[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)
Mix-and-match flag
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♬ HandClap – Fitz & the Tantrums
The Mix-and-Match Flags activity also deepens knowledge about colors.
The method is very simple.
First, give participants origami paper in various colors.
Next, present a target color.
If the target is “pink,” for example, one person would hold up red origami and another would hold up white.
The idea is that participants cooperate to create the target color.
If you first explain which color combinations produce which colors, it can also help train memory.
Have everyone work together and enjoy the excitement.
Communication Card
If you’re looking for a card game that energizes the brain and the heart, this is a must-see! Here’s how to play a communication card game.
The rules are very simple: prepare several cards with prompts such as flowers, animals, colors, or foods.
The person who draws a card names three things related to the word on the card.
For example, if someone draws a card that says “Flowers,” it’s OK if they can name three flower names like tulip, cherry blossom, and dandelion.
It seems great for improving vocabulary and memory! If you add twists to the prompts, like “Something great about the person next to you” or “Something that made you happy recently,” the conversation will definitely take off.
Give it a try!
Onigiri Game
Let us introduce the “Onigiri Game,” a fun way to rehabilitate from fingers to arms.
Connect a stick and a plate with a string, placing the stick on your near side and the plate on the opposite side.
Set the rice balls (onigiri) on the plate to start.
Participants use their hands to turn the stick and wind up the string.
The plate will gradually be pulled closer, but don’t let the onigiri fall.
Wind steadily—neither too fast nor too slow—while watching out for obstacles.
The player with more onigiri at the end wins.
You can enjoy it repeatedly by adding more obstacles on the table or making the onigiri lighter, and so on.
Okonomiyaki Game
Let me introduce an okonomiyaki game that’s guaranteed to get everyone excited.
Cut cardboard into circles, stick on printed okonomiyaki designs, and make about 20 okonomiyaki pieces.
The thickness of the cardboard is up to you, but if it’s too thin, flipping them might be a bit harder.
Once you spread the 20 okonomiyaki pieces out on a table, the game begins.
Use a spatula to flip the okonomiyaki one by one.
Time yourself, and when you’ve flipped them all, you’re done.
The challenge is how many seconds it takes to flip all 20! It’s great brain exercise too—highly recommended.
Rolling beach ball
It’s a game where you skillfully control a string connected to the chair opposite you to move a beach ball resting on it.
Your ability to judge how moving the string in your hands affects the ball’s motion is put to the test.
You move the ball by changing angles and widening the span, while simultaneously being careful not to let the string slack—this dual task helps stimulate the brain.
The longer the string, the harder it is to control, so once you get used to it, we recommend gradually trying longer setups.
