[For Seniors] Enjoy a Warm Spring! April Health Topics Roundup

Quick brain training, “Ready, set!” game

No prep needed for senior recreation or props! Simple and exciting! Ready, set, go! Game

Here’s a simple brain-training game you can do while seated, with no prior preparation.

Pair up in twos.

When one person calls out a number—like “Ready, five!”—both of you raise your hands or feet.

If the total number of raised hands and feet matches the number that was called, you’re correct.

You can make it more game-like by intentionally raising more hands or feet to throw off your partner’s guess, and enjoy training your brain as you play.

It also helps to create a cheerful atmosphere where mistakes lead to laughter.

Since raising hands and feet doubles as light exercise, try it together with older adults.

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Nakajima Junko

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Newspaper-pulling-with-your-feet game

Three pull-out games using your feet that seniors can play while seated #recreation_for_seniors #seated_activities #newspaper

Here’s a game that gets you moving your feet while having fun and training at the same time.

Have older adults sit in a chair and pull a sheet of newspaper with their feet.

They can pull it with one foot or with both feet together.

You can also have two older adults sit facing each other at a distance and compete—it should be fun.

Besides providing leg exercise, it’s likely to increase interaction among older adults and bring more smiles.

It can also help with a change of pace and stress relief.

Please give it a try.

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Nakajima Junko

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ball rec

Senior Brain-Training Exercises: Ball-Based Recreation for Preventive Care

Recreational activities that use soft, lightweight balls are recommended for older adults.

Throwing and catching the ball engages various physical and sensory abilities such as muscle strength, grip strength, and dynamic visual acuity.

Simply touching a ball that can roll or be squeezed is also enjoyable for its tactile feel.

This is said to have beneficial effects on the brain as well.

There are ball-based activities that can be done while seated in a chair, making them accessible to many seniors.

Have the participants sit in a circle and pass the ball forward and backward.

If someone can stand steadily, have them walk to the side and hand the ball to the person next to them.

This helps improve core balance.

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Nakajima Junko

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Onigiri Kororin Game

This activity is awesome! So much fun for everyone! Everyone gets excited! The Onigiri Rolling Game 🍙 #dayservice #elderlyrecreation #senior #rehabilitation #daycare #shorts #grandma #onigiri #game

How about trying the sure-to-be-exciting “Rolling Rice Ball Game”? Attach yarn to a paper plate and make rice balls and obstacles.

Place the rice balls you made on the paper plate and start the game! Reel in the yarn, and if you can bring the rice ball all the way to you without dropping it, you succeed.

There are obstacles made from plastic wrap or construction paper along the way, so be careful not to let it fall! The winner is decided both by speed and by how many rice balls you can transport without dropping them.

It’s a recreation activity that gets not only the older adults pulling the string excited, but also everyone watching around them.

Please feel free to use this as a reference!

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moko

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Butterfly, land on the flower.

Getting a head start on spring 🌸 This activity is so fun! Everyone loves it! The butterflies are flying~! #elderly #dayservice #recreation #fun #shorts

When you spot a butterfly, it really feels like spring has arrived, doesn’t it? The way they flutter about is so cute and soothing.

In this article, we’ll introduce a recreation activity that uses butterflies.

First, treat paper plates as flowers and decorate them with origami or markers, then write point values in the center of each plate.

Use a fan to blow the butterflies, and if you land one on a plate, you earn the points written on it.

Moving the fan exercises the hands while also training concentration.

It sounds like it would be great fun and lively whether played individually or in teams.

We hope everyone enjoys a wonderful time with this recreation activity.

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moko

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mini-golf

Putter golf that seniors can easily enjoy #dayservice #recreation #eldercare

Although it’s spring on the calendar, many of us may still be spending a lot of time in warm indoor spaces.

So this time, we’d like to introduce an indoor putting golf game.

All you need is cardboard and a ball.

Cut various sizes of holes in a flattened piece of cardboard and write in the point values.

To make the game more exciting, assign fewer points to larger holes and higher points to smaller holes.

Once you place the cardboard on the floor, just roll the ball as you would in golf.

You can use a racket, or even a cane you’re comfortable with.

With simple preparation, it’s fun even with a small group, and it’s also effective for improving concentration.

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kojifumi

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Whac-A-Mole game

Handmade Whack-a-Mole #shorts

Even moles that usually live underground pop their heads out in spring.

When you think of spring, some people might even say “moles,” right? How about a game of Whac-A-Mole as a recreation activity to enjoy in March? It’s easy to make your own Whac-A-Mole using paper cups and disposable chopsticks.

Let’s draw moles on the paper cups.

If older adults each draw their favorite face, you’ll end up with a lot of unique, characterful moles! Make the hammer by fixing a disposable chopstick to a paper cup.

When the countdown starts, try whacking the moles with your hammer! It’s bound to turn into an exciting and fun showdown!

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moko

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