[For Seniors] Easy to try. Fun, crowd-pleasing recreation
For those who use senior care facilities or day services, lively recreational activities are important, aren’t they?
In this article, we introduce activities that everyone can try together as well as ones individuals can enjoy on their own.
All of them are exciting and easy to try once you learn the simple rules.
Even games that might look difficult at first—like rock-paper-scissors relays or ball bowling—can be done while seated, so no worries.
We hope you’ll all give them a try so that recreation can help invigorate the minds and bodies of older adults.
- [For Seniors] Easy and fun seated activities you can do in your room
- [For Seniors] Simple Tabletop Games: Fun and Engaging Recreational Activities
- [For Seniors] Simple Recreational Activities You Can Enjoy While Seated
- [For Seniors] Exciting! Ball-Based Recreation
- [For Seniors] Fun Recreational Activities Without Equipment
- [For Seniors] Enjoy safely even during the COVID-19 pandemic: Seated activities
- [For Seniors] Enjoyment at Day Care: A Roundup of Games and Recreational Activities
- [For Seniors] Today’s Recommended Activity: Fun and Engaging
- [For Seniors] Guaranteed to Be a Hit! Popular Day Service Recreational Activities
- [For Seniors] Enjoyable Day Service: A Collection of Fun Event Ideas
- [For Seniors] Introducing Recreational Activities Anyone Can Enjoy at Geriatric Health Facilities!
- [For Seniors] Enjoyable Indoor Activities! Recreations and Games That Engage the Mind and Body
- [For Seniors] Exciting Team-Based Recreational Activities
[For Seniors] Easy to Try: Fun, Lively Recreational Activities (121–130)
Daruma
Daruma, known as lucky charms, are mostly made of wood and all have a smooth feel, don’t they? Among many objects that might come to mind with that same smooth texture, let’s guide people to arrive at “daruma” through how we give hints.
After they notice its unique shape—a dent within an overall round form—you can combine it with clues like “a red good-luck charm” to help them guess the answer.
Words like “draw the eyes,” “election,” and “tumble” might also serve as useful hints.
String Balloon Relay
It’s a game where you work with the person across from you to skillfully control a string you’re holding and carry a balloon to a target location.
Because you can’t move the balloon well with your own power alone, you feel a bit of frustration, but also the fun of cooperation.
If you make it like a relay where you pass the balloon to the next person, not only coordination with the person opposite you but also strategy with the person before and after you is tested, which makes the game even more engaging.
It’s a game where the spirit of cooperation is key, including how you tension and move the string.
mayonnaise
Even if seasonings differ in taste and texture depending on the type, the containers they come in are often similar.
This is a high-difficulty challenge: can you identify mayonnaise—one of those seasonings—using only the feel of its container? The main difference is the shape of the nozzle, so someone who can recognize that by touch might arrive at the right answer.
The premise of “seasoning” is already a big hint, and adding clues like flavor and color would likely help more people figure it out.
folding umbrella
A folding umbrella is something everyone knows, yet it’s surprisingly rare to actually see one up close.
With its smooth feel combined with hints of metal and plastic, you may find yourself wondering, “What is this?” Because most people don’t often touch it in its folded state, those who weren’t office workers in their younger days might struggle to come up with the answer.
If no one knows, the host can ask the group questions like, “Have you ever used one?” or “When did you use it?” to involve everyone and make it more enjoyable.
[For Seniors] Easy to Try: Fun, Crowd-Pleasing Recreational Activities (131–140)
Balloon volleyball with newspaper-stick bats
Balloon volleyball played using rolled-up newspaper sticks lets you reach farther with the tool, while also challenging more delicate control of force.
It’s also important to treat the table like a volleyball court: set up a proper net in the middle so you can enjoy the volleyball atmosphere.
The higher the net, the more it encourages players to hit the balloon upward, which naturally directs their gaze up and can help improve posture.
Rather than focusing on winning, encouraging players to keep the rally going will likely help them enjoy it for longer.
Intense Balloon Volleyball
It’s the same as balloon volleyball in that you keep the rally going without letting the balloon drop, but the only change is the number of balloons.
Since you’ll be chasing two balloons, not only your striking motion but also your concentration and dynamic vision will be tested.
A key point is that the balloons won’t necessarily be in the same place—when they fly apart, you’ll follow them with your head and gaze, so your body will likely loosen up as the game goes on.
As the number of balloons increases, the game becomes more intense and demands greater concentration, so start with a small number and gradually work your way up.
Balloon basket
Let’s enjoy basketball using balloons.
Basketball often comes up as a topic on TV and in newspapers, doesn’t it? Many older adults are probably familiar with basketball.
Have the older adults sit in a circle on chairs and try to get balloons into a hoop hanging in the center.
You can also split them into left and right sides for a team game.
Some older adults may have enjoyed playing basketball in the past.
Reminiscing about those days could make it even more exciting.
