[For Seniors] Enjoyment at Day Care: A Roundup of Games and Recreational Activities
We’ve put together a collection of games and recreational activities that can be enjoyed at day care.
We introduce plenty of options, including simple games you can play while seated, brain-training games, and activities that help with hand and finger rehabilitation—so please use them as a reference.
Some activities require props, but they’re simple to make using recycled materials or items from 100-yen shops, making them easy for older adults to recreate.
Give them a try with everyone during recreation time or in small breaks.
- [For Seniors] Simple Recreational Activities You Can Enjoy While Seated
- For Seniors: Effective Recreation for Preventing Care Needs—Have Fun While Staying Healthy
- [For Seniors] Simple Tabletop Games: Fun and Engaging Recreational Activities
- [For Seniors] Easy and fun seated activities you can do in your room
- [For Seniors] Today’s Recommended Activity: Fun and Engaging
- [Elderly Day Service] Let’s all have fun! Games and recreational activities
- [For Seniors] Fun! Games and Ideas to Boost Memory
- [For Seniors] Have Fun! A Collection of Group Game Recreation Ideas
- Hand games that liven things up for seniors—also great brain training
- [For Seniors] Easy to try. Fun, crowd-pleasing recreation
- [For Seniors] Fun Small-Group Recreation
- [For Seniors] Recreational Activities Enjoyable in Large Groups
- [For Seniors] Enjoyable Indoor Activities! Recreations and Games That Engage the Mind and Body
[For Seniors] Enjoying Daycare: A Collection of Games and Recreational Activities (61–70)
Color Game
How about a color game as a whiteboard activity? For this game, prepare papers with color words written on them.
The key is to make the kanji different from the actual color of the text.
Instead of reading the words on the papers attached to the whiteboard, ask the participating seniors to say the color of the letters.
It may seem easy, but it actually trips people up and often leads to lots of laughs.
Because you see with your eyes and think with your head, it’s effective for reflexes and brain training.
Start by letting them answer slowly and thoughtfully, then gradually pick up the pace.
Pastel Art: Water Balloons
In July, as summer gradually hits its stride, you can’t help but crave something cool to take the edge off the heat.
This piece suggests drawing water balloons with pastels—something that feels refreshing while still capturing quintessential summer scenes like festivals.
Cut paper into the shapes you want, layer them over a backing sheet, and apply shaved pastel over the cutouts to create a soft, gentle-colored illustration.
The key is to use bright colors for the water balloons and cool, blue-based tones for the background to evoke a sense of coolness.
Fireworks game
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.
Singing game of “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.
Count numbers alternately
Aren’t there many senior and welfare facilities that incorporate finger exercises? Counting with your fingers is said to be a simple yet very profound exercise.
Make a fist with one hand and, with the other hand, raise the same number of fingers as the number you say out loud.
Alternate between left and right.
Once you get used to it, try adding movements such as clapping in between or crossing your hands.
This increases the difficulty.
Performing multiple actions at the same time is also said to help prevent falls.
Brain-training hand game drawing different shapes with each hand
In everyday life, we rarely make different movements with our left and right sides.
So when we do, the unfamiliar motions stimulate the brain and help activate it.
This time, try making a right triangle with the fingers of your right hand, and move the fingers of your left hand up and down.
It’s a simple motion, but surprisingly challenging.
Your right and left fingers might end up doing the same thing.
Still, by thinking through the movements, you activate your brain.
When you’re doing something you’re used to, the brain supposedly doesn’t get activated.
Chaotic Balloon Volleyball
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It’s a game where two teams sit facing each other across a table and try to knock as many balloons as possible into the opponent’s side.
With so many balloons in play, players must fend off attacks while batting balloons away, so quick hand movements are put to the test.
During the time limit, you’re constantly chasing balloons with your hands, creating a lively atmosphere.
By eagerly reaching for the colorful balloons, the game not only trains physical movement but also offers visual enjoyment.