[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] Enjoyable Indoor Activities! Recreations and Games That Engage the Mind and Body
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- [For Seniors] Recreational Activities Enjoyable in Large Groups
[Elderly Day Service] Let’s Have Fun Together! Games and Recreational Activities (21–30)
Pita-to Ball
Here’s a game using a ball that you can play on a table.
Apply strips of tape from one end of the table, placing the point values on top and keeping the sticky side facing up.
From the opposite end of the table, have older adults roll a rubber ball.
If the ball reaches near a point value, it will stop thanks to the adhesive tape.
Making the higher scores farther from the rolling side makes the game more exciting.
Grasping and rolling the rubber ball also helps train the fingers and hands.
It’s a fun way to strengthen the hands and fingers.
Popcorn Game
Even if you know that moving your body is good for your health, you might still feel reluctant to get active.
So here’s a fun popcorn game that lets you exercise your feet while enjoying yourself.
Sit in a chair and place paper plates on both knees.
Fill the plates with lots of crumpled-up paper balls.
Think of the paper plates as frying pans and the crumpled paper as popcorn for the game.
When someone says, “Ready, start!”, flutter your legs and march your feet to shake the paper popcorn out of the plates.
Watching the crumpled paper fall from the plates looks just like popcorn popping in a heated frying pan.
Because it’s an exercise you can do like a game, it seems like older adults can enjoy participating too.
Let’s find words within a word.
I’d like to introduce a game where everyone can play at the same time and get excited: a “find words inside a word” game.
In this game, you rearrange or extract letters from a given target word and see how many other words you can make.
For example, if the target is “とうもろこし” (corn), you can make words like “うし” (cow) or “しも” (frost).
Decide on a target word and a time limit, and you can compete to see who can find the most words.
You can also share with each other, saying, “Here are the words I found.”
Swaying Ball Toss
A game you can enjoy as a team with multiple people is “Wobbly Beanbag Toss.” Since you can play it while seated, it’s also recommended for seniors! Divide into two teams: the first team throws beanbags toward a box, trying to land them inside.
The second team pulls the string attached to the box to make it sway, attempting to prevent the beanbags from going in.
Once you get used to it, you can discuss strategies as a team! Try coordinating the timing to throw all at once, or move the string when a beanbag is about to go in—use feints and tactics to make it exciting.
Pikagoro
Pikagoro is a game that absolutely gets everyone excited and also works as brain training for seniors.
The goal of this game is to perform two actions at the same time.
Raise the index finger of your right hand, make a ring with your left hand, and sit facing each other.
Put your index finger into your partner’s ring, and at the cue “Pika-pika Goro-goro Dokaaan,” pull out your index finger and close your left hand.
It’s a game you can enjoy with two people or in a group! Whether it goes well or not, without getting hung up on the outcome, everyone can laugh and have fun, which should help ease seniors’ tension.
Paper Cup Whack-a-Mole
Whack-a-mole is a simple game that can be enjoyed across generations.
It’s easy to make with materials you can quickly get at a 100-yen shop, so it’s great for day service centers too! Attach a pair of chopsticks to a paper cup to make a hammer.
Next, draw mole illustrations on several paper cups.
Place the hammer over the cups and compete to see how many you can catch! If participants hold the hammer with their non-dominant hand, it can help train the hand and stimulate brain activity.
Bamboo Shoot Digging Game
Here’s a sit-down bamboo shoot digging game you can enjoy.
Tear up newspaper and hide bamboo shoots made from milk cartons in it.
Use a hanger to push aside the newspaper and find the bamboo shoots.
When you peel the milk carton off the bamboo shoots you’ve found, you’ll discover a daikon radish and a bamboo shoot made by wrapping items around plastic bottles.
Each item has points: daikon is 10 points and bamboo shoot is 100 points.
Compete to see how many points you can score—the highest score wins! Setting a time limit will make it even more exciting.
