[For Seniors] Handmade Game Ideas You Can Enjoy
Games and recreational activities are essential in senior facilities like day-care centers.
In this article, we introduce handmade games you can enjoy.
Some are made using recycled materials like milk cartons and newspapers, while others use items you can get at 100-yen shops, such as paper cups and disposable chopsticks.
All of them involve thinking, competing, and playing, so they serve as brain training—and best of all, they foster communication.
In team competitions, everyone might get fired up, focus on the game, and end up in a frenzy!
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[For Seniors] Handmade Game Ideas You Can Enjoy (91–100)
Straw Brain-Training Puzzle
This is a puzzle game where you move a 3D-connected shape made of straws to see what forms you can create.
You cut six straws in half and connect them with string.
First, arrange three squares in a row and extend one side at the top and bottom.
Next, fold those extended sides back and connect them to the square on the opposite side to complete the whole puzzle.
Because the puzzle is connected in three dimensions, you can form not only flat shapes but also solids like cubes—so try moving it freely and play around.
To expand the range of movement, it’s also recommended to use elastic rubber cord instead of string.
Enjoy Sports! Pictogram Cards
These are cards that use pictograms, familiar from labels of Olympic events.
Sometimes it’s hard to tell which event it is from the pictogram alone.
Let’s have players infer the event by looking at the pictogram’s silhouette.
On the back of each pictogram, include the event name and a clear illustration so players can check the correct answer.
You could also arrange the pictograms in the order of a program listing the event names, among other rules—there are many ways to enjoy these cards.
Tower game
Here’s an idea for a tower game that will have you on the edge of your seat.
Stack paper cups to build a tower, and once it’s complete, place a ball on top.
You can challenge yourself to see how fast you can do it, or compete against another person for extra fun.
In this kind of tower game, it’s common for the tower to collapse if you rush.
Try to proceed with a bit of tension, wondering, “Will I knock it down?” That way, when you manage to do it quickly, you’ll feel a great sense of accomplishment.
[For Seniors] Handmade Game Ideas You Can Enjoy (101–110)
Pita-to Ball
Here’s a game using a ball that you can play on a table.
Apply strips of tape from one end of the table, placing the point values on top and keeping the sticky side facing up.
From the opposite end of the table, have older adults roll a rubber ball.
If the ball reaches near a point value, it will stop thanks to the adhesive tape.
Making the higher scores farther from the rolling side makes the game more exciting.
Grasping and rolling the rubber ball also helps train the fingers and hands.
It’s a fun way to strengthen the hands and fingers.
Ping-pong
Here’s an easy game you can enjoy with just two items.
It’s a tabletop game using paper cups and ping-pong balls.
Try bouncing the ping-pong ball into the paper cups or tossing it in without a bounce.
The cups have scores written on them in advance, so you can compete for points.
By trying several rounds and adding up the scores, you can also expect some brain-training benefits.
Since ping-pong balls are light, they don’t require much strength and pose little risk of injury if dropped, making this especially recommended for older adults.
Throwing the ping-pong ball also works as an arm exercise, so it’s a fun way to get some training while playing.
Make it for recreation! Paper cup crane
Let’s try making a paper-cup version of the ever-popular crane game from arcades.
The crane game market has been growing year by year, and it’s said that more than half of total sales at amusement facilities come from crane games.
Now, once you’ve prepared two paper cups, use one to make the crane body and the other to create the arm.
It nicely recreates that unreliable, hard-to-grab feeling of the arm.
The real machines move up, down, left, and right with control buttons, but for this crane, you’ll have to operate even the opening and closing of the arm by hand.
Total Concentration PET-bottle Kendama
Did you know that May 14 is Kendama Day? It’s said that when older adults play kendama, it brings back memories and activates the brain.
Also, moving the arms and fingertips and guiding the body to a target position is very good for both the brain and the body.
Why not try making this kendama yourself and playing with it? It’s easy to make: tie a string to the opening of a plastic bottle, and attach a paper cup to the other end of the string.
That’s it! Hold the bottle by the body and try to catch the opening side with the paper cup to play.
