Hand games that liven things up for seniors—also great brain training

Beanbag Tower

Senior recreation! Everyone’s hooked! Beanbag tower!! #shorts #seniorRecreation #dayService #recreation #heartwarming #hilarious #beanbag

Many older adults may have played with beanbags when they were young.

Some may have also played beanbag games with their own children or grandchildren.

Here’s a game that uses those beanbags to build a tower.

The rules are simple: compete to see how many beanbags you can stack on top of an upside-down paper cup.

By holding and stacking the beanbags, you can expect to improve or maintain fine motor balance and concentration.

You can focus and play on your own, or make it a team competition for extra excitement.

If you like, please give it a try.

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Nakajima Junko

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Chopstick Ball-Carrying Game

[100-yen Brain Training] ADL training for eating: “Using chopsticks” movements

Here’s an introduction to a fingertip game where you use chopsticks to pick up and carry small items.

Games that involve fine finger movements can help stimulate the brain.

They’re also useful for training movements needed in daily life.

What you’ll need is an ice tray for making ice—one that makes small cubes is recommended.

Prepare some craft pom-poms (also called “pompoms”) and a pair of disposable wooden chopsticks.

You can get everything you need at a 100-yen shop, so preparation is easy.

Starting from one end of the ice tray, use the chopsticks to pick up the pom-poms and place them into the compartments.

This action helps train eating-related movements.

Since it’s a seated game, it’s likely to be easy for older adults to try.

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Nakajima Junko

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Kendama

The familiar “What’s in the box?”

The kendama’s unique shape, with the ball and handle connected by a string, seems like a promising hint.

Whether someone has handled one before, and how familiar they are with the toy, would likely affect the accuracy rate.

Since it’s hard to identify it from the feel of the wood alone, it might be better to touch and check the shape as you go.

If the shape and feel still don’t give it away, hints like “New Year,” “toy,” or playing with a ball might help some people figure it out.

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kappamaki

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Daruma

[Elderly Care] Senior Recreation! “What’s in the Box?” and “Pull Without Dropping”

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.

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kappamaki

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Daruma Stacking Game

[Mini-Game] Exciting 🎮 Daruma Stacking Game 🕹 #shorts #dayservice #minigame #recreation #care #elderly #rehabilitation

Let me introduce the “Daruma Stacking Game,” a game that trains finger dexterity, quickness, and concentration.

Prepare paper cups with daruma drawings, and compete to see how many tiers you can stack within 40 seconds.

You can stack them however you like, but because speed and caution are both required, it demands not only concentration but also creativity.

Additionally, the quick hand movements used to grasp the cups are similar to the reflex of grabbing onto something when you’re about to fall, so it may help prevent falls.

It’s also recommended as a recreation activity for senior care facilities.

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kojifumi

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stuffed animal

What's inside the box? #shorts

Plush toys with all sorts of textures—fluffy, silky, and puffy.

They usually look cute, but when you can’t see them, those textures can be tricky.

Not only are they soft; with pointy parts or thin sections, it’s hard to picture their exact shape.

Since there are plushies of many different characters, you could even turn it into a guessing game to figure out which one it is.

It’s easy to prepare and safe to do, so I recommend it.

Give it a try!

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kojifumi

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Makimaki Apple Game

Let's do this for tomorrow's recreation! It gets everyone excited at the day service! The Maki-Maki Rinko Game 🍎 #dayservice #elderly #elderlyrecreation #seniors #recreation #caregiving #preventivecare #braintraining #dementiaprevention #dementia #shorts

Let me introduce a recreation activity that makes great use of the hands and wrists: the Rolling Apple Game.

Attach a stick to a sheet of paper with tape, and place an apple on the paper.

Your goal is to bring the apple to your feet using only the motion of winding the stick—pulling is not allowed, so the winding action is key.

You need to use your fingertips and wrists, and if you wind too fast the apple will fall off, so you must decide whether to prioritize speed or focus on keeping the apple from falling.

Watching the apple make its way toward you is fun in itself, so spectators can’t help but cheer.

It’s enjoyable while also training the fingers and hands, making it a great recommendation for recreational activities in senior facilities.

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kojifumi

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