[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] Fun Recreational Activities Without Equipment
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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 all have fun! Games and Recreation (41–50)
Daruma Stacking Game
Let me introduce the “Daruma Stacking Game,” a game that trains finger dexterity, quickness, and concentration.
Prepare paper cups with daruma drawings, and compete to see how many tiers you can stack within 40 seconds.
You can stack them however you like, but because speed and caution are both required, it demands not only concentration but also creativity.
Additionally, the quick hand movements used to grasp the cups are similar to the reflex of grabbing onto something when you’re about to fall, so it may help prevent falls.
It’s also recommended as a recreation activity for senior care facilities.
[Elderly Day Service] Let’s Have Fun Together! Games and Recreational Activities (51–60)
Get it with dice
Here’s a dice game you can enjoy using items from a 100-yen shop.
All you need are a die, some balls, and three baskets.
Put the balls into one of the baskets, then place one basket for yourself and one for your opponent—now you’re ready! Take turns rolling the die and move the number of balls shown into your own basket.
Continue until there are no balls left.
The player with the most balls at the end wins.
Because luck plays a big role, differences in ability are minimized, so anyone can enjoy it.
Rolling the die and picking up the balls also serve as upper-limb functional training, and counting the numbers can provide cognitive training benefits.
Give it a try!
disk hit
Let us introduce Disk Hit, a fun activity using paper plates and paper cups.
Use empty milk or juice cartons as pins and throw paper plates like flying discs.
Each person throws seven plates, and you compete by how many pins you knock down.
It’s enjoyable both individually and in groups, and it can be played either seated or standing, so anyone can join.
Throwing paper plates engages everything from the shoulder to the fingertips, making it a form of functional exercise while you play.
It’s highly game-like and exciting, so it’s also recommended as a recreational activity in senior care facilities.
Ball Wrapping Game
We’d like to introduce a ball-winding game where you use your wrists and fingertips to reel in the ball faster than your opponent.
Tie a tape to a basket and stretch it out; wrap the other end of the tape around a stick.
Once you place a ball on top of the basket, you’re ready to go.
At the start signal, use your hands to wind the stick and pull the basket toward you.
If the ball falls off during the process, you incur a penalty and can’t move, so it’s important to pull the basket in faster than your opponent while taking care not to drop the ball.
Because it engages both hands, this can also be used as a fun functional training activity.
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.
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.
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.
