[Recommended for Seniors] Simple and Fun Gesture Game Prompts
Charades is a classic recreational activity that overflows with smiles.
Seniors can come up with the prompts, or you can have participants answer prompts provided by staff.
Carefully observing one another and communicating through gestures naturally brings out smiles and sparks conversation.
This time, we’re introducing easy-to-express prompts that are familiar to everyone—from “piano” and “sumo” to “radio calisthenics”—so they’re simple to act out and easy to guess.
Enjoy the delight when an answer is found and the creativity of conveying ideas, and savor a heartwarming moment together.
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Interesting gestures (1–10)
A person eating ramen
Ramen is one of the most popular foods, isn’t it? Since it’s easy to make, I imagine older adults eat it quite often, too.
It might be a bit hard to convey using gestures alone, but if you carefully show details like the thinness of the noodles and the eating motion, you can guide them to the answer.
It may also be easier to understand if you reproduce the size of the bowl.
In addition to the eating motion, adding the motion of sipping the broth makes it even clearer.
By thinking up gestures that are easy to understand, you can stimulate older adults’ brains, which can lead to revitalization of both mind and body.
gorilla
Among animals, gorillas feel relatively close to humans, so they might be easier to express through gestures.
Instead of just standing upright, they’re also often pictured moving with both hands on the ground to support their body, so conveying a bent posture could help capture that vibe.
As a signature movement, chest drumming is famous, so let’s use that chest-beating action to clearly express their strength.
It’s also important to be mindful of highlighting differences from humans and other monkeys to make it clear that it’s a gorilla.
Tug of war
Tug-of-war is a classic event at school sports days, and because it’s just a simple motion of pulling a rope, it seems easy to do.
Be sure to convey pulling hard on the rope, and at times the feeling that your team might be losing to the other side.
If you only show forcefully pulling, it might make people think of something else, like fishing, so highlighting the back-and-forth mind games with the opposing team could be key.
Focusing on the team aspect is also recommended—try including moments where you call out to and coordinate with your teammates.
karaoke
Karaoke, where you joyfully sing your favorite songs—if someone who loves karaoke takes on the gesture challenge, their movements will likely be full of passion too.
If you can convincingly mimic holding a mic and singing, many people will probably get the answer.
If you focus too much on the singing, people might imagine things like a “concert” or a “singing contest,” so adding a motion that shows entering a song number could bring them closer to “karaoke.” Conveying the fun of karaoke through gestures and building excitement for the real thing might make it even more engaging.
to call out to hear an echo
An echo—when a voice shouted into the distance faintly comes back—is a classic element in mountain-climbing scenes.
Let’s make sure people can clearly grasp that echo, even using only body movements.
Since getting the voice to come back requires calling out as loudly as possible, it’s best to show that you’re shouting by placing a hand beside your mouth and using your body to express the act of calling.
To make it even clearer, combine it with a gesture of listening intently—cupping your ear, for example—so you don’t miss the returning echo.
Ultraman
Ultraman is a hugely popular hero show that aired on television in 1966.
Many seniors today may have watched it when they were children.
It’s still so popular that it continues as a series.
There’s a move called “Shuwatch,” which is famous as Ultraman’s signature line.
Of course, you can’t produce the sound, but using gestures to convey it will make it easy to understand.
There are many other techniques as well, so demonstrating those with gestures might help lead someone to the answer.
A thief is caught by the police.
Once players get used to the game, try adding this! Here’s an idea where a thief gets caught by the police.
When participants become familiar with charades, raising the difficulty of the prompts makes it more exciting.
This time, the prompt has a storyline: “a thief getting caught by the police.” First, you’ll want to show that there are two characters—the thief and the police officer.
How to fully embody the thief will likely be the key point.
By differentiating movements and facial expressions based on the roles, it should be easier for participants to understand.