[For Seniors] Brain Training with a Whiteboard! Fill-in-the-Blank Exercises & Quizzes
There are many fun ideas for whiteboard-based recreational activities, such as word gathering games and kanji quizzes.
All of these ideas are great brain training and are recommended for older adults.
In this article, I’d like to introduce problems and quizzes that use “fill-in-the-blanks,” which are also commonly used in whiteboard activities.
We’ve prepared plenty of enjoyable questions and quizzes for seniors—like problems where you complete equations by inserting numbers into the blanks, and quizzes where you complete words by inserting the same hiragana—so please give them a try.
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[For Seniors] Brain Training Using a Whiteboard! Fill-in-the-Blank Problems & Quizzes (1–10)
Abbreviation fill-in-the-blank questions
We use a lot of abbreviations in everyday life, don’t we? And there may even be words we use without realizing they’re abbreviations.
So here’s something to introduce: an abbreviation fill-in-the-blank quiz.
As the name suggests, it asks you to fill in the original full terms behind abbreviations.
For example, if the question is “CM,” there would be 11 blanks, and the correct answer is “commercial message” (komāsharu messeeji).
In cases like this, making the blanks smaller for small kana such as “ャ” or “ッ” could serve as a helpful hint.
Let’s use playing cards to complete the equation.
Completing equations is also a classic fill-in-the-blank activity.
Most of us have tackled it at school at least once, right? That makes it familiar, but it can also feel a bit too much like studying.
To create a more fun atmosphere, it’s a good idea to use playing cards or magnets to input the numbers.
If you use playing cards, you can reduce the number of cards in advance to adjust the difficulty.
Let’s start with simple addition first!
Crossword
Crosswords are a wonderful brain-training activity you can enjoy together with seniors.
How about writing a simple puzzle on a whiteboard and brainstorming with everyone? It’s best to start small, like a 2×2 grid, and gradually make them more challenging.
Using familiar words makes it easier to join in—like, “What fruit starts with A?” That moment of “Ahh!” when the answer clicks is priceless.
Through crosswords, you may spark new discoveries and lively chats about fond memories.
[For Seniors] Brain Training with a Whiteboard! Fill-in-the-Blank Puzzles & Quizzes (11–20)
Same Letter Fill-in-the-Blank Quiz
Effective brain training! Here are ideas for a same-letter fill-in-the-blank quiz.
On the screen, words are shown in hiragana, but they have holes marked with circles.
No matter how many circles there are, complete the word by using the same hiragana for all the circles! For example, the characters “○か○ま” appear, and you’re told, “Fill the circles with the same character.” There are 20 such questions.
Each one has a 20-second time limit, but there are hints, so take your time and think it through.
You’ll feel refreshed when you find the answer!
New Year’s fill-in-the-blank quiz
If you’re looking for a whiteboard activity to enjoy in January or during the New Year holidays, why not try a New Year fill-in-the-blanks quiz? Words related to the New Year, such as “otoshidama” (New Year’s gift money) and “hatsuhinode” (the first sunrise of the year), will appear as questions.
Fill in the missing characters to complete each word.
The questions are generally presented entirely in hiragana.
Fill-in-the-blank quizzes are also effective for dementia prevention.
Enjoy a fun brain workout by solving the quiz while feeling the New Year atmosphere!
Katakana Fill-in-the-Blank Quiz
Let’s try a fill-in-the-blank katakana quiz! Words written in katakana will appear, and your task is to fill the missing characters in the squares to complete each word.
The number of squares varies by question—sometimes there are 2, other times 3 or 4—and the difficulty gradually increases.
In the video, hints appear alongside each question.
If you’re doing it on a whiteboard, consider adding extra hints when the answer doesn’t come easily.
Solve the katakana fill-in-the-blank quiz and enjoy some fun brain training!
Fill-in crossword
This is a game where you complete a crossword puzzle that already has most of its letters filled in by filling the remaining blanks.
Thinking about which letters work both across and down, and then placing them one after another, helps stimulate your brain.
The more blanks there are to fill, the higher the difficulty, so encourage players to gradually try puzzles with multiple blank patterns.
Sometimes the letters alone won’t lead you to the answer, so in those cases, it’s recommended to reveal hints about the meanings of the words that go across and down.
