[For Seniors] Recommended in December! Safe and Fun Indoor Recreation
December is a busy month at the end of the year.
It’s also a season when the cold is more noticeable and people tend to have fewer opportunities to go outside.
With that in mind, here are some physical activities and crafts for older adults that can be enjoyed indoors where it’s warm.
These are December-themed recreations, so they allow participants to see, feel, and enjoy the season while experiencing a sense of seasonal atmosphere.
They also provide various mental and physical stimulation—moving the body, using the fingers, thinking, and creating opportunities to interact with friends.
Please make good use of these recreations.
- [Elderly Care Facility] Fun-filled recreational activities for a Christmas party: crafts, rhythmic exercises, games, and even a snack-time activity
- [For Seniors] Fun Winter Activities: Recreation and Games
- [For Seniors] Fun Quiz Questions That Will Liven Up December
- [For Seniors] Fun Recreational Activities Without Equipment
- [For Seniors] Recreational activities and games that let you have fun while strengthening your legs
- [For Seniors] Simple Tabletop Games: Fun and Engaging Recreational Activities
- For seniors: Decorate the December wall with a tree. Easy ideas using origami and yarn.
- For Seniors: Fun for Everyone! Christmas Party Activity Ideas
- For Seniors: December Health Topics — Winter Recreational Activities to Warm the Body and the Heart
- For seniors: Introducing handmade decoration ideas to welcome a wonderful Christmas
- [For Seniors] Fun Crafts Recommended for December
- [For Seniors] Exciting Team-Based Recreational Activities
- [For Seniors] Introducing Trivia Quizzes and Fun Facts About December
[For Seniors] Recommended in December! Safe and Fun Indoor Recreational Activities (41–50)
Christmas treats
Let’s try making some easy, bite-sized treats! One is a banana decorated with marshmallows, strawberries, chocolate pens, and more, finished to look like Santa.
The other uses bell-shaped mini sponge cakes coated in melted white chocolate and decorated with chocolate pens and candies to look like snowmen.
There’s no need to mix ingredients or bake, and everyone can make their own, making this perfect for a snack activity.
Making a full Christmas cake can be a lot of work, but this is an easy, low-pressure alternative.
Christmas shan-shan
This is a dance set to the song “Christmas Shanshan,” which depicts the scene of Santa Claus coming at Christmas.
While bending and stretching your whole body to keep the rhythm, make sure to clearly express the lyrics through your movements.
If you focus on sharp movements and how you apply force, it will likely lead to smoother movement in daily life.
If standing exercises are difficult, perform them seated in a chair; even then, it’s important to keep the rhythm with steps or similar movements.
With rhythm-conscious movement, let’s also pay attention to the rhythm of walking.
Christmas Rhythm Gymnastics
This is an exercise where you keep rhythm with plastic-bottle maracas to classic Christmas songs.
Because it’s done seated, focus on making large arm movements and really shake the maracas.
By paying attention not only to your arm movements but also to proper posture, you can engage your whole body.
While the motions center on the upper body, such as how you swing your arms, it’s also recommended to add some foot tapping to work the lower body.
The sound of the maracas highlights the fun and can boost motivation to do the exercise.
Easy Christmas Exercises
Let’s get moving with a dance set to the romantic Christmas classic “All I Want For Christmas Is You.” It’s a pop song that really highlights the sparkle of the season, so the most important thing is to feel the fun with your whole body.
The choreography is simple, mainly side-to-side steps, but if the song’s fast tempo makes it tricky, it’s a good idea to break the moves into more counts.
If you focus on matching the light, upbeat tempo, you’ll not only achieve smoother body movements but also improve your explosiveness.
Siren Toiv
This is an exercise set to “Silent Eve,” a signature song by Midori Karashima and a classic Christmas tune.
In keeping with the gentle melody, focus on your breathing while gradually making your movements larger.
By progressing from small motions to bigger ones, you’ll feel various parts of your body—starting with the arms—stretching.
Doing it seated in a chair is also a key point, encouraging you to aim for large movements within a comfortable, safe range.
Santa Claus Is Coming to Town
This is an exercise routine performed to one of the classic Christmas songs, “Santa Claus Is Coming to Town.” It combines choreography inspired by the lyrics with simple movements for the arms and neck to add a fresh accent to your usual workout.
The basic position is sitting in a chair with hands on the hips, which helps you maintain proper posture with a straight back.
Although the music is light and lively, the choreography is slow, allowing you to make large movements and train your body effectively.
It’s also recommended to add a brain-training element by having participants think about coordinating their hands and feet.
Santa Is Coming to Town Exercise
This is an exercise routine set to the song “Santa Claus Is Coming to Town,” which expresses the excitement of Santa coming to deliver presents.
While keeping a firm grasp of the rhythm, the movements portray the lyrics, so let’s proceed by singing along to help remember what comes next.
A key point is that, despite the song’s light feel, some of the choreography is slow, and it can easily be done while sitting in a chair.
Feel the world of the lyrics and use your movements to clearly express the adorable image of a child waiting for Santa.