[For Seniors] Association Game with 3 Hints: A Satisfying List of Topics When You Get It
Word association games are one type of recreation that can help stimulate the brains of older adults.
Not only does carefully thinking through prompts serve as brain training, but arriving at the answer also gives a sense of accomplishment.
The word association game we’re introducing here involves deriving the answer from three clues.
Start with the most difficult clue, and save the hint that’s most likely to lead to the answer for last.
If you’re a care worker who finds that coming up with prompts really works your brain, please use this as a reference when preparing your word association games.
- For seniors: Fun, crowd-pleasing word association game ideas
- [For Seniors] Fun and Lively! Recommended Quiz Questions
- [For Seniors] Lively Wordplay Game: Fun Recreation for Elderly Care
- [For Seniors] Brain Training! Recall Quiz Collection!
- [For Seniors] Great for Brain Training! Question Card Ideas
- [For Seniors] Lateral Thinking Game! Brain Training
- [For Seniors] Challenging but Exciting! Kanji Quiz
- [For Seniors] Fun Brain Training! Lively Whiteboard Activities
- [For Seniors] Fun Brain Training! Prefecture Quiz
- [For Seniors] Simple Recreational Activities You Can Enjoy While Seated
- [Brain Training] Lively Word Quiz for Seniors
- Hand games that liven things up for seniors—also great brain training
- [For Seniors] Have Fun with Wordplay Characters! A Collection of Funny Puzzles
[For Seniors] Association Game with 3 Hints: Refreshing When You Get It – List of Topics (31–40)
Nozomi, Hikari, Kodama
The name “Nozomi” attached to a Shinkansen.
Personally, I feel that a similar word like “Kibō” (hope) would have worked too.
The word “nozomi” makes me think of phrases like “There’s still hope” or “Betting on a sliver of hope!”—it feels like a word that often pops up when you’re in a pinch… Is that just me? The Shinkansen’s rails and rolling stock are sometimes called the greatest construction of the Showa era, and I’ve heard the system is even sold overseas.
Many of you have probably ridden the Shinkansen dozens of times.
For railway enthusiasts, this was an easy question, wasn’t it!
Black and white, on a tree, eucalyptus
The pandas that were kept in groups at Ueno Zoo in Tokyo and at Adventure World in Wakayama Prefecture have completed their research roles and are being returned to China.
It really shows how precious pandas are, doesn’t it? Of course, there are many other animals with even smaller populations that are also very rare, but a panda’s adorable appearance is truly incomparable.
Have you ever seen a panda? By the way, there’s a theory that their black-and-white coloring serves as camouflage in snowy environments, but the details haven’t been fully determined yet.
Who am I? Historical Figures Edition
Let me introduce “Who Am I?”, a game where you guess a famous historical figure using three hints.
Each hint becomes more specific—second more than the first, third more than the second—so both history buffs and beginners can enjoy it.
You can also project it on a screen to play with a large group.
Using a rule like “If you know the answer, raise your hand instead of saying it” prevents spoilers and keeps it fun, while a rule like “Discuss your thoughts together as you go” lets everyone enjoy thinking it through as a group.
An animal with a net-like pattern on its body, long legs, and a long neck
There are many animals with various patterns on their bodies.
Zebras with stripes, lion cubs with black spots, leopards, and jaguars with rosette-like patterns.
If the hint is simply “an animal,” the answers are endless, but perhaps many people will catch on with the hint “it has a net-like pattern on its body.” Even if that hint doesn’t do it, the final big clue—“long legs and a long neck”—would likely prompt many older adults to get the answer! Once the answer is revealed, sharing some fun facts about giraffes could make things even livelier!
lotus spoon, soup, food stall
Ramen is one of the most popular foods, isn’t it? Since it’s easy to make, some older people might eat it often.
These days, it’s become rare to see ramen food stalls that sell from a truck loaded with a stove, ingredients, and dishes, but it seems there are still some shops that sell ramen from stalls.
The theme this time is “renge” (soup spoon), “soup,” and “yatai” (food stall), but there are other words like “menma,” “naruto,” “tonkotsu,” “shio,” and “shoyu” that might lead you to the answer, so give them a try.
[For seniors] Association game with 3 hints. A satisfying list of prompts when you get it (41–50)
Yellow suit, comedian, Get’s!
Are you familiar with the comedian Dandy Sakano? He’s famous for his signature gag, “Gets!”, which matches his cheerful persona.
It’s the one where he spreads his thumbs and index fingers on both hands and thrusts them forward.
Some people might know the catchphrase but not his name.
When giving this as a quiz, starting with “Gets!” will probably give it away immediately, so it’s better to begin with the other two hints: “comedian” and “yellow suit.”
Once a year, an auspicious day when the numbers increase.
I think the hint about “the numbers increasing” is on the right track, so I’d like to use it as the very first hint.
There’s an interesting saying left by Ikkyu: “New Year’s Day is a milestone on the journey to the afterlife—both happy and not happy.” I wonder if some people feel the same way about birthdays too, thinking, “As you get older, you only get closer to death—what’s so celebratory about that?” Incidentally, Ikkyu’s birthday is said to be January 1st.
A New Year’s birthday—feels like both a gain and a loss…