Recommended recreational activities to help seniors enjoy their time in care facilities

Fill-in-the-blank with a spring theme

[Whiteboard Rec] Word Fill-in Brain Training! For Activating Seniors’ Brains!

It’s a game where you draw circles on a whiteboard—some with blank spaces and some with letters—and have players think of words by filling in the blanks.

While making use of the letters already written, they come up with words of that length.

The broad range of choices helps stimulate the brain.

If you prepare the letters in advance with a spring theme, players can enjoy a sense of spring while still having plenty of options to form words, which is recommended.

The difficulty changes depending on the number of letters and where the blanks are placed, so try various patterns to have players think of different words.

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kappamaki

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An evolved word-association game with a spring theme

[Whiteboard Rec] Activate your brain with an evolved association game!

This is a variation on a word-association game where you throw out a theme word and have participants think of words that fit the condition.

Write two blocks on the board—adjectives like “cute” or “round,” and nouns like “animals” or “vegetables”—and have them quickly come up with combinations of the two.

Setting a rule like “things related to spring” makes it easier to form images from scenery, so that kind of tweak is recommended.

Since participants must think of combinations instantly after they’re specified, it should effectively stimulate the brain.

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kappamaki

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Patakara exercises in a spring brook

Understand Activity Care in 3 Minutes Vol. 8 [Singing, Oral Care, Exercise] Let’s do exercises while singing “Spring Stream”! 🎵

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?

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Nakajima Junko

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rod soccer

Super Exciting Stick Soccer [Fujigaoka Service]

“Bō Soccer” is a soccer game played with sticks that you can enjoy while seated.

There’s even a Japan Stick Soccer Association, and it’s loved as a sport that can be enjoyed by older adults and people with disabilities.

Players sit in a single row of chairs facing each other and split into two teams.

There are goals on both sides, so try to score into the opposing team’s goal while defending your own—those positioned in front of your team’s goal should block shots and prevent the other side from scoring.

Like regular soccer, one team can have 11 players, though around 10 players per team is generally easy to play with.

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utatane

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Easy-Peasy Balloon Volleyball

A quick idea introduction: “Easy Balloon Volleyball”

When you play balloon volleyball, you might sometimes hit it too hard and it flies off in an unexpected direction.

In those moments, attaching a string to the balloon so you can control it will help you keep the rally going longer.

It’s a simple tweak—just attach some plastic ribbon to the balloon and move it—but you’ll need to be thoughtful about how you guide it and how much force you use.

If you pull too hard on the string, the balloon’s movement can become restricted or it may fall faster, so be sure to apply gentle, controlled force.

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kappamaki

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Sing and pass it around! Ball relay

All you need is a ball! This is fun♪ Sing and pass-the-ball activity!!

Here’s an idea for a rhythm-based ball-passing game.

First, participants sit in a circle.

One person starts with the ball and passes it to the next person in time with the music; that person then passes it to the next, and so on.

When the music stops, the person holding the ball gets to drop out of the game.

You can also adjust the game by adding more balls depending on the number of participants.

Singing along while playing provides brain training benefits, and listening to favorite songs can boost motivation, which adds to the appeal.

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yamamoto

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Intense Balloon Volleyball

[Day Service Recreation] An evolved version of balloon volleyball! #DayService #DayServiceRecreation

It’s the same as balloon volleyball in that you keep the rally going without letting the balloon drop, but the only change is the number of balloons.

Since you’ll be chasing two balloons, not only your striking motion but also your concentration and dynamic vision will be tested.

A key point is that the balloons won’t necessarily be in the same place—when they fly apart, you’ll follow them with your head and gaze, so your body will likely loosen up as the game goes on.

As the number of balloons increases, the game becomes more intense and demands greater concentration, so start with a small number and gradually work your way up.

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kappamaki

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