Lovely senior life

For Seniors: Fun for Everyone! Christmas Party Activity Ideas

Care Worker Initial Training Certification ObtainedNakajima Junko
Leveraging my experience working as a care worker at a day service, I am currently active as a writer in the caregiving and welfare fields. Beyond writing, I hope to expand my work into web design and illustration. I am a mother of three who has begun studying to become a certified social worker.
Worked as a certified care worker for 17 years.Nanaka
I’ve been working as a certified care worker for 17 years. I’m Nanaka, a caregiving web writer. I decided to pursue this profession because I wanted a job that would help people. Having worked in day care for many years, I’ve experienced a wide variety of recreational activities. Exercise set to music, in particular, always created a cheerful atmosphere and was very well received. I’d be delighted to continue delivering writing that resonates with readers through caregiving-related articles. Thank you for your support.

One of the major events in December is, of course, the Christmas party.

Many nursing homes and day service centers also hold Christmas parties, don’t they?

We want older adults to smile and enjoy themselves at these gatherings.

So this time, we’re sharing ideas for performances and activities that seniors can enjoy.

We’ve gathered a variety of options, from games seniors can participate in to staff-led shows.

December is a busy time, with the year-end and New Year holidays approaching.

Please use this article as a reference when preparing for your Christmas party.

[For Seniors] Crowd-Pleasing! Christmas Party Performance Ideas (71–80)

two-person robe (Nininbaori): a comedic act where two people share one kimono-like garment, with the rear person acting as the arms for the front person

Day Service Christmas Party @ House of Laughter, Dec 2017

two-person robe (Nininbaori): a comedic act where two people share one kimono-like garment, with the rear person acting as the arms for the front person

Watch “two-person robe (Nininbaori): a comedic act where two people share one kimono-like garment, with the rear person acting as the arms for the front person” on YouTube

Both the audience members and the staff putting on the show were thrilled by the two-person pantomime! One person sits in front while the other hides under a black cloth behind them.

The back person can’t see but can move their hands freely, and the front person can see but can’t do anything—this back-and-forth had everyone bursting into laughter! You can feed snacks, try putting on makeup—there are lots of patterns to try.

Instead of just performing for them, it might be fun to have older adults take the back role too.

Don’t forget to protect clothing so it doesn’t get dirty!

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Fingerplay song ‘Ton ton ton ton Christmas’

We did the fingerplay song “Ton ton ton ton Christmas.”

Fingerplay song 'Ton ton ton ton Christmas'

You express the various Christmas motifs that appear in the lyrics using hand shapes in time with the rhythm.

It’s a classic to depict the scene of Santa coming on Christmas night.

It could also be fun to have everyone think of other motifs under the theme “Speaking of Christmas,” and arrange it by figuring out how to recreate them with hand shapes.

If you gradually increase the number of motifs to be reproduced in order and turn it into a game of remembering them accurately, you can add a brain-training effect as well.

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theater

Day Service Summer Festival & Entertainment (Short Skit): 'The Last Heisei Mito Komon'

theater

A stage play is highly recommended as an activity that many people can participate in.

Original stories are great, but choosing themes popular among seniors—like Mito Kōmon—can really liven things up.

Another key point is that the more attention you pay to details like background music and costumes, the more engaged the audience will feel.

Please keep this in mind.

If you want to create something a bit different, it can also be fun to add a musical or comedy-sketch twist.

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Concentration (Christmas Arrangement)

[Senior Recreation] Onigiri Concentration (Memory Game)

Concentration (Christmas Arrangement)

A memory game using original Christmas-themed cards is sure to be a hit as a participatory activity.

If you use a standard deck of playing cards, there are too many cards and it’s easy for people to lose focus, so it’s important to adjust the number of cards to suit the participants.

You might also assign points based on the illustrations—like Santa Claus or Christmas trees—so that skill differences don’t dominate too much and everyone can enjoy the game.

Please keep an eye on things to make sure no one ends up with neither cards nor points.

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Hoshino Takashi

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Fukuwarai (Christmas arrangement)

A lively New Year’s recreation! Deciding the Fukuwarai Lucky Maiden! [Senior Recreation, Winter Recreation, Also Usable for Day Services]

Fukuwarai (Christmas arrangement)

Arrange the well-known Fukuwarai game in a Christmas version! Line up Santa Claus’s eyebrows, eyes, nose, cheeks, mouth, and beard.

You can hold the parts while seated and toss them toward a face placed on the floor, or have one person blindfolded and arrange the parts by relying on guidance from others.

You can adapt how you play to suit different physical conditions.

Fukuwarai, which involves recalling the correct positions of facial parts, is also recommended as a training activity for people with dementia.

Why not incorporate Santa Claus Fukuwarai—a fun brain exercise—into your Christmas party event?

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