Lovely senior life

[For Seniors] Enjoyment at Day Care: A Roundup of Games and Recreational Activities

Social worker / Care workermoko
My name is Moko, a mother of three who admired my mother and worked in the care industry as a care worker and as a medical social worker (MSW) in a hospital. I will be drawing on my previous experience to write mainly about caregiving. Thank you in advance.
Deputy Editor of RAG MUSICsasashina
Deputy Editor of RAG MUSIC. JFC-certified fact-checker. I’m Sasashina, a mom currently raising an elementary schooler and a preschooler. During my student years at Kyoto College of Science and Technology, I studied a wide range of fields including sound, lighting, and video technology, building a foundation in comprehensive stage production and creative expression. After graduation, I joined a music production company, where I still work, consistently building experience in production and engaging in a variety of music-centered tasks. Currently, I mainly handle articles for children, drawing on what I’ve learned about parenting and what I feel and discover through daily interactions with my kids. I hope my work can be of help to you, even in a small way!

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] Enjoying Daycare: A Collection of Games and Recreational Activities (121–130)

Evil Spirit Banishment Game

Evil Spirit Banishment Game #caregiving #nursinghome #carefacility #recreation #rec #elderly #dayservice #Asokaen #KitasunaHome #game

Evil Spirit Banishment Game

We’d like to introduce a game for driving away evil spirits by fanning them off with a paper fan.

First, attach a photo of a person to a plastic bottle, pour in a little water, and stand it on a table.

Draw a picture of an evil spirit on a plastic bag with a felt-tip pen, then slip the bag over the bottle with the staff member’s photo on it.

Hand a paper fan to each participant, and at the signal to start, have them fan to drive away the evil spirit.

Using real photos of people will likely spark laughter with comments like “They’re possessed!” and “They’re saved!” Because participants need to fan vigorously, it can also serve as an exercise for the wrists and arms.

This activity is also recommended as a recreation for senior care facilities.

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Newspaper Pull-Out Game

Activities for seniors: 100% exciting! A thrilling newspaper pull-out game that gets everyone energized. #SeniorActivities #Newspaper #SeatedActivities

Newspaper Pull-Out Game

Here’s a game you can enjoy using old newspapers.

All you need are newspapers, a basket, and some tape.

Open the newspaper, cut it in half, and tape the pieces together lengthwise to make a long strip.

You can add more later, so adjust the length according to the participants’ condition and ability.

Roll the long newspaper strip into a cylinder, place it in the basket, and you’re ready to go.

When the game starts, use your hands to wind it up as fast as you can—whoever finishes first wins.

It’s simple, fun to watch, and great for large groups.

Because it also trains upper-limb function while playing, it’s recommended as a recreation activity in senior care facilities.

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Persimmon Picking Game

Persimmon-picking game #dayservice #elderly #recreation #autumn #game #elderlycare

Persimmon Picking Game

It may look like you’re just using your hands to pick persimmons, but in fact there are points written on the back.

You can’t see the points while you’re picking, and only find out afterward—that’s what makes this “Persimmon Picking Game” fun.

Since there’s a time limit, you can enjoy deciding whether to aim for persimmons you predict will be high-scoring or to pick as many as possible.

If you yank in a hurry, the persimmons get caught on the pins, so the key is to use your fingertips to unhook them from the pins.

Because there’s an element of luck, there are fewer issues of aptitude or skill differences between players, and anyone can enjoy it.

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Giant Triangular Tower

Senior recreation: super simple, quick, and fun—Newspaper Tower #activities_for_seniors #newspaper #exciting

Giant Triangular Tower

It’s a very simple game, but actually tricky! Try the newspaper tower challenge! Lay a sheet of newspaper lengthwise and fold it so it becomes a quarter of its original width.

Next, fold it into a triangular prism shape and tuck in the end.

Because it stores flat once folded, you can make it once and play again and again, which is nice.

The rules for the newspaper tower are simple: stack the triangular pieces of newspaper on top of each other and compete to see how many you can pile up.

People watching should call out instructions like, “A little to the right, left, it’s leaning!” This also helps promote communication.

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Hand-wrapping newspaper

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

Hand-wrapping newspaper

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.

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