[For Seniors] Liven Up with Multiplayer Games! Ideas That Work for Groups of Around 30
Are you looking for games that a large group of around 30 people can enjoy? When organizing recreation for many participants, you want to choose activities that everyone can join and that really liven things up.
From seated volleyball and balloon basketball to relays that test the cooperation of the entire team, there’s no shortage of ideas.
This time, we’ve put together suggestions you can start easily using familiar items like newspapers and handheld fans.
The conversations, smiles, and sense of accomplishment that arise through these games will add color to everyday life.
Be sure to incorporate them into your daily recreational activities!
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[For Seniors] Liven Up with Group Games! Ideas for Enjoying with Around 30 People (21–30)
Hoop-Through Race
Here’s a race you can enjoy with just a single rope.
Use a rope long enough to pass over the whole body of each participant, such as older adults and staff, and tie it into a loop.
Have all participants line up side by side.
Starting from the head, pass the loop down over the body to the feet, then hand the loop to the person next to you.
It gets even more exciting if staff jump in mid-race or if many people take part.
It’s great for recreation because you can move your body while having fun.
In this race, participants stand up from their chairs to pass the loop over themselves.
Please adjust the challenge according to each older person’s physical condition.
Rock-Paper-Scissors Relay
Here’s an introduction to the team competition game “Rock-Paper-Scissors Relay,” which is sure to get everyone excited.
If you win rock-paper-scissors against the person next to you, you can pass the baton.
Because luck plays a big role in rock-paper-scissors, anyone has an equal chance to win or lose.
It doesn’t depend on physical strength or intelligence, so it’s easy for anyone to join.
You can form teams of about 10 people, making it great for large-group recreation.
Losing streaks tend to turn into laughter, but setting a rule like passing the baton after three consecutive losses helps things run smoothly.
How about making looped newspaper batons together with older participants?
Juggling with a towel
This is an easy, lively game using a towel and beanbags.
Pairs of players hold the ends of a single towel and launch the beanbag resting on the towel toward a target.
Even if the beanbag doesn’t hit the target, it’s still exciting and fun.
You can also adapt it by placing a basket or plastic bottles as the target, or by using balls made from newspaper.
How about starting with making the materials for the game together with older adults? Since the game requires cooperation, it can help promote communication.
It also helps relieve stress and may support emotional stability.
Towel relay
As we age, our muscle strength and physical function decline.
We also tend to exercise less, which makes it even harder to move our bodies.
So let’s find ways to move while having fun and work toward improving physical function.
“Towel Relay” is a game you can play using just a rolled-up newspaper stick and a towel.
Use the newspaper stick to pass the towel to the person next to you and aim for the finish line.
You can play while seated, moving your body without strain.
Making the newspaper sticks together can make the time even more enjoyable.
The rules are simple, so it should be easy to join in.
Give it a try!
Ball feed with a rod
It’s a game for older adults where you use a stick to guide balls to the goal.
The rules are simple: send the oncoming balls to the goal with the stick.
You can play while seated and without much physical exertion, so many seniors can take part.
Turning it into a team competition would make it even more exciting.
Working together with those around you fosters interaction and helps build communication.
Moving your hands while thinking about how to guide the flowing balls into the goal helps stimulate the brain.
The stick and balls can be made from newspaper, so creating them together with seniors can also be enjoyable.
rod soccer
You often see soccer covered in sports news on TV and in newspapers, don’t you? Why not enjoy “soccer,” a sport familiar even to older adults? Since soccer involves running on the field and kicking a ball, it can be difficult for seniors to play in the usual way.
But if you use sticks to hit the ball into the opponent’s goal, it’s a game you can play while seated and with a large group.
Just like real soccer, you defend your own goal and attack the opponent’s—that doesn’t change.
You might end up with an exciting, heated match while having fun.
The sticks can be made from something like rolled-up newspaper tubes.
Give it a try!
Carrying the ball with the head
It’s a relay-style game called “Carrying a Ball on Your Head.” You’ll need a hat that stays on well, like a bucket hat, plus a cup and a ball for placing the ball in.
For the cup and ball, choose soft, lightweight items.
Then, with the hat on your head, place the cup holding the ball on top of the hat and walk without letting it fall.
It’s a fun way to turn the simple act of walking into a playful challenge.
It can get really exciting as a team competition, too.
