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

Making the April calendar

[Calendar Making] A classic event at our day service. We choose a seasonal theme and create next month’s calendar. (Shōwa Wago-kai Social Welfare Corporation)

How about making calendars as one of your monthly recreation activities? Both the process of discussing and choosing seasonal motifs and the actual crafting after the plan is set are sure to be lively and fun! Using your hands can have a positive effect on cognitive function, and working together to create something—then seeing what you made actually being used—will likely bring great joy! Even things that were difficult before can improve in quality as you repeat the activity.

Give it a try!

Shoo Away Game

Hands full—lol! ✋😂 So much fun and excitement! #dayserviceRecreation #elderly #rec #shorts #dementiaPrevention

Let’s play a fun game using balls made from crumpled paper.

It’s called the “Shoo-It-Away Game.” Crumple up sheets of paper or newspaper into balls and place them in a horizontal line in the center of the table.

Before you start, put a strip of tape across the middle of the table to mark the center line.

This tape divides the table into your side and your opponent’s side.

When the game begins, use your hands to push the paper balls into your opponent’s territory on the opposite side.

The rules are simple, but it sounds like it could get exciting.

If you make the paper balls pink, they’ll look like cherry blossoms—perfect for an April game.

It also encourages conversation among participants and can help promote communication among older adults.

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Nakajima Junko

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Strawberry Picking Game

2021.4.16. Strawberry Picking Recreation

The bright red fruit, strawberries, are one of the foods that evoke the feeling of spring, and strawberry picking is also an event that brings a sense of the season.

This game is inspired by the scene of strawberry picking, where players compete to collect as many strawberry mascots as possible within a time limit.

A string is stretched out in front of you, and clothespins attached to it hold strawberry motifs.

You remove them and place them into a basket.

It’s a game that values the pinching motion used to remove the strawberries from the clothespins, as well as the speed and concentration needed to aim for a higher count within the time limit.

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kappamaki

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Leg exercises with beanbags

Foot exercises with beanbags~ 🎶 So much fun 😊 Let’s try 😆 #recreation #activitiesForSeniors #exercise #shorts #concentration #beanbags #dayService

Here’s a foot exercise you can do indoors using beanbags.

Sit in a chair and place one beanbag on your knee.

Do a marching motion with the leg that has the beanbag on it.

Start with one leg, then gradually try placing beanbags on both legs or increase the number of beanbags.

Not only does this work as a foot exercise, but keeping the beanbags from falling while you march also helps improve concentration.

Because it doesn’t require heavy objects and can be done while seated, it’s recommended for older adults as well.

When the weather turns warm, you feel like moving your body, right? This simple indoor beanbag foot exercise is an easy way to get started.

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Nakajima Junko

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Beanbag Tower

Senior recreation! Everyone’s hooked! Beanbag tower!! #shorts #seniorRecreation #dayService #recreation #heartwarming #hilarious #beanbag

Many older adults may have played with beanbags when they were young.

Some may have also played beanbag games with their own children or grandchildren.

Here’s a game that uses those beanbags to build a tower.

The rules are simple: compete to see how many beanbags you can stack on top of an upside-down paper cup.

By holding and stacking the beanbags, you can expect to improve or maintain fine motor balance and concentration.

You can focus and play on your own, or make it a team competition for extra excitement.

If you like, please give it a try.

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Nakajima Junko

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Fluffy ball

[Sports Recreation] Lively Rec 🎈Fluffy Ball🎈

Let’s have fun with a game where you compete for points using balloons.

Inflate a balloon and tie a string to it with a weight attached to the end.

Before you start, write point values on the floor.

Aim for the spaces with the written points and throw the balloon.

The person who scores the most points wins.

The trick seems to be to swing the weight firmly as you throw the balloon.

Throwing the balloon can also be an effective workout for the upper body and arms.

Since balloons aren’t very heavy, there’s little risk of injury if they’re dropped, which is nice.

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Nakajima Junko

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Makimaki Apple Game

Let's do this for tomorrow's recreation! It gets everyone excited at the day service! The Maki-Maki Rinko Game 🍎 #dayservice #elderly #elderlyrecreation #seniors #recreation #caregiving #preventivecare #braintraining #dementiaprevention #dementia #shorts

As a recreation activity for day services or childcare settings, we propose the “Roll-Up Apple Game”! First, place paper apple motifs on construction paper and attach them.

Set them a short distance away; connect the stick and paper with clear tape, then roll the stick to wind the tape and draw the apples toward yourself.

It should get very lively if several people compete! By starting with the crafting process, participants can experience both making the materials and playing the game.

Please give it a try together and have fun!