[Elderly Day Service] Let’s all have fun! Games and recreational activities
At day service centers, many older adults likely look forward to enjoying recreation and games.
Staff members are probably trying different ideas every day to provide activities that never get boring.
In this article, we’ve picked out recreational activities that can be enjoyed by small and large groups alike.
Taking part in competitive games can also create opportunities for deeper interaction among older adults.
We’ve gathered a wide range—from sports- and exercise-themed activities to those that challenge thinking skills—so please use them as a reference!
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- [For Seniors] Enjoyment at Day Care: A Roundup of Games and Recreational Activities
- [For Seniors] Refresh Your Mood! Lively, Get-Moving Games
- [For Seniors] Fun Recreational Activities Without Equipment
- [For Seniors] Enjoy safely even during the COVID-19 pandemic: Seated activities
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- [For Seniors] Enjoyable Indoor Activities! Recreations and Games That Engage the Mind and Body
- [For Seniors] Recommended! Seasonal Recreational Activities
- [For Seniors] Recreational Activities Enjoyable in Large Groups
[Senior Day Service] Let's have fun together! Games and Recreation (141–150)
Ball Grabbing Game
Let’s play a game where you grab balls using newspaper.
All the tools used in the game are made from newspaper.
Make the balls by crumpling newspaper into a sphere, and make the grabbing sticks out of newspaper as well.
You can create everything you need for the game using everyday materials.
Place several balls inside a circle, grab them with the stick, and put them into a basket.
If you set a time limit, the game gets more exciting.
Forming teams and competing for the best time will make it even more fun.
Target shooting game
Some seniors may have played shooting gallery or target games at festivals, don’t you think? This time, we’ll introduce a simple “target game” you can make with paper cups.
Cut out the bottom of a paper cup, tie off a balloon, cut off its tip, and stretch it over the cup.
With that, you’ve created an easy tool to launch small balls at targets.
Line up paper cups to create the targets.
Drawing illustrations on the target cups or decorating them with stickers will enhance the atmosphere.
It’s also great to have seniors participate from the crafting stage.
You can expect benefits for finger dexterity and brain training.
It’s a game that may help them recall fond memories of playing target games.
Get Excited! Beanbag Toss Bingo Game
It’s a cooperative game where everyone aims for bingo, incorporating the action of tossing beanbags.
Nine baskets are placed in the center of a seated circle, and players throw beanbags to land them on top of each basket.
If you place five or more beanbags, you clear that basket, and you work toward bingo using the baskets you’ve cleared.
In addition to adjusting the strength of each throw, be sure to focus on cooperating so your beanbags don’t collide with your teammates’.
It’s a game that lets everyone enjoy striving for a common goal while getting plenty of physical activity.
[Elderly Day Service] Let's Have Fun Together! Games and Recreational Activities (151–160)
Easy! Prefecture Bingo Card with a Milk Carton
A simple bingo game played by arranging nine cards with the names of prefectures dealt from a deck.
Write the names of prefectures on cards made by cutting up milk cartons and create two identical sets.
Since the dealt cards are random, you repeat the process of checking once each time whether the called prefecture is on your hand, while hoping to complete a line.
Keeping your eyes on your cards, it might also be fun to recall images or memories of the prefectures as they’re called.
Just paper and pen! Number Bingo
It’s a simple game where you use a pencil to draw a grid and numbers on paper, then aim for bingo.
The grid is 3 squares by 3 squares, for a total of 9, and you freely choose numbers from 1 to 15 to fill them in at random.
Once everyone has finished writing their numbers, you’re ready to play: read out the numbers on the cards in order, and each player aims for bingo.
You can enjoy seeing whether a line on your own card completes, or you can turn it into a competitive game where you try to complete more lines than your opponent—either way, it’s sure to be exciting.
Paper Cup Bingo
It’s a game where players take turns placing three sizes of paper cups—large, medium, and small—on a grid, aiming to line up three cups of their color.
The grid is a 3×3 board with nine squares, and you try to complete your own line while preventing your opponent from completing theirs.
Because the rules allow you to stack your cup on top of your opponent’s cup, choosing which size to play becomes a key strategic point.
This stacking element broadens the range of tactics and makes for more advanced mind games.
Think through your opponent’s moves as well as your own approach to keep your brain fully engaged.
Paper cup drop
Here’s a game using paper cups.
Line up the paper cups in a row.
Use the lined-up cups as targets and have older adults throw a ball at them from a short distance away.
Depending on where you set up the cups, the goal is to throw the ball so that the cups tip over or fall to the floor.
Even if they don’t hit the cups perfectly, it’s likely to spark laughter and provide a nice change of pace.
It can also encourage conversation with others and help expand social interaction among older adults.
Paper cups are sold at 100-yen shops, so preparation is easy.