For Seniors: Games and Recreational Activities to Enjoy in April
When April arrives, the temperature rises and grasses and flowers begin to bloom, and we often find ourselves thinking, “Spring is here,” don’t we?
This time, we’re introducing fun activities and recreations recommended for April, especially for older adults!
We’ve gathered a wide range of options—things that get the body moving, engage the mind, and use the hands—so why not try the ones that look enjoyable to you?
At day-service centers and other senior facilities, please enjoy these recreations together while feeling the warm spring sunshine.
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- April events and observances that seniors can enjoy
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- [Elderly Day Service] Let’s all have fun! Games and recreational activities
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[For Seniors] Fun in April! Games and Recreational Activities (21–30)
Exercise to a spring song
There are many spring songs, and most of them are bright and make you feel excited, aren’t they? And this very famous “Spring Has Come” is probably a spring song that everyone knows, from children to adults.
“Spring Has Come” has three verses, but each is very short, making it just the right length for exercises—and it’s fun to move to as well.
While expressing with your hands the movements of the things that appear in the lyrics, you also move your feet at the same time; it’s gentle, but it becomes a full-body workout.
Of course, it’s also an exercise you can do while seated.
Spring Sports Festival
Many of you probably feel nostalgic about sports days held in the warm spring weather and wish you could do them again.
Even if you can’t sprint like you did back then, try holding your own sports day in whatever way you can.
You’ll likely find it just as exciting as it was in those days!
ball slider
A “ball slider” is a game you make and play using a ball and scrap materials.
You build a long, sloped track out of something like cardboard, aim at a target, place the ball on the track, and let it roll with speed to land in the target.
The targets can be things like empty boxes or tubes made by rolling thick paper, each assigned a point value.
Assign lower points to larger boxes placed closer to the front, and higher points to smaller targets placed farther away.
You can also make it more exciting by giving each person, say, five balls and competing for the highest total score.
Coloring with photos
Many of you have probably already done the classic coloring pages.
In that case, how about this photo coloring activity? Print photos in black and white, then color them freely.
You can even color clothing and more, so enjoy yourself with stylish ideas! After you’re done, it would be fun to hold an exhibition, too!
Oral training
April 18 is “Good Teeth Day” in Japan because the numbers sound like the phrase for “good teeth.” Did you know that? Especially when we were kids, we were afraid of the dentist, so everyone brushed their teeth properly, right? How about making toothbrushing after meals and “oral exercises” before meals part of your routine? Oral exercises are said to help prevent aspiration, so they’re especially recommended for older adults whose throat muscles may have weakened a bit.
Hearing the word “training” might make you worry it’s difficult, but most exercises are surprisingly easy—like rotating your neck to loosen the muscles and tendons around your throat, or puffing out your cheeks to relax the cheek muscles.
Please give them a try.
line dance
How about trying a “line dance” that works with both small and large groups? You might imagine intense moves like high kicks when you hear line dance, but the essence is simply lining up side by side in a row.
Everyone stands in a single horizontal line, claps while marching in place, then spreads both arms in a V shape to link hands with the person next to them and the person next to that, crossing hands as if shaking hands with the neighbor.
People on both ends keep both hands inward: one hand connects to the neighbor, and the other reaches to the person beyond them.
Try changing the number of claps and gradually speeding it up.
Word Search Game
Let’s try a word search game that’s also great brain training! Cut a newspaper down the middle and give everyone one half.
At the start signal, everyone begins searching for characters or words.
To begin, try something simple: look for a single hiragana character.
For example, decide to search for the character “の” with a 3-minute time limit.
Whenever you find “の,” circle it with a pen.
The person who finds the most “の” within the time limit wins.
You can also increase the difficulty by searching for more characters or forming words, making it a fun and flexible game.