[For Seniors] Fun Autumn Activities: Recreation Games
We’d like to introduce autumn-themed activities and recreation games for seniors.
Autumn brings pleasant weather that makes you want to go out.
It’s great if you can just decide, “Alright, let’s go!” and head out, but some people find it difficult to go out as they’d like.
So in this article, we’ll introduce enjoyable recreation games you can play indoors.
There are plenty of crafts and team-competition games that are useful in settings like day service centers, so please make good use of them.
Let’s play and feel the autumn season!
- For Seniors: Simple and Fun! November Recreation Ideas
- [November Health Topic] Indoor Recreation Ideas for Older Adults
- [For Seniors] Simple Recreational Activities You Can Enjoy While Seated
- [For Seniors] Simple Tabletop Games: Fun and Engaging Recreational Activities
- [For Seniors] Enjoy September’s Autumn Fun! A Collection of Craft, Game, and Exercise Ideas
- [For Seniors] Recreation Games Related to October Events
- [For Seniors] Recreational Activities Enjoyable in Large Groups
- September Health Topic: Introducing Recreational Activities That Capture the Feeling of Autumn’s Arrival
- [For Seniors] Simple crafts that feel like autumn: a fun creative activity
- [For Seniors] Fun Small-Group Recreation
- [October Health Topic] Introducing Recreational Activities for Seniors!
- [For Seniors] Liven Up Your Day Service! Fun Beanbag Toss Activity
- [For Seniors] Enjoyment at Day Care: A Roundup of Games and Recreational Activities
[For Seniors] Fun Autumn Activities: Recreation Games (61–70)
Arunashi quiz
Many older adults are probably familiar with the “Aru/Nashi” quiz (Yes/No riddle), right? You write words that fit into the “aru” (has) and “nashi” (doesn’t have) categories.
It’s a game where you guess what the items in the “aru” group have in common.
Because it involves thinking about associations from the characters or words, it’s said to train reasoning and insight.
Write the “aru” and “nashi” lists on a whiteboard and have everyone contribute lots of answers.
It seems like it would get lively and fun for older adults, too.
It can spark conversations with people around them and may help expand social interaction.
Gesture Game
In the fall, the peak season for outings, there are more opportunities to gather in large groups.
In such times, it’s handy to have recreation games you can enjoy anywhere without any special preparation.
A gesture game—where you watch someone’s gestures and guess the object or person—works anywhere, requires little explanation, and can be enjoyed by people of all ages, making it a sure hit for any gathering.
Dango making
On the night of the harvest moon, known as Jūgoya, people offer pampas grass and moon-viewing dumplings.
Buying the dumplings is fine, but making your own cute, round, bite-sized ones sounds fun too.
The ingredients are shiratamako (glutinous rice flour), jōshin-ko (non-glutinous rice flour), silken tofu, kinako (roasted soybean flour), sugar, boiled sweet red beans, and walnuts.
Rolling the dough into little balls in your hands looks like a lot of fun! Recommended for girls who are interested in cooking.
Making picture letters
These days we use email and LINE more often, but wouldn’t people be delighted to receive hand-painted postcards for each season? You can easily make autumn-themed postcards using scraps of fabric with Japanese-style patterns.
Here’s how: First, draw an autumn motif on drawing paper to create a template.
Temporarily fix the template onto fabric that has double-sided tape attached, then cut it out with scissors.
Finally, stick the autumn motif onto a postcard and add some text—that’s it!
Fox Dance
Let me introduce the Fox Dance that you can enjoy together with older adults.
It’s recommended because you can move your body while sitting in a chair.
After making a fox shape with your hands, use your arms and hands to dance.
The song has a quick tempo, but move within a comfortable range.
Once you get used to the moves, it could be fun to add some marching steps from the second round.
When it’s time to turn your neck, be careful to avoid falls.
The Fox Dance might be a great opportunity to spark new communication!
Hotto Atto Nanto Taisō
“Hotto Atto Nanto” is the catchphrase of Nanto City in Toyama Prefecture.
It conveys a sense of security and comfort, giving you a feel for the atmosphere of Nanto.
“From the Green Village” is a song created to commemorate the 5th anniversary of Nanto City’s merger, and let’s move our bodies along with this song.
Despite its slow tempo, the uplifting lyrics of “From the Green Village” bring a calm, peaceful feeling.
It’s a song that resonates with older adults as well.
The rhythm is just right for seniors to move their bodies to, so please give it a try.
Slow aerobics to the tune of “Alps Ichiman-jaku”
As people age, many find it bothersome to move their bodies.
Let’s get moving with slow aerobics that can be done while seated in a chair.
As the name suggests, slow aerobics involves gently moving your body to music.
It’s said to help raise heart rate and encourage breathing even for older adults who don’t have many opportunities to exercise.
It’s recommended to do rhythmic exercises to familiar songs—like “Alps Ichiman-jaku”—that many seniors know well.
Moving to music can also help bring out a sense of fun in older adults.