[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] Recreational Activities to Experience in August (51–60)
Ghost Story Gathering
For those who love to chat, a ghost-story gathering is something you should definitely try.
Let’s forget the summer heat with spine-chilling tales.
Personal experiences or made-up stories—anything goes.
If you’re into it, a “rakugo ghost-story session” could be an option too.
To set the mood, keep the venue a bit dim.
That said, some people aren’t good with scary stuff, so be sure to check in advance.
Paying attention to outfits—like wearing yukata—can also help create the right atmosphere.
Ocean Herbarium
Let’s try making a little ocean with a herbarium! A herbarium is made by putting flowers and oil into a small jar or a slender bottle.
To create an ocean-like scene, you might add leaves that look like seaweed.
Lay a layer of cute colored sand at the bottom, then add fish stickers or tiny figurines.
When placing items into the bottle, using tweezers is recommended.
Once you’ve added all your favorite ocean-themed materials, pour in the oil and it’s done! The oil gives it that soft, floating underwater feel, but it can still turn out beautifully even without oil.
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.
beach volleyball
Let’s try holding a beach volleyball tournament! But instead of the sandy beach you might imagine and using a beach ball, let’s make it easy for anyone by using balloons—and do it indoors.
Split into two teams, set up a space like a court with a net in the middle, and mark boundary lines.
You can hit it back with your hands—and what about headers too? It’s also great that you can play while seated.
[For Seniors] Recreations You’ll Want to Experience in August (61–70)
Ping-pong ball scooping
When it comes to classic festival stalls, goldfish scooping and super ball scooping are staples.
How about trying it with lightweight, easy-to-scoop ping-pong balls? Fill a large bowl with water and put ping-pong balls in it.
Use a poi to scoop them up and compete to see how many you can get.
The trick is to scoop gently and slowly—you’ll be able to get a lot more that way.
Don’t rush and give it a try!
Healthy Mahjong
Have you ever played mahjong? August 1 is considered “Pai Day” by wordplay, so it’s celebrated as Mahjong Day.
Lately, “health mahjong,” a wholesome, non-gambling style of mahjong, has been growing in popularity.
Mahjong fully engages the brain as you plan your next moves, and it keeps your hands active, making it very effective as brain training.
If you’ve never tried it, why not give it a shot?
paper cutting
August 3rd is said to be Scissors Day in Japan because of a wordplay on the date.
How about trying papercutting using scissors and paper to celebrate? If you fold colored construction paper a few times and cut along the edges or the center, you can easily make flowers.
There are many kinds of papercutting, so everyone’s individuality can really shine through.
Recreational activities that require this kind of fine motor work are also perfect for hand dexterity rehabilitation.