[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!
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- [November Health Topic] Indoor Recreation Ideas for Older Adults
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- [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 (121–130)
Ball Grabbing Game
Let’s play a game where you grab balls using newspaper.
All the tools used in the game are made from newspaper.
Make the balls by crumpling newspaper into a sphere, and make the grabbing sticks out of newspaper as well.
You can create everything you need for the game using everyday materials.
Place several balls inside a circle, grab them with the stick, and put them into a basket.
If you set a time limit, the game gets more exciting.
Forming teams and competing for the best time will make it even more fun.
Paper cup drop
Here’s a game using paper cups.
Line up the paper cups in a row.
Use the lined-up cups as targets and have older adults throw a ball at them from a short distance away.
Depending on where you set up the cups, the goal is to throw the ball so that the cups tip over or fall to the floor.
Even if they don’t hit the cups perfectly, it’s likely to spark laughter and provide a nice change of pace.
It can also encourage conversation with others and help expand social interaction among older adults.
Paper cups are sold at 100-yen shops, so preparation is easy.
Dropping Colored Balls
We would like to introduce a color ball drop activity for pairs.
Have two older adults sit facing each other, each holding two sticks by their tips.
Place baskets labeled with colors between them.
Roll balls along the sticks and drop each ball into the basket with the matching color label.
This game emphasizes cooperation between the two participants.
Encourage them to communicate and synchronize their movements.
It’s a fun activity that can spark conversation and help expand social connections.
Little Red Riding Hood
This is a Little Red Riding Hood costume, isn’t it? When most people hear “Little Red Riding Hood,” they probably think of the Brothers Grimm tale.
The girl in the story wears a red hood, right? It’s a popular Halloween costume among girls and women who like cute styles, but why not have older adults join in too and relive their childhood by dressing up? Just drape a large red cloth over your head and carry a basket with flowers, and you’ve got a fine Little Red Riding Hood costume.
It’s easy and I highly recommend it!
[For Seniors] Fun Autumn Activities: Recreation Games (131–140)
Fall prevention exercises
October 10 is “Fall Prevention Day” in Japan, based on a wordplay on the date.
Even if we’re careful every day, our legs and hips inevitably weaken with age.
How about incorporating a gentle, seated fall-prevention exercise session as an October event to help strengthen them without strain? A simple move is to sit in a chair, lift your foot, and straighten your knee—focus on stretching the front of the thigh.
To help you engage that muscle, place your hand on your thigh while doing it; it’s an easy and effective cue.
If the event helps raise awareness, it could become a healthy daily habit.
Sports day activity
With autumn being the season for sports, many facilities may be planning to hold sports days.
Even if you don’t go as far as a full sports day, how about incorporating common athletic-meet-style games as recreational activities to get people moving? For example, a baton relay where each team lines up in a single file, passes the baton backward down the line, and once it reaches the last person, passes it forward using the opposite hand; or tamaire, where participants sit in a circle with a box in the center and toss balls into it.
Let’s capture the spirit of a sports day with these lively activities and get everyone excited!
Demon Slayer: Tanjiro
How about cosplaying as Tanjiro Kamado, the protagonist of the hugely popular manga and anime Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba that became a social phenomenon? Tanjiro’s trademark is his green-and-black checkered haori.
You can make it yourself, but since the series is so popular, there are plenty of adult-sized costumes available for purchase.
Under the haori, he wears the Demon Slayer Corps uniform, but if you don’t have anything similar, a black turtleneck and pants will do the trick! Then tuck a toy katana from a 100-yen shop into your belt.
If you’re planning to meet kids on Halloween, they’ll be thrilled and shout, “It’s Tanjiro!”