[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)
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.
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.
Sweet potato snack activity
Autumn is the season when sweet potatoes are especially delicious—and did you know October 13 is Sweet Potato Day? Let’s enjoy a snack activity using sweet potatoes, which are in season and come in many varieties.
One of the great things about sweet potatoes is that you can enjoy them in many treats like pudding, oyaki, and sweet potato yokan.
Imo-mochi is simple and easy to eat, making it perfect for a snack activity.
Mash steamed sweet potatoes and have everyone roll them into balls—it’s a fun task to do together.
If you use an electric griddle, you can cook a lot at once and enjoy grilling them with everyone.
Grape jelly cake
It would be fun to enjoy a snack activity using autumn flavors and seasonal fruits.
Let’s make a whole grape jelly cake using seedless grapes with edible skins.
The method is very simple: mix sugar and gelatin into water, heat to make the jelly mixture, then pour it over grapes that have been firmly packed and arranged in a mold, and chill until set.
Since swallowing whole grapes can be a choking hazard, cut the grapes when slicing the jelly, or halve them before adding them to the mold.
It’s a smooth, easy-to-eat treat that goes down nicely.
Makimaki Apple Game
This is a “Roll-Roll Apple” game where you use fine movements of your fingers and wrist to wind up tape! Attach a length of raffia (suzuran) tape to a piece of thick paper that will serve as a plate.
Fix the opposite end of the tape to a plastic wrap core so it can be wound up.
Place an apple made by crumpling paper on top of the thick paper, and you’re ready.
At the start signal, wind the tape to pull the apple toward you without letting it fall.
The person who gets their apple to the goal first wins.
If you panic, the apple will fall, so wind the tape quickly but carefully.
karaoke
Did you know that October 17 is “Karaoke Day”? With that in mind, how about enjoying a karaoke contest as an October event? Everyone can relax their mind and heart with favorite songs and memorable tunes, and you can also liven things up by sharing stories connected to those songs.
One of the great things about a karaoke contest is that the power of music lifts your spirits and helps stimulate the brain and heart.
Even those who aren’t confident singers can enjoy listening, and you can include songs that everyone can sing together.
[For Seniors] Fun Autumn Activities: Recreation Games (91–100)
Kick Darts
This is a game where you sit in a chair and kick a beanbag into the air, aiming to land it on a high-scoring area of the dartboard in front of you.
It helps develop the leg strength needed to send the beanbag to a distant dartboard and the ability to control force to reach the target spot.
The farther the dartboard is, the more power is required, so have participants try at distances suited to their stamina and muscle strength.
If you run it as a face-to-face match, players will likely focus even more as they try to beat their opponent.
