Simple games for preventing and improving dementia

Treasure Hunt Game

Recreation for Seniors: Super Exciting Brain Training—Beanbag Treasure Hunt Game

It’s a “treasure hunt game” where you hide a beanbag under a paper cup and guess where it is.

The rules are simple, so it seems likely that many older adults would be able to join.

Preparation is easy too—just get some paper cups and a beanbag.

Remembering which cups don’t have the beanbag helps stimulate the brain.

Lifting the cups also serves as hand and arm training.

This time it’s a game to guess the hidden beanbag, but you can enjoy it with variations.

Draw pictures, such as fruits or fish, on the bottoms of the paper cups.

You can devise games where you try to find the picture that matches a given theme from among the cups.

It’s fun to play solo, and it’s also an engaging game to compete in pairs.

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Nakajima Junko

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Flapping Paper Cups

Recreation for seniors — super easy, doable with one hand! Flapping paper cups

Here’s an activity you can do while seated: the paper-cup flapper.

All you need are a paper cup and a handheld fan (uchiwa).

Place the paper cup upside down on the table, then fan it with the uchiwa.

The cup will move, pushed by the wind.

When you move the cup to a designated spot, you’ve cleared the challenge.

Timing it and competing can make it even more exciting.

A tip for moving it well: hold the uchiwa level, pointing toward the cup, and fan as if tapping the table.

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yamamoto

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Brain-training exercises with nursery rhymes

How about this for your morning exercise? Brain-training recreation exercises to the tune of “Antagata Dokosa” [Exercise]

Exercises using nursery rhymes sound fun! Let’s move our bodies rhythmically to the melodies of nostalgic songs.

Moving your hands and feet while recalling the lyrics can also help activate the brain.

It’s recommended to start with simple movements and gradually add more complex ones.

Singing out loud while exercising might make it even more effective.

Doing the exercises together with everyone can make communication more enjoyable, too.

Including songs with a relaxed tempo can help you unwind.

It’s also appealing that you can easily enjoy this in your spare time.

Challenge in antiphonal singing

With that song everyone knows! Let's try a super fun call-and-response duet♪

How about trying alternating singing? By singing different songs in turn, you can boost your brain’s flexibility.

It might feel a bit difficult at first, but challenging yourself with new lyrics and rhythms activates your brain.

Singing also refreshes your mind, so it’s like killing two birds with one stone.

It’s wonderful that you can have fun while helping to prevent dementia.

When everyone sings together, communication deepens too.

Please give it a try with your friends—you’re sure to have a time full of smiles.