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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- For Seniors: Effective Recreation for Preventing Care Needs—Have Fun While Staying Healthy
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- [November Health Topic] Indoor Recreation Ideas for Older Adults
Recommended Recreational Activities for Elderly Residents to Enjoy at Care Facilities (41–50)
Pull-the-string game
As the name suggests, here’s a fun game where all you do is pull a string.
Preparation is simple.
First, prepare many paper cups with long strings wound around them.
Get one basket and you’re set.
Have the participating seniors sit in a circle and hold the ends of the strings.
Gather the paper cups in the center and cover them with the basket.
Now the game begins.
Lift the basket, and before it can be dropped back down to cover the cups, pull the strings to snatch the paper cups away.
That’s all there is to it, but it gets very exciting.
It also helps build agility, so it’s recommended for recreation at senior facilities.
Recommended Recreational Activities for Seniors to Enjoy at Care Facilities (51–60)
Fluffy ball
Let’s have fun with a game where you compete for points using balloons.
Inflate a balloon and tie a string to it with a weight attached to the end.
Before you start, write point values on the floor.
Aim for the spaces with the written points and throw the balloon.
The person who scores the most points wins.
The trick seems to be to swing the weight firmly as you throw the balloon.
Throwing the balloon can also be an effective workout for the upper body and arms.
Since balloons aren’t very heavy, there’s little risk of injury if they’re dropped, which is nice.
Makimaki Apple Game
As a recreation activity for day services or childcare settings, we propose the “Roll-Up Apple Game”! First, place paper apple motifs on construction paper and attach them.
Set them a short distance away; connect the stick and paper with clear tape, then roll the stick to wind the tape and draw the apples toward yourself.
It should get very lively if several people compete! By starting with the crafting process, participants can experience both making the materials and playing the game.
Please give it a try together and have fun!
Karaoke Contest
Back when today’s seniors were in their youth, I don’t think karaoke boxes like the ones we have now existed yet.
If people wanted to sing together, they probably relied on so-called sing-along cafés or the “8-track” karaoke machines in snack bars.
Some might never have sung in front of others at all.
A casual, in-house karaoke party would let everyone enjoy singing without worrying about those around them.
If you’re shy about singing solo, forming a group and singing children’s songs could be a good option! Raising your voice is said to be good for your health, so it’s a plan that kills two birds with one stone.
Small prizes would make it even more fun.
Gesture Game
This is a “gesture game” where players move their bodies to give answers.
Because the gesture game requires you to deduce the answer from only a few clues—such as movements without sounds or speech—it can be expected to have brain-training benefits.
Additionally, performing movements that lead to the answer and observing others can help refresh both body and mind.
For older adults who may find it difficult to move around, try preparing prompts that can be gestured while seated in a chair.
The silent movements can feel humorous, and there are plenty of elements that make the game lively, such as figuring out the answer from the actions.
Please give it a try.
Wobbly Beanbag Game
Create it by arranging everyday materials! Here are ideas for a wobbly beanbag game.
What you’ll use: beanbags, a plastic tray, and an empty plastic wrap core.
The great thing is you don’t need to buy special materials, so it’s easy to try! To set up, stand the wrap core upright on a table and place the plastic tray with the beanbags on top.
That’s it! Participants then take turns removing beanbags from the tray.
The unstable wrap core wobbles, adding a thrilling challenge!
Slipper Toss
A simple yet exciting game where you launch slippers with your foot! Here are some fun ideas for slipper launching.
Slippers are lightweight indoor footwear that are easy to slip on and off.
This time, let’s try a slipper-launching challenge that makes the most of those features.
All you need is a pair of slippers.
Try launching a slipper while seated.
The person whose slipper flies the farthest wins.
It could be fun to have everyone shout a countdown like “1, 2, 3!” to time the launch together.