For seniors: Simple and exciting! Ideas for staff performances
In many nursing and welfare facilities, events that match the season and special occasions are often held, right?
Aren’t the staff the ones planning and hosting summer festivals, Respect-for-the-Aged Day celebrations, Christmas events, and more?
You want to put on performances and entertainment that will delight the elderly at these events.
So this time, we’re introducing “Simple! Staff Performance Ideas.”
We’ve included easy options that you can pull off even when you don’t have many days to prepare or much time to practice.
We’ve gathered a wide range of ideas—from things staff can perform to activities in which the elderly can participate.
Use this article as a reference to help your event come alive and turn into a wonderful day.
- [For Staff] Energize Your Nursing Home Respect-for-the-Aged Day! Performance Ideas Full of Laughter and Emotion
- Entertainment and Performances That Delight at Day Services for the Elderly
- For Seniors: Fun Entertainment That Excites at Nursing Homes
- [For Staff at Elderly Care Facilities] Simple Performances to Liven Up a Year-End Party
- Recommended fun performances that will appeal to elderly people
- Performances to Liven Up New Year Parties for Elderly Care Facility Staff
- For Seniors: Fun for Everyone! Christmas Party Activity Ideas
- [Respect-for-the-Aged Day Celebration] Crowd-Pleasing Performances: Ideas That Staff Can Enjoy Too
- [Respect-for-the-Aged Celebration] Guaranteed to Get Everyone Excited! Introducing Perfect Plans to Celebrate Longevity
- Entertainment ideas for year-end parties that seniors will enjoy
- [Christmas Party at the Nursing Home] Staff Take on the Challenge! Fun Performances Everyone Can Enjoy
- [Respect-for-the-Aged Day Celebration] Laughter All Around! Ideas for Performances and Games You Can Enjoy While Seated
- For Seniors: Fun and Lively Exercise Recreation
[For Seniors] Easy and Exciting! Ideas for Staff Performances (11–20)
Ogiri (Japanese improv-style comedy wordplay game)
An ogiri game where respondents come up with unique answers to prompts given by the host.
It’s recommended to invite seniors to be the audience and set up the stage in a Shoten-style format with participants lined up.
In addition to wearing colorful traditional Japanese attire, preparing floor cushions will further enhance the ogiri atmosphere.
If you make it a participation-based program, you can solicit themes or have seniors who think of answers share them.
Incorporating elements of theater and rakugo will make it enjoyable for a wide range of people.
Magic where the color of a balloon changes
How about a handmade magic trick using balloons from a 100-yen shop? Prepare two balloons of your choice.
Hook one balloon onto a pencil and insert it inside the other, which will be the outer balloon, then inflate them together.
Tie only the inner balloon that contains air, and stick a piece of cellophane tape onto the outer balloon.
When you peel off the tape, the outer balloon will pop and the color will change instantly, surprising the audience.
It’s a simple idea, but with a bit of showmanship, it can create both laughter and amazement.
The March of the Toy Soldiers
If it’s a concert featuring songs that older adults have heard before, it’s likely to be an even more enjoyable time.
For example, a concert of “The Parade of the Tin Soldiers,” which is also played on cooking shows, could be a good idea.
Since it’s known as a cooking show tune, using instruments like pots, frying pans, and ladles could really liven things up.
Staff who perform could wear aprons and triangular kerchiefs, which would make for a fun production.
Also, songs familiar to older adults may help trigger memories from the past.
Starting with “The Parade of the Tin Soldiers,” people might reminisce about cooking with family or recall learning recipes, which could naturally lead to conversation.
Tankō-bushi (Coal Miner’s Song)
Tanko-bushi is a folk song from Fukuoka Prefecture, best known for being used in Bon Odori.
Let’s showcase a comical dance set to its light, buoyant rhythm.
Since the song strongly evokes Bon Odori, we’ll center the choreography around that style and gradually add variations, including comedic movements.
The lyrics that depict the moon floating in the night sky are also memorable, so dancing in moon-themed costumes inspired by that image is highly recommended.
Your creativity will be tested in how much humor you can weave into this gently paced piece.
Dance & Wotagei
A lively performance by the staff that delights with movement and rhythm.
It starts with a light, upbeat dance part set to music, then incorporates elements of wotagei using big hand and arm movements to create a visually impactful presentation.
Even with simple costumes and props, crisp movements and thoughtful timing can draw out smiles and clapping from the audience.
An energetic tempo, call-and-response chants, and varied choreography come together to create a bright, vibrant atmosphere.
Using glow sticks adds flowing trails of light that move with the performance, boosting the visual splendor even more.
Magic: The Enchanted Christmas Card
It begins with a staff member playing the magician, who invites participants to draw a card with a picture on it.
The drawn card is placed in a box, and when the magician casts a spell, the chosen card astonishingly emerges from the box on its own.
Participants are amazed at the moment their card appears, and onlookers respond with surprised exclamations and applause.
Even with simple props—a deck of cards and a box—you can create a magical experience through clever staging.
With music and lively patter, it becomes an idea perfect for a Christmas party program that everyone can enjoy.
[For Seniors] Easy and Exciting! Staff Performance Ideas (21–30)
What a nice bath.
“Ii Yu Da Na” (“What a Nice Bath”) seems like a song that older adults would really enjoy.
One TV show that many seniors used to watch was “It’s 8 O’Clock! Everybody Gather ’Round!” It was sung during that show’s ending, so some people might be familiar with it.
It’s a fun, humorous song, and if the staff perform it with coordinated choreography, the unexpected twist could make it even more enjoyable.
It also seems like something seniors could join in on by clapping along while they watch.