[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 (81–90)
There’s no such thing as ghosts.
This activity involves moving your body to the lyrics of the children’s song “Obake nante nai sa,” which expresses feelings about ghosts.
The movements are simple and match the lyrics, and a key point is that you can do them while sitting in a chair or even while singing.
Since the song portrays both insisting that there are no ghosts and being scared, paying attention to facial expressions can make it even more enjoyable.
Not only using your hands but also moving your entire upper body side to side helps you feel the rhythm in your body and enhances the sense of fun.
Bakechama the Ghost
This is a comical and cute song in which “Bake-chama,” a ghost who’s actually a scaredy-cat, introduces themself.
The choreography is simple, focusing on the swaying movements of a ghost—have fun moving your body to the calm rhythm.
Not only the big, full-body motions but also the hand-waving is a highlight, helping you stay aware of the sensation of blood flowing to your fingertips.
Since the upper-body movements are the main focus, it should be enjoyable to do even while seated in a chair.
Ghost Fireworks Ondo
Ghosts are an essential motif for Halloween, but in Japan they also strongly evoke summertime.
It might be interesting to incorporate this piece—depicting a summer festival scene themed around ghosts—into your Halloween.
A key feature is the inclusion of ondō elements, making the rhythm easy to grasp so you can move calmly and enjoyably.
Express the fun with swaying, ghost-like motions and Bon Odori-style movements.
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.
Stroll activity
When October comes, the heat eases and it becomes much more comfortable, doesn’t it? With October’s refreshing, pleasant weather, how about enjoying a walk as a recreational activity? Even on familiar routes, walking on a nice day feels good and can be fun.
For those who find walking difficult, going out in a wheelchair to get some fresh air can be a great way to refresh.
A stroll is also helpful for a change of pace, so it’s recommended for those who feel irritable.
Breathe in the fresh air outside and take a deep, full breath.
Goldfish Game
At festival stalls, there’s usually a goldfish scooping game, right? Besides scooping, here’s a fun game that uses goldfish as the theme.
Two people hold the ends of a face towel, and place a goldfish plushie or a crafted goldfish on the towel.
While shaking the towel, they toss the goldfish into a basket that’s been set up in advance.
Assign points based on the size of the basket and the distance to the basket.
This innovative goldfish game should be enjoyable for older adults as well.
It also seems like it would be exciting to play as teams.
[For Seniors] Fun Autumn Activities: Recreation Games (91–100)
Whirling Ghost
When it comes to easy Halloween costumes, a sheet ghost might be the go-to choice.
All you have to do is throw a white sheet over yourself, so it’s simple to put on and easy to take off when you’re done.
If you’re making it yourself, cut a white piece of fabric into a rectangle, fold it, and cut a hole in the folded edge to create an opening for your head.
Then make a ghost face out of felt or similar material and stick it on.
You can probably make one with a white plastic trash bag, too.
Wearing a white T-shirt and drawing a ghost face on it is also fine! It’s a costume that’s easy to try regardless of age, so seniors are welcome to join in as well.
