time, and others will bloom again next year if you take proper care of them after they finish flowering.

Working with soil might even take you back to your childhood, like playing in a sandbox again.

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utatane

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picture letter

[Explanation] 🌷 Spring Picture Letter 'Tulip' (February, March, April) — A Beginner-Friendly Guide to Drawing Simple and Realistic Flowers

I often see picture letters (etegami) displayed at local cultural festivals.

Whether it’s seasonal fruits or traditional events, the subjects seem to be filled with the charm of old Japan.

It’s said that calligrapher Kunio Koike established etegami as a genre.

Sending an etegami as a “spring greeting” to a friend who lives far away is a lovely idea.

There aren’t any strict rules for etegami: just choose a subject that adds a seasonal touch—like a kigo in haiku—and paint it as you like.

It’s curious how small mistakes start to look like part of the charm in etegami.

The basic rule is to keep the accompanying words short.

Relax by burning aromatherapy oils or incense

How to Burn Incense for Beginners: A demonstration of burning Nippon Kodo’s Kayuragi incense—recommended for first-time users—in both stick and cone (triangular) forms.

Incense sticks offered daily at the household Buddhist altar now come in a wide variety of scents.

Quince, jasmine, lavender—fragrances you wouldn’t have imagined for incense a generation ago.

Long ago, it’s said that in April a fragrant agarwood called jinsui drifted ashore on Awaji Island; by combining that with the character for “fragrance” (香), which can be decomposed to read as “eighteenth day” (十八日), April 18 has come to be known as Incense Day.

It sounds nice to burn incense or aromatics and enjoy the scents together.

You could each bring your favorite incense or essential oils and compare them! It’s stylish to change the fragrance by situation too—this scent for the restroom, that scent for the entryway.

Making orange jelly

[Easy Sweets Recipe] Whole Orange Jelly Made with Carton Juice

The flower language of the orange is “the bride’s joy.” Most fruits bear after the blossoms fall, but oranges are said to have the trait of carrying flowers and fruit at the same time, and in Europe they are considered symbols of love and abundance.

In honor of Orange Day on April 14—an idea proposed by citrus growers in Ehime Prefecture—let’s all try making orange jelly.

As for the oranges to use: if you like tart flavors, Valencia oranges with their strong acidity are recommended; if you prefer sweeter fruit, navel oranges are a good choice.

By the way, “Mikan Day” is on December 3 and isn’t related to Orange Day.