Enjoyable at day care! Tabletop games and recreation

bounce catch ball

[Senior Recreation] Hilarious! Tabletop Games You Can Play With a Ball [Preventive Care]

There’s a famous scene in Takuya Kimura’s drama “Long Vacation” where he catches a super ball after it bounces.

Catching a bouncing ball is tricky—but that challenge actually makes it more fun.

Let’s all get excited together with a game of “Bounce Catch Ball.” Connect a few large tables, leave some space, and sit on chairs.

Bounce the ball toward the person sitting on the opposite side.

All you have to do is catch the ball—but it’s surprisingly hard! Once you get the hang of it, try adding rules like “one-bounce catches only” or “return the ball immediately” to spice things up.

Since it’s a seated game, people using wheelchairs can join in too.

Paper cup whack-a-mole

[100-yen shop] Super-exciting recreation with a paper-cup Whac-A-Mole

Home video game consoles have become widespread, and so-called arcades have become scarce in towns.

That’s why it feels a bit exciting when you find a game corner in a hotel or a bowling alley.

The star of old-school arcades was the “whack-a-mole.” Here, we’ll introduce a version everyone can enjoy: Paper Cup Whack-a-Mole.

All you need are paper cups, sticks, and some pens for drawing.

Attach a paper cup to the end of a stick to make your whacking mallet.

Then everyone can draw whatever they like on the paper cups—these will be your moles.

Since the mallet is also made from a paper cup, the paper-cup moles fit in with a satisfying “pop,” giving you a uniquely refreshing feel.

Try competing for speed, or mix in some “NG” moles you’re not supposed to hit, and have fun!

Billiards game

Today's recreation at Day Service Asumiru 🎵

Some seniors may have fond memories of playing billiards when they were younger.

Since billiards is a game everyone knows, it could be a great activity for day services at senior care facilities.

Line up long tables to create a makeshift billiards table, roll up newspaper to make cue-like sticks, and try hitting the balls! Attach a few baskets where the balls roll to and turn it into a point system to make it more exciting.

You can organize it as individual matches or team matches—feel free to adapt it so everyone can enjoy it together.

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Hiragana Card Game

Hiragana Card Game

Even if your eyesight has declined a bit and you don’t read as much anymore, you can still enjoy this “Hiragana Card Game.” It’s a game that works the brain more than the body and can serve as mental exercise.

First, prepare large cards for all 46 kana.

You can even make them together using a laminating machine.

Decide on prompts like words made from two or three characters, then compete to grab the needed cards.

When no more cards can be taken, the game is over.

It’s simple but surprisingly fun, so it’s recommended even for those who don’t usually read print!

Ping-pong ball scooping game

#Ping-pong Ball Pickup Game #Recreation #Day Service #Balm

Sturdy, lightweight, and very bouncy, ping-pong balls are perfect for recreational play.

A great game that you can enjoy even while seated—and that’s fun for people without much strength—is the “Ping-Pong Ball Scooping Game.” First, color the ping-pong balls.

For example, red is 20 points, gold is 100 points, and so on, assigning points by color.

Then just use a spoon or ladle to scoop up the balls and compete.

If you set a “no-go” score like “Anyone who reaches a total of 150 points loses,” players will be adding up points in their heads as they play, which could make it a good brain workout.

It might also be fun to add rules like “Balls that fall off the table don’t count.”

Crumple up a newspaper and boom!

[Easy Activity Using Only Newspapers] Roll up a newspaper and boom!

Rainy days can be pleasantly spent in quiet contemplation, listening to the gentle patter of rain—but if you’d rather blast away the gloomy mood, the “Crumpled Newspaper—Boom!” game is highly recommended.

Prepare a stack of old newspapers and have each team make a box out of newspaper.

At the starting signal, everyone simply throws crumpled newspaper balls into their team’s box.

There’s plenty of active, hands-on work—tearing newspaper, crumpling it up—so it’s great for anyone who needs an energy boost.

By the end of the game, everyone will be smiling.

It’s a recommended group recreation that gets more exciting with a big crowd!

Ammonite Ball

Ammonite ball #daycare #recreation

Do you remember the ammonite that appeared in your science textbook? That ancient creature that looks like a cross between a snail shell and a squid.

Just hearing the name feels a bit nostalgic, doesn’t it? Here, we’ll introduce a game you might not have heard of called “Ammonite Ball.” First, imagine the shell part of an ammonite and build a large spiral shell-shaped track.

If it looks like a car racing circuit, that’s perfect! You score points based on how far the ball travels, so divide the track into sections, draw lines, and label the points for each section.

To play, simply roll the ball with a good push—the score of the spot where the ball stops is added to your total.

It might take some time to make the ammonite track, but once you build it, you can enjoy it over and over!