[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 Day Care: A Roundup of Games and Recreational Activities (21–30)
Throwing a ball backward
This is a “throw the ball backward” game that seniors can easily enjoy and get excited about.
Prepare boxes or baskets marked with point values, and have the seniors sit in a chair with their backs to them.
Then, they throw a ball backward and compete for points.
Since they’re facing away, judging the throwing strength can be tricky, but it may help improve finger and arm strength.
It also provides a sense of accomplishment when they succeed and can help relieve stress.
You could even hold an awards ceremony for the top scorer to make it even more fun!
Pikagoro
As we age, it’s said that handling multiple tasks at the same time becomes more difficult.
Using both the mind and body has brain-training benefits, and if you move your body while thinking, you can expect even greater brain activation.
This time, I’ll introduce the Pika-Goro game.
Have the older adults sit facing each other, each holding two sticks.
The caller says “pika-pika” or “goro-goro.” On the cue “dokan,” the older adults should both grip the sticks and raise them.
Once everyone gets used to it, calling out “pika-pika” or “goro-goro” several times and then feinting can make it even more exciting.
Color Card Matching Game
The “Color Card Matching Game,” which is also effective for preventing dementia.
Place color cards face down on the table, have participants flip them over, find the specified colors, and stack them in order.
You can change the combination of specified colors each time! It’s a very mentally engaging game because players must first find the designated colors and then stack the found colors in the correct sequence.
If the rules are hard to understand, it may be helpful for staff to stay nearby and assist until participants get used to it.
Apple Song Exercise
While singing “The Apple Song” (Ringo no Uta), which is remembered as the first hit song after the war, this activity involves moving the body slowly.
The song has a uniquely calm atmosphere, so it gives the impression that you can move at an unhurried pace.
The movements mainly focus on the upper body, but by adding steps and singing, you can also stimulate brain activity.
Even if you’ve heard the song before, you might not remember the lyrics perfectly, so in that case, following along with the lyrics also adds a focus and concentration element.
Clap-along brain training
It’s a game where you keep the beat with handclaps while adding other movements, training your decision-making as you move your body.
Start by inserting simple hand gestures between claps—like raising your thumb or pinky—and then, as you get used to it, gradually expand into movements that involve your whole body.
As these movements combine and become more complex, there’s more to think about, which enhances the brain-training effect.
If you focus too much on the sequence of movements, your motions can become stiff, so it’s also recommended to include some stepping and consciously loosen up your body.
Lightly lifting the ball with the foot
This is a game where you kick up a beanbag balanced on your foot and aim to land it in higher-scoring zones.
Since you kick it upward rather than forward, it can be hard to picture the trajectory, so keep control firmly in mind as you play.
The higher-scoring zones are smaller and positioned higher, so carefully adjusting your power is likely important.
If it lands around the high-score area, your points will drop, so that risk–reward balance is part of the fun.
Wobbly Disposable Chopstick Grab Game
Why not try incorporating the “Wobbly Chopsticks Pull Game” into your day service recreation program—a fun activity that can also help improve the daily lives of people with dementia? All you need is a chopstick tower! Bundle about 50 disposable chopsticks and pass them through a ring made from a milk carton or the core of a tape roll.
The rules are simple: players take turns pulling out one chopstick at a time without toppling the tower.
Despite its simplicity, it’s a game that really gets a group excited! It helps older adults with finger dexterity, seated balance, concentration, and stress relief—so give it a try!