Recommended recreational activities to help seniors enjoy their time in care facilities
Various recreational activities are held daily at nursing care facilities such as day services to help maintain and improve physical function, relieve stress, and promote interaction with others.
However, many people may struggle with questions like: What kinds of activities will seniors actually enjoy? I can’t think of good ideas.
In this article, we introduce recreational activities that seniors can enjoy at care facilities.
We’ve gathered a variety of options, including light physical exercises, vocal activities, and hands-on crafting.
We hope you’ll use these ideas as inspiration for your daily recreational programs!
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Recommended recreational activities (131–140) for seniors to enjoy at nursing care facilities
Brain-training recreation with a ball
It’s a game where everyone sits on chairs to form a circle and passes balls to the next person.
The balls differ in color and shape, and only the specified ball is passed along.
The tricky parts are judging whether you’re holding the specified ball and being able to stop the previously specified ball.
The speed at which the balls are passed is also important—when it increases, people feel rushed, and the brain-training element of identifying the balls becomes even stronger.
Apple Song Exercise
While singing “The Apple Song” (Ringo no Uta), which is remembered as the first hit song after the war, this activity involves moving the body slowly.
The song has a uniquely calm atmosphere, so it gives the impression that you can move at an unhurried pace.
The movements mainly focus on the upper body, but by adding steps and singing, you can also stimulate brain activity.
Even if you’ve heard the song before, you might not remember the lyrics perfectly, so in that case, following along with the lyrics also adds a focus and concentration element.
Spring-searching walk recreation
To truly feel the changing seasons, the best thing is to look around outside—you can clearly sense temperature shifts from nature itself.
This recreation incorporates relaxation by encouraging participants to search for seasonal elements during a walk.
Rather than focusing on the game-like aspects, it’s more important to experience the season: have participants carefully scan the surroundings for things unique to that time of year.
Let them relax by connecting with nature, and enjoy the activity with an eye on their concentration as they observe their environment closely.
Mito Komon Exercise
This is an exercise routine that moves the whole body to the theme song of Mito Kōmon, a staple of period dramas.
Because it uses a song everyone knows, the music itself is enjoyable.
Despite its powerful feel, the song’s gentle tempo is another key point; moving your body while catching the rhythm helps you generate strength.
Once you get used to moving along with the music, doing it while singing is also recommended, as it is expected to help improve cognitive function.
Exciting towel activity
This is a game that tests how quickly you can make decisions by seeing the outcome of rock-paper-scissors and taking immediate action.
Towels are placed on the table: the winner of rock-paper-scissors quickly pulls the towel, while the loser immediately presses down on it.
If the towel isn’t pulled out, the game continues, and this sequence repeats until someone successfully pulls the towel free.
To act quickly in line with the rock-paper-scissors result, focus and on-the-spot judgment seem to be crucial.
Funny Clapping Exercise
Clapping exercises where everyone follows the model in the same way can stimulate the brain by requiring you to judge movements from the example.
As you proceed with clapping in various rhythms, people are likely to become more aware of the speed of their movements and how much force they use.
It’s also recommended to speed up the clapping and then stop suddenly—you might even get some laughs when seeing whether everyone can truly freeze their movement at that moment.
In addition to focusing on the model and controlling speed and force, patting the body can also help promote blood circulation.
Patakara exercises in a spring brook
We’d like to introduce the Patakara exercise that you do while singing.
By pronouncing “pa,” “ta,” “ka,” and “ra,” the Patakara exercise helps train the muscles around the mouth and the tongue.
Some facilities have already incorporated it into their daily exercise routines.
Using a familiar song for older adults, such as “Spring Brook,” makes it easier for them to engage in the exercise.
“Spring Brook” has a gentle melody, making it especially suitable.
Choosing songs that reflect the season can also help older adults feel the change of seasons.
Why not try adding it to your usual exercise routine?
