![[For Seniors] Highlights of Fun Events at Day-Service Centers](https://i.ytimg.com/vi_webp/QTZXnboqoho/maxresdefault.webp)
[For Seniors] Highlights of Fun Events at Day-Service Centers
A day service that holds events tailored to the seasons and other occasions.
Seeing the smiles of the older adults who participate and enjoy themselves really warms your heart, doesn’t it?
Many of you are probably already brainstorming ideas for the next event to make it even more enjoyable.
So this time, we’ll introduce some fun event ideas for day service programs.
We’ve selected many recreational activities that even older adults who have difficulty with physical movement can participate in.
We hope everyone has a wonderful time together.
[For Seniors] Fun Day Service Event Showcase (1–10)
Flea market
A flea market is an event held in parks or plazas where people bring items they no longer need.
In recent years, flea markets have become more accessible, with smartphone apps now offering the experience.
While they may not be very common in senior facilities, hosting a flea market could let older adults enjoy the excitement of discovering hidden treasures.
Instead of exchanging money, you could increase the fun by letting participants earn shopping vouchers through games to use at the flea market.
eSports
In recent years, esports have been gaining so much momentum that international tournaments are now being held.
Esports, which view computer games as a competitive sport, even carry the potential to be added to the Olympic program.
There also seems to be a movement to incorporate esports into health initiatives for older adults.
By having seniors actually try fighting games, racing games, and the like, we might be able to expect improvements in physical fitness and even dementia prevention.
Rather than assuming games are only for young people, we’d love for older adults to experience them as well.
snack making
You want seniors to enjoy snacks made from safe, reassuring ingredients, right? Here are recipes for lucky New Year’s sweets that are also great for January events.
How about zenzai (sweet red bean soup) using azuki beans to ward off evil, or kintsuba made with sweet potatoes to boost good fortune with money? Both may take a little effort, but they don’t require any special techniques, so anyone can make them.
For an easy shortcut, use store-bought chunky anko for the zenzai! Shiratamako (glutinous rice flour) has less stickiness than mochi, making it a good choice for seniors’ snacks.
Play / Skit
At events, flashy, large-scale theatrical performances are a classic attraction.
You might consider crafting a script that matches the atmosphere—drawing on period dramas as a motif or weaving in topical humor.
By referencing widely recognizable works, like popular TV dramas, and adding your own originality to create comedic elements, you can make the performance more approachable.
The longer a drama has been running, the more established its typical patterns become, which makes them easier for audiences to understand and easier to use as script references.
Casino-style day service
When you think of casinos, hotels and airports in Las Vegas come to mind.
But here, day-care service users at a nursing facility are enjoying casino games.
There are places offering “healthy mahjong” nationwide, but this facility is particularly interesting for incorporating casino-style activities.
Even wins and losses in games using virtual currency can cause emotional highs and lows, which may provide good stimulation for the brain.
Also, the way they schedule short exercise sessions of about 5–10 minutes every hour nicely captures the moment when people naturally feel like moving their bodies.
Karaoke Contest
Karaoke contests are a popular attraction even at care facilities such as day services.
Singing loudly, following the lyrics, and keeping the rhythm are all very good for health and help stimulate the brain, so they’re highly recommended.
It’ll also be exciting if you assign scores and decide a winner.
Gesture Game
You often see it on TV variety shows, right? That gesture game.
You’re not allowed to explain with words; you have to get others to guess what you’re trying to convey using gestures alone.
It’s a game you can enjoy without preparing anything special, whether with a small or large group, and regardless of age.
If you have paper and a pen, they might be useful when presenting the prompts and announcing the correct answers.
