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

Hand-wrapping newspaper

Senior activity: super easy, can be done seated with both hands or one hand—newspaper roll-up. #RecreationForSeniors #Newspaper #Easy

Here’s a fun recreation activity using newspaper! The rules are simple: compete to see how fast you can roll up the newspaper using your hands.

You can make it more fun by setting different rules, like using both hands or only one hand.

Another exciting variation is to face each other and roll up the same sheet of newspaper from opposite ends to see who can roll up more.

The heated competition will get older adults watching to enjoy it together as well! This activity can be done while seated, so people who have difficulty standing or who use a wheelchair can also take part.

Fireworks game

“Fireworks game” to close out the summer. If you’ve had fewer chances to set off or go see fireworks, let’s make a grand display to end the season!

This is a target-throwing game themed around fireworks, an essential summer event, where you colorfully decorate the target.

The target is a hula hoop covered with tape, and you throw colored balls at it to decorate the adhesive side of the tape.

Since you need to throw with enough force for the balls to stick to the tape, the game tests not only your focus on aiming but also your ability to control strength.

You can freely choose the colors of the balls, so think about how you want to create your firework as you throw.

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kappamaki

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Singing game of “Antagata Dokosa”

[Dementia Prevention] Do brain training by playing the song game 'Antagata Dokosa'!!

Some older adults may have memories of playing ball games to the temari song “Antagata Dokosa.” Here’s a finger play that matches the “Antagata Dokosa” song.

Make a gun shape and a fox shape with your fingers to match the imagery in the lyrics.

To the melody, alternate the finger shapes between left and right.

Once you get used to it, try speeding up the tempo.

In addition to moving your fingers, taking on tasks that feel “a bit difficult” is also said to activate the brain.

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Nakajima Junko

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Patakara exercises with butterflies

[With Lyrics] Pa-Ta-Ka-Ra Exercises Before Meals ♪ #OralExercises

We’d like to share an idea for training oral functions—such as chewing strength and swallowing ability—set to the well-known children’s song “Butterfly” (Chōchō).

The method is very simple: just replace the lyrics with the sounds pa-ta-ka-ra and sing along.

Because it’s a short song, you can do it anytime, anywhere, without worrying about the setting.

Doing it before meals serves as a warm-up for the mouth and helps prevent aspiration, so timing it before eating makes it even more effective.

Consistency is important, so please try to do it once a day.

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kojifumi

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Rolling Curling Game

Indoor Solo Recreation for Seniors: 'Rolling Curling Game' Using Toilet Paper Cores and a Fan

Curling is a sport where you slide round stones with handles, called “stones,” across the ice.

A few years ago, curling even became a boom in Japan.

Here’s an idea for a casual game that’s like real curling.

Use a paper fan to roll toilet paper tubes and compete for points.

If you paint the toilet paper tubes or decorate them with origami paper to make them colorful, you can create a game that looks great, too.

It’s easy to make, so it seems like something you could enjoy together with older adults from the crafting stage.

Since it can be played while seated at a table, many seniors are likely to be able to participate.

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Nakajima Junko

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target practice

Feel the Summer! Easy Recreation Using Traditional Uchiwa Fans [Elderly Recreation / Day Service Recreation]

A target-hitting game using uchiwa fans is recommended for older adults because it helps improve concentration.

First, prepare a garment rack, hang uchiwa fans on the hangers, and draw point values on them.

You can throw anything—beanbags, balls, even uchiwa fans.

It’s a competitive game where the player with the highest total of the points they hit wins.

Competing together also enhances communication skills.

It’s appealing because it can be enjoyed as either an individual or team match.

If you draw summery designs on the uchiwa used as targets, you can fully enjoy the season and savor a summery atmosphere.

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Nanaka

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Patakara exercises with the song ‘Back-to-Back Height Comparison’

A little pre-meal spell♪ Patakara oral exercises!! #shorts #elderly #oralExercises #seniorActivities #dayService #May #Children’sDay #MomoChans

Here’s an idea for mouth exercises using the well-known children’s song “Sekkura-be.” It’s very simple: just change the song’s lyrics to the sounds pa-ta-ka-ra and sing them out loud.

If you’re doing this in a senior care facility, it may be easier to first sing the original song once and then switch to pa-ta-ka-ra.

It’s also helpful to write the lyrics on a whiteboard or print them on paper so everyone can see them.

Doing this before meals can be especially effective in preventing choking, and practicing every day can lead to even better results.

Please give it a try!

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kojifumi

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