[For Seniors] Recommended Even for People with Dementia! Simple Recreational Activities
Recreation activities conducted at nursing and care facilities aim to improve brain and physical functions.
They are said to help activate the brain and can be expected to prevent dementia or slow its progression.
However, it is also important to maintain emotional well-being through feelings like “this is fun, I feel happy” and communication with others.
If people push themselves too hard for functional improvement and the things they “can’t do” become a source of stress, they won’t be able to enjoy the activities.
So this time, we’re introducing “simple recreation” ideas!
These are easy, accessible activities designed for older adults to enjoy.
Please feel free to make use of them.
- [For Seniors] Easy and fun seated activities you can do in your room
- Simple games for preventing and improving dementia
- [For Seniors] Fun Recreational Activities Without Equipment
- Recommended recreational activities for older adults with dementia
- [Brain Training for Seniors] Recommended Hand-Play Recreation for Dementia Prevention
- [For Seniors] Fun and Engaging Brain-Training Recreation
- [Elderly Day Service] Let’s all have fun! Games and recreational activities
- [For Seniors] A Collection of Fun Classic Caregiving Activities
- [For Seniors] Today’s Recommended Activity: Fun and Engaging
- Hand games that liven things up for seniors—also great brain training
- [For Seniors] Easy to try. Fun, crowd-pleasing recreation
- [For Seniors] Simple Recreational Activities You Can Enjoy While Seated
- For Seniors: Effective Recreation for Preventing Care Needs—Have Fun While Staying Healthy
[For Seniors] Recommended for People with Dementia Too! Simple Recreational Activities (81–90)
Color Card Matching Game
This is a game where you collect the specified colors from among cards painted on cardboard or construction paper and stack them in front of you.
The key point is that only the backs of the cards are colored, so encourage players to focus on the finger movements used to check colors and on remembering the placement of the cards.
The more color types and cards there are, the higher the difficulty, so once everyone gets used to it, gradually increasing the number should make it even more exciting.
It sounds fun not only with rules where individuals compete on speed, but also with cooperative rules where two people facing each other complete two sets together.
Rakugo appreciation
There must be many older adults who regularly enjoy listening to rakugo to pass the time! Listening to rakugo isn’t just a way to kill time—it can also help you relax through laughter and may even help prevent cognitive decline.
Plus, many rakugo pieces are hard to fully grasp after just one listen; hearing them multiple times can strengthen comprehension and memory.
For those who find the content difficult or struggle with older language, modern pieces like “new rakugo” or original works are recommended, as they’re easier for contemporary audiences to understand.
Give it a try—you might find yourself completely hooked.
PET-bottle bingo for dementia rehabilitation
This is a game where you insert plastic bottle caps into a dedicated stand, aiming to create a row of caps of the same color.
The stand consists of a board with rods attached, and the caps are pre-punched with holes so they can be slid onto the rods.
Players take turns inserting caps of two colors, alternating by color.
While focusing on building your own row and preventing your opponent from completing theirs, the game feels like a three-dimensional version of Five in a Row.
Although it develops thinking and decision-making skills through strategy against your opponent, you can also strengthen finger dexterity by designing the cap holes and practicing sliding the caps onto the rods.
Word association game
In an association game, you start with one word and keep coming up with related words.
The creativity and thinking involved stimulate the brain and help keep it active.
When doing this as a recreational activity, it goes smoothly if you write on a whiteboard or paper.
Don’t worry if it takes time to come up with answers—enjoy the challenge at your own pace.
Association games can be played by a large group, with everyone sharing the words they associate, or enjoyed alone with focused thinking.
Doing it with a few people also creates opportunities to interact with others and promotes communication.
fishing
While enjoying a game of “fishing,” let’s train the brain as well as the hands and arms.
It’s a great game for busy staff, and you can prepare it easily with paper cups, newspaper, and disposable chopsticks.
Draw fish, octopuses, and other sea creatures on several paper cups—the more cups you have, the more fun it becomes.
Steps like tearing newspaper and making a fishing rod with chopsticks use your fingertips, right? Since many nerves connected to the brain are concentrated in the hands, they’re sometimes called the “second brain.” Using your hands and fingers stimulates and activates the brain.
Reeling in catches also provides exercise for the hands and arms.
Be sure to try fishing with your non-dominant hand as well!
Brain-training exercises with nursery rhymes
This is a recreational activity where you move your body while singing nostalgic children’s songs.
By moving your hands and feet to the music, you can enjoyably stimulate both the brain and the body at the same time.
Recalling the lyrics and exercising to the melody can help improve cognitive function.
Doing it in a group naturally fosters communication among older adults as well.
No difficult movements are required.
What matters is joining in and having fun within your abilities.
It’s a time where you can reminisce about the past and naturally find yourself smiling.
[For Seniors] Recommended Even for People with Dementia! Simple Recreations (91–100)
Recommended for recreation! Tong catch
It’s a game where you skillfully use tongs to move ping-pong balls from a box in front of you to a basket at hand.
If you play it as a head-to-head match facing your opponent, it encourages not only precise tong control but also speed.
It might also be good to vary the shape and size of the tongs, creating a pattern where players think about how much force to apply as they move.
Because the task of moving the balls is so simple, it’s easy to tweak the tools you use.
Try coming up with variations that focus on the body parts you want to train and the way you apply force.