[For Seniors] Recreations to Experience in August
At day service centers and other senior facilities, staff are always thinking up recreational activities that elderly participants will enjoy.
We recommend seasonal activities that help stimulate both mind and body.
In this article, we’ll introduce recreational ideas that are perfect for August!
Speaking of August, Japan is full of unique seasonal events like festivals and Obon!
We’ve gathered many activities inspired by the classic sights and sounds of summer.
There are also refreshing ideas you can only experience during the summer, so please use them as a reference.
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- Snacks for Seniors: Refreshing Chilled Sweets Recommended for August
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- [Day Service] August Craft Ideas That Seniors Will Enjoy
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- August quizzes that seniors can enjoy!
- [For Seniors] August Health Tips: How to Enjoy and Stay Comfortable During the Hot Summer
[For Seniors] Recreations You’ll Want to Experience in August (61–70)
Watching a game at Koshien
How about watching the Koshien tournament, where the intense summer battles have you sweating with excitement and the high school ballplayers’ passion leaves a lasting impression? If they used to play baseball, they might enjoy it even more.
Watching on TV is of course fine, but if you have access to a facility with a projector or screen, you might as well go big and enjoy it on the large display.
If your own prefecture’s team is playing, it’ll get really exciting! Watching sports with a big group and cheering at the top of your lungs is a lot of fun.
Making spirit horses (shōryō-uma)
During Obon, we display shoryoma (spirit animals) because it’s believed our ancestors return home.
Cucumbers are made to represent horses, so they can come back to us as quickly as possible, and eggplants are made to represent cows, so they can carry lots of gifts and return slowly.
Let’s try making these shoryoma! It’s very simple—just stick chopsticks into cucumbers or eggplants and you’re done.
Choose vegetables that look like horses or cows, and have fun making them while sharing lively stories about your ancestors.
Fishing game
How about enjoying a fishing game to get into the summer festival spirit? You know how there’s goldfish scooping at festival stalls.
Let’s try fishing with that festive feeling! Of course, we won’t be catching real fish—prepare fish made from paper or plastic bags, and attach magnets to the tip of the fishing rod and to the fish’s mouth.
Can you manage to hook the fish onto the magnet at the end of the rod?
Awa Odori Exercise
Awa Odori, the traditional performing art of Tokushima Prefecture.
It’s known as one of Japan’s three major Bon dances, and every August a large festival is held in Tokushima City.
Let’s try a set of exercises inspired by Awa Odori! The actual dance moves the hands and feet in quick, intricate ways and has quite a fast pace, but the exercises introduced here are more relaxed—and you can even do them while seated, so no worries.
Move your whole body with big motions and stretch freely as you exercise.
Let’s power through the summer with energy!
Uchiwa making
Uchiwa fans are a summer essential, and making your own makes using one even more fun.
So why not create a fan that’s uniquely yours by drawing your favorite pictures or writing words on it? These days, DIY uchiwa kits are even sold at 100-yen shops.
You could draw summer-themed motifs like seasonal vegetables or goldfish to boost the summer mood, or make a personalized fan with your name on it—how lovely!
Yo-yo fishing
Yoyo fishing is something you’re almost guaranteed to see at summer festivals and temple fairs.
Haven’t most people tried it at least once? It’s easy for anyone to enjoy, anywhere.
These days, you can get all the supplies at a 100-yen shop.
Fill a washbasin or bucket with water and float colorful water balloons on top, and you’ll instantly feel the summer festival vibe! The paper twist made from tissue tears easily when wet, so be careful when you fish.
And it’s nice that you usually get to take one balloon even if you don’t catch any.
ring toss
Ring toss is a game that everyone can enjoy, from small children to adults.
It’s great because you can easily play it indoors.
Let’s enjoy ring toss together and get into the festive summer fair spirit! You can make the rings out of newspaper and the like.
Decide how many rings each person gets, and you can either throw them onto papers marked with different point values to compete for scores, or use plastic bottles as targets and see if you can land the rings on them—both ways are fun.