For seniors: Fun, crowd-pleasing word association game ideas

What month comes to mind?

[June Recommended Rec] Two Patterns of Association Brain Training Games [Whiteboard Brain Training]

A fun activity you can enjoy any time of the year is a word-association game based on each of the 12 months.

For example, for December, you might come up with “Christmas,” “snowman,” and “New Year’s Eve.” First, list as many things as you can that you associate with that month.

That alone is plenty of fun, but if you want to add a brain-training effect, you can create another association game from each word you listed.

For instance, take “Christmas,” break it into its individual characters, and then think of words that start with each character—like a word starting with “ku,” a word starting with “ri,” and so on.

The associations you make at this stage don’t have to be related to the month at all.

Setting a required word length can increase the difficulty.

It’s a “game within a game,” offering double the fun in one go.

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SAKI

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Using the whiteboard

[Simple Brain Training] Association games are apparently good for spare moments!

Let’s try a fun association game using a whiteboard! When planning recreation for settings like day services, where there are many participants, activities that use a whiteboard are easy to follow and tend to be popular.

This association game is simple: everyone answers with things that come to mind from a given word, and you connect the ideas.

By thinking and discussing together, it also fosters communication—making it a highly recommended recreational activity.

It works well for seasonal events and can be enjoyed during small pockets of free time in everyday life.

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utatane

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Speaking of summer festivals

[Word Association Game] Speaking of summer festivals

In summer, various summer festivals are held all over Japan.

Many older adults likely went to summer festivals with family or friends in the past.

Do tasty food stalls, yukata that make you feel cool even on hot days, and fireworks lighting up the night sky make you think of summer festivals? Let’s have fun with a summer festival word association game while reminiscing about summer memories.

Some people might mention festival names like the Nebuta Festival or Awa Odori.

Talking about each festival’s unique features could also spark lively conversation.

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Nakajima Junko

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Association game while marching in place

[Brain Training Association Game] Brain exercise to prevent forgetfulness

The activity said to be most effective for activating the brain is a dual task—doing two things at the same time.

It might seem like one task would suffer when you’re thinking about or doing two things at once, but by getting used to it and handling it well, it’s said to not only stimulate the brain but also help prevent falls.

Let’s try a word-association game that lets you practice this dual task.

One task is marching in place, and the other is the association game.

I’ll give prompts like, “Name three green vegetables,” or “Name three animals from the cat family.” You can do the marching while seated, too!

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utatane

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Kanji Matching Association Game

[Related Kanji] A brain-training game where you connect related kanji like a word association game. Train your imagination to help prevent dementia and give your brain a workout.

This is a brain-training game where you connect related kanji with lines.

Write several kanji split into an upper row and a lower row.

From the kanji lined up, find ones that share a connection—like “sky” and “cloud,” or “cherry blossom” and “spring,” which relate by place or season—and connect them with lines.

The key is to choose items that are related, not identical, which makes you use your head! It might help to offer hints that make associations easier, such as “speaking of spring flowers,” and proceed while gauging the pace of the participants’ answers.

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yuri

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What is a ____ that starts with ____?

[What's a ___ that starts with ___?] A failproof, never-boring brain training activity [Whiteboard Recreation]

This is a game where you combine a given letter with a theme and come up with answers.

By setting an autumn-related theme, you can create a seasonal feel and have fun thinking of words, such as “autumn plants that start with mo” or “fruits that start with ku.” Writing the answers on a whiteboard boosts visual engagement and makes it easier to share with everyone.

It can be played individually or in teams, and the quick pace of responses creates a lively atmosphere.

When someone gets stuck, others can offer hints, and it can also prompt memories of old dining tables or scenery, naturally encouraging conversations and reminiscences among older adults as a recreational activity.

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mutō

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Association game with cards

Perfect for lunch breaks! “Association Card Game”

Prepare cards with various adjectives written on them.

For example: “white,” “black,” “soft,” “living thing,” “small,” “food,” “creature,” etc.

Draw three cards at random and have players name things that fit the combination—like “something that’s black, small, and food.” There isn’t just one correct answer, so give people time to think.

You can simply write the words on white paper with a pen, making it a very easy game to play in short free moments.

Coming up with the adjectives together is also great mental exercise!

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hiyori

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