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.
- [For Seniors] Fun Spring Recreational Activities: A Collection of Games and Play Ideas
- [For Seniors] Enjoy a Warm Spring! April Health Topics Roundup
- [For Seniors] Simple Recreational Activities You Can Enjoy While Seated
- [For Seniors] Recommended for day-service centers. A collection of craft ideas for April
- [For Seniors] Liven Up Cherry-Blossom Viewing! Fun Games and Recreational Activities
- April events and observances that seniors can enjoy
- [For Seniors] Recreational Activities Enjoyable in Large Groups
- [For seniors] April haiku. Exciting
- [For Seniors] Simple Tabletop Games: Fun and Engaging Recreational Activities
- [For Seniors] Enjoyable Day Service: A Collection of Fun Event Ideas
- [For Seniors] Easy and fun seated activities you can do in your room
- [Elderly Day Service] Let’s all have fun! Games and recreational activities
- [For Seniors] Enjoyable Indoor Activities! Recreations and Games That Engage the Mind and Body
[For Seniors] Fun for April! Games and Recreational Activities (1–10)
Shoo Away Game
Let’s play a fun game using balls made from crumpled paper.
It’s called the “Shoo-It-Away Game.” Crumple up sheets of paper or newspaper into balls and place them in a horizontal line in the center of the table.
Before you start, put a strip of tape across the middle of the table to mark the center line.
This tape divides the table into your side and your opponent’s side.
When the game begins, use your hands to push the paper balls into your opponent’s territory on the opposite side.
The rules are simple, but it sounds like it could get exciting.
If you make the paper balls pink, they’ll look like cherry blossoms—perfect for an April game.
It also encourages conversation among participants and can help promote communication among older adults.
ball toss (traditional Japanese beanbag/ball-throwing game)
Tamaire, the ball-toss game often seen at school sports festivals.
Some older adults may have taken part in sports days and played tamaire in the past.
Here’s a perfect tamaire activity for a warm April day to get the body moving.
Because it’s a familiar game, it can help older adults refresh their mood and relieve stress.
Have participants sit in chairs and place a basket in the center.
Prepare red, white, and other colored balls, and have the participants throw them into the basket.
The person who gets the most balls in the basket wins.
Throwing with the arms and shoulders also provides upper-body exercise.
Paper cup drop
Here’s a game using paper cups.
Line up the paper cups in a row.
Use the lined-up cups as targets and have older adults throw a ball at them from a short distance away.
Depending on where you set up the cups, the goal is to throw the ball so that the cups tip over or fall to the floor.
Even if they don’t hit the cups perfectly, it’s likely to spark laughter and provide a nice change of pace.
It can also encourage conversation with others and help expand social interaction among older adults.
Paper cups are sold at 100-yen shops, so preparation is easy.
pressed flower(s)
It is said that the procedures used to prepare specimens of higher plants directly led to today’s pressed flowers.
It’s surprising to learn that what I thought was a simple pastime—pressing flowers—was actually a scientific specimen in its own right.
In spring, many grasses and flowers reveal themselves.
Why not go out into the fields, pick your favorite plants, and try making pressed flowers? You can use a microwave to make them, but the old-fashioned method—placing them between paper and weighing them down—has a certain charm.
You can also turn your pressed flowers into bookmarks.
Strawberry picking
When we hear “strawberry picking,” we usually picture picking real strawberries, but a handmade game using paper cups is a lot of fun, too.
You pretend the paper cups are strawberries, hang them from a hanger, and catch them with a grabber tool.
Because it uses grip strength, it’s also good exercise for your hands.
By experimenting with how you handle the hanger and how you grab the strawberries, you can improve dexterity and concentration.
It’s something everyone can enjoy together in a friendly atmosphere, so it’s sure to be a time full of smiles.
It’s also wonderful to discover new kinds of fun through a new way to play.
Popcorn Game
Even if you know that moving your body is good for your health, you might still feel reluctant to get active.
So here’s a fun popcorn game that lets you exercise your feet while enjoying yourself.
Sit in a chair and place paper plates on both knees.
Fill the plates with lots of crumpled-up paper balls.
Think of the paper plates as frying pans and the crumpled paper as popcorn for the game.
When someone says, “Ready, start!”, flutter your legs and march your feet to shake the paper popcorn out of the plates.
Watching the crumpled paper fall from the plates looks just like popcorn popping in a heated frying pan.
Because it’s an exercise you can do like a game, it seems like older adults can enjoy participating too.
Beanbag Tower
Many older adults may have played with beanbags when they were young.
Some may have also played beanbag games with their own children or grandchildren.
Here’s a game that uses those beanbags to build a tower.
The rules are simple: compete to see how many beanbags you can stack on top of an upside-down paper cup.
By holding and stacking the beanbags, you can expect to improve or maintain fine motor balance and concentration.
You can focus and play on your own, or make it a team competition for extra excitement.
If you like, please give it a try.