[For Seniors] Brain Training Recommended for Dementia Prevention

Flag-raising game

Day Service Center Ranpuen Flag-Raising Game

This is a game where you move red and white flags in your hands up and down according to given instructions.

Your ability to listen carefully and then move—distinguishing between commands like “raise” vs.

“don’t raise” and “lower” vs.

“don’t lower”—is put to the test.

Once you get used to it, it’s recommended to gradually increase the speed of the instructions.

By requiring quicker decisions, you can further stimulate the brain.

To help players focus on listening and moving, it’s also a good idea to make the flags easier to hold—for example, by forming them into rings.

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kappamaki

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Cognicise with a calendar

[Brain Training Exercises] Calendar Cognicise: A Slightly Unusual Health Exercise for Seniors

This is a “cognicise” routine tailored to the number of days in each month.

From January to December, some months have 30 days and others 31.

Sit in a chair and march your feet, adjusting the exercise to match the number of days in each month.

For months that do not have 31 days, like January or February, add hand claps; conversely, for months that do have 31 days, like March or May, add hand claps.

July and August both have 31 days in a row, so that’s an easy place to make mistakes.

Try writing the number of days for all 12 months on a whiteboard or on chairs in advance to help.

Once you get used to it, add more movements to increase the level.

Enjoy the exercise while having fun!

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Nakajima Junko

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Finger training with clothespins

Grow your hair with clothespins! Finger training — Today’s brain training, care prevention, and dementia prevention

This activity uses clothespins to build fingertip strength and pinching motions.

You stick a large illustration onto cardboard and then attach clothespins to the illustration as if they were hair.

It’s fun because children can move their fingers while thinking about what kind of hairstyle to create.

When connecting clothespins to each other rather than just attaching them to the illustration, they need to carefully consider where to clip them, which also engages the brain.

While clothespins are commonly operated with the thumb and index finger, intentionally trying different fingers can help train finger strength more evenly.

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kappamaki

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clothespin chain

[Senior Recreation] Clothespin Chain!

Do you know where muscle strength in older adults starts to decline? The answer is that it begins with the fingertips.

When fingertip strength decreases, it can affect daily life—for example, making it difficult to get dressed or causing more food to be dropped while eating.

Try using clothespins to train the fingertips.

Set up a string slightly higher than the head height of a seated older adult.

Then attach clothespins to the string.

It’s a simple activity, but it provides fingertip movement training with minimal strain on the body.

It can also be done as a game while chatting with people around you.

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Nakajima Junko

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Take as many clothespins as you like

At-home Indoor Recreation for Seniors (Day Service/Nursing Home): Unlimited Clothespin Grab Using Clothespins and a Spoon

Let me introduce a recreation activity you can do using only items you already have at home: the Clothespin Scoop.

All you need are clothespins, spoons, and a container to put the clothespins in.

You can use a bowl as a substitute for the container.

Place the clothespins on a table and hold a spoon in each hand.

Using only the spoons, transfer the clothespins into the container.

It’s fine to use both hands.

It may look simple, but using both hands simultaneously increases stimulation to the brain, turning it into enjoyable brain training.

You can also do it on the floor instead of the table to change the working height; doing it in a squat adds balance training and lower-body exercise at the same time.

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kojifumi

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Kanji Search: Let’s find the character ‘田’

Kanji search game: 由 and 田; word search; spot the differences; mini-games; brain and eye exercises; Find the Japanese kanji

Let’s look for the kanji 田 among the many 由 characters lined up.

There are four 田 characters in total.

Checking each character one by one is good for training your concentration, but if you take a bird’s-eye view of the whole, it becomes easier to find characters that are hard to see.

Also, as the title suggests, this is an exercise for your eyes and brain, so it’s important to keep a flexible mindset.

It’s fine to do it on your own, but competing to see who can find them fastest with multiple people could make it more exciting.

It’s also recommended as a quick recreational activity in senior care facilities.

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kojifumi

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Kanji hunt: Let’s find the character ‘士’

Kanji search game: 士 and 土. Word search, spot-the-difference, mini games, brain and eye exercises. Find the Japanese kanji.

Let’s find four instances of the character 士 among regularly arranged 土 characters.

Checking each character one by one helps train concentration, but it’s also important to take a bird’s-eye view of the whole.

As the title suggests, this is an exercise for your eyes and brain, so shake off fixed ideas and keep a flexible mindset.

There are many ways to enjoy it: do it individually or compete in teams to see who can find them the fastest.

It’s also recommended as a recreation activity in senior care facilities, so give it a try!

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kojifumi

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