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

Stick Catch

[For Seniors] Energize body and mind ✨ Preventive care with Newspaper Gymnastics: “Stick Catch (Pairs)” #shorts #preventivecareexercise #preventivecare #newspaperstick #newspaperstickexercise #newspapergymnastics #healthexercise #seniors #100yearlifespan

We all want to stay healthy and live long, don’t we? Try using a newspaper-stick catch game as a way to help prevent the need for care.

Divide older adults into pairs and have them sit facing each other in chairs.

One person throws a stick made from rolled-up newspaper with one hand to their partner, who catches it with one hand as well.

In the actions of throwing and catching, it’s important to see how well the pair can synchronize with each other! Why not try this recreation activity, which lets you enjoy communication while addressing lack of exercise and working on care prevention?

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moko

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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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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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Exercise Song Collection: Masterpieces of the Showa Era

Seated rhythm and singing exercises! Let’s exercise to classic hits from the Showa era!

This is an exercise done while seated, moving your body slowly yet deliberately to various classic Showa-era songs.

For “March of 365 Steps,” use big hand movements and marching steps; for “North Country Spring,” switch to finger exercises—change the movements with each song.

As the songs change, the size of the movements will also change, so it’s important to stay mindful of which part of the body to focus on.

While enjoying the rhythm of the music, the most important thing is to concentrate on moving each specific part of your body.

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kappamaki

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Song guessing quiz

[Whiteboard Rec] Activate your brain with a “Guess the Song” quiz! What song is this? ①

Many people and facilities use karaoke for recreation.

Singing loudly can help relieve stress and is said to be good for your health.

However, you need audio equipment, and in some places you can’t make loud noises.

In such cases, this “Guess the Song” quiz comes in handy.

You list words that appear in the lyrics—like “sleep,” “octopus,” “spinning top,” “play,” “New Year”—and guess the title of the song.

By the way, the title of this song is “Oshogatsu” (New Year’s Day).

It’s a recommended activity when music lovers get together.

Mito Komon Exercise

Activity Care in 3 Minutes Vol.16 [Exercise] “Everyone Knows It! Mito Komon” Gymnastics

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.

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kappamaki

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Take as many clothespins as you like

At-home Indoor Recreation for Seniors (Day Service/Nursing Home): Unlimited Clothespin Grab Using Clothespins and a Spoon

Let me introduce a recreation activity you can do using only items you already have at home: the Clothespin Scoop.

All you need are clothespins, spoons, and a container to put the clothespins in.

You can use a bowl as a substitute for the container.

Place the clothespins on a table and hold a spoon in each hand.

Using only the spoons, transfer the clothespins into the container.

It’s fine to use both hands.

It may look simple, but using both hands simultaneously increases stimulation to the brain, turning it into enjoyable brain training.

You can also do it on the floor instead of the table to change the working height; doing it in a squat adds balance training and lower-body exercise at the same time.

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kojifumi

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