[For Seniors] Liven Up Cherry-Blossom Viewing! Fun Games and Recreational Activities

Song Puzzle

How to Play the Song Puzzle [NGK Seisakusho] “Hana” / composed by Rentarō Taki (from the Singing Brain Training Rec Set: Nostalgic Songs Vol. 1)

It’s a fun game that also works as brain exercise.

Write the lyrics of a song everyone is likely to know on a slightly larger sheet of paper.

It’s easier to understand if you write the lyrics in paragraph form.

Then cut the lyrics apart line by line, and the puzzle is ready.

The solver arranges the lines so the lyrics are in the correct order.

The fun part is seeing whether they can arrange them well enough that the verses don’t get mixed up—like keeping verse one and verse two separate.

Capsule Korokoro

This gets everyone super hyped ⬆️ The capsule rolls around~ 🤣 #seniorActivities #brainTraining #miniGame #shorts #dayService

You’ve probably seen capsule toy machines filled with toys and merchandise at arcades or supermarkets.

Let’s use those round capsules to play a lively game.

Attach a stick to an empty tissue box and use it to roll a capsule across a table.

The goal is to land the capsule in a target without letting it fall off the table.

To make the game even more fun, create gaps between the targets.

Placing the capsule without dropping it into the gaps is a great way for older adults to show their skill.

Cheering on the players and calling out to them can spark interaction with the people around them, too.

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Nakajima Junko

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Brain-activating voice recreation

Voice training! Simple! Activate your brain! Let’s raise our voices together with Gobou Sensei!

It’s a game where you name a color and then say what that color makes you think of.

First, decide in advance what you’ll associate with each color.

For example, when someone says “red,” you answer “plum blossom,” and when they say “white,” you answer “rice cake.” Start by saying these out loud several times.

Once you get used to it, add a reverse version: when someone says “rice cake,” you answer “white.” After you’re comfortable with that exchange, try increasing the number of color associations—like adding blue, yellow, and so on.

Even as it gets harder, the thinking involved is good brain training.

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utatane

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Grab-and-win game

Grab-and-Pick Game: Perfect for indoor activities in childcare! (For ages 3–5)

A grab-and-go game gives you that great bargain feeling and gets your heart racing, doesn’t it? Let’s enjoy that excitement at a festival as a game! Put your hand into a box filled with small treats and compete to see how many you can take in one go.

You can’t try again, and anything that falls before it’s bagged or brought to the designated spot doesn’t count.

Prizes can be anything, so prepare items that are easy to grab.

If using your hands is difficult, it’s fine to scoop with a ladle or similar utensil instead!

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sasashina

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Cherry Blossom Photo Contest

2019 Sakura Photo Contest New Edition

Let’s hold a “Cherry Blossom Photo Contest” together in search of beautiful cherry blossom scenery.

You don’t need a fancy camera—your smartphone camera, an old digital camera, or even a disposable film camera will do.

As long as you can take photos, anything is fine.

Afterward, you can enjoy displaying the photos in the facility hall, renting a community center for a presentation, and more fun activities.

Parachute Game

Parachute game 🪂 #recreation #olderadults #dayservice #preventivecare #games #elderlycare

A parachute gently descending through the sky.

Here’s a game that lets you play by dropping a plastic bag like a parachute.

Clip a few clothespins onto the open end of a plastic bag.

The clothespins act as weights to make the lightweight bag easier to throw.

Using a ring toss target as the landing spot works well.

Since neither the plastic bag nor the clothespins feel heavy, it seems safe for older adults too.

Also, throwing provides arm training, and aiming at a target helps improve concentration.

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Nakajima Junko

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Draw a picture of a flower

How to Draw a Pansy Flower: Painting Pansies (Violas) with Water-Soluble Colored Pencils

You never sense any hesitation in children’s drawings, especially those done in crayon.

As we become adults, countless subconscious guardrails go up in our minds—things like “I don’t want to mess up,” or “Maybe this composition isn’t quite right.” Spring is the season of beautiful flowers.

Why not return to a childlike spirit and draw flowers however you like? Bold people, reserved people, sensitive people—your personality comes through strongly in your drawings.

I hope you can forget about being good or bad and simply enjoy making art.