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

ball toss (traditional Japanese beanbag/ball-throwing game)

[Day Service] Ball-Toss Battle!

Tamaire, the ball-toss game often seen at school sports festivals.

Some older adults may have taken part in sports days and played tamaire in the past.

Here’s a perfect tamaire activity for a warm April day to get the body moving.

Because it’s a familiar game, it can help older adults refresh their mood and relieve stress.

Have participants sit in chairs and place a basket in the center.

Prepare red, white, and other colored balls, and have the participants throw them into the basket.

The person who gets the most balls in the basket wins.

Throwing with the arms and shoulders also provides upper-body exercise.

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Ball Grabbing Game

[Mini Game] Ball Grabbing Game ♟️ #dayservice #recreation #elderly #nursingcare #rehabilitation #sportsrecreation #shorts

Let’s play a game where you grab balls using newspaper.

All the tools used in the game are made from newspaper.

Make the balls by crumpling newspaper into a sphere, and make the grabbing sticks out of newspaper as well.

You can create everything you need for the game using everyday materials.

Place several balls inside a circle, grab them with the stick, and put them into a basket.

If you set a time limit, the game gets more exciting.

Forming teams and competing for the best time will make it even more fun.

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Brain-training exercises that make you laugh

Brain-training exercises that spark laughter: recreational activities seniors enjoy, and health exercises.

The Nikko Kaido is a famous cherry blossom spot in Tochigi Prefecture.

Some older adults may have visited the Nikko Kaido to see the blossoms.

At the end of the Nikko Kaido is Nikko Toshogu Shrine, which is also known for the Three Wise Monkeys.

Let’s strike poses with our hands to match the Three Monkeys—see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil.

When the cues are called—see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil—use your hands to cover your eyes, ears, or mouth.

If you call out “see no evil” but then cover your ears as a trick, it livens things up.

You can also increase the difficulty by, for example, adding a single clap when “see no evil” is called.

As older adults get used to it, gradually raise the difficulty and encourage them to keep challenging themselves.

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Matching game

All you need are paper cups 😆 A matching game with paper cups ✌️ #dayservice recreation #braintraining #senioractivities #minigame #shorts #dementiaprevention

This is a game where you look at the pictures drawn on the bottoms of arranged paper cups and find and match the ones with the same picture.

By searching for matching pictures, you can train concentration, and by quickly stacking the paper cups, you can also encourage awareness of hand movements.

It’s also important to decide what kind of pictures to draw; for example, limiting them to a spring theme lets players enjoy the game visually as well.

Adding trick elements, such as pictures that look similar but are slightly different, is recommended, as it helps players focus even more on their hands.

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Hand play to go with ‘The Tortoise and the Hare’

[Brain-training Hand Game] A high-difficulty hand game that adults struggle with: 'The Hare and the Tortoise'

Let’s try a hand exercise to the children’s song ‘Usagi to Kame’ (The Hare and the Tortoise).

Because this song is familiar to many older adults, it may make it easier for them to participate.

In time with the lyrics, extend one hand forward at a time, alternating between a fist and an open hand.

When the cue ‘hantai’ (reverse) comes up in the song, switch the fist and open hand to the opposite.

It may look simple, but adding the ‘reverse’ cue makes it a bit more challenging.

Hand-play activities like this can involve many older adults, and they’re great for lively group fun.

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Goo-Paa Exercise

[Exercise for Seniors: Open-and-Close (Goo-Paa) Routine] Dr. Arai’s Rock-Paper-Scissors Exercise — Recommended for brain training, dementia prevention, and care prevention. Please use it in care settings such as day-service centers. by FUKUKURU

I think many nursing homes and welfare facilities have also incorporated the “Gu-Pa” exercise into their daily routines.

The Gu-Pa exercise is a simple routine of opening and closing the hands.

However, it is said to help activate the brain and improve blood circulation.

Since it can be done while lying down, it’s an easy exercise for many older adults to try.

You can move both hands the same way, but if you raise the difficulty by making each hand do a different motion, it also becomes a brain-training exercise.

Adding leg movements to engage the whole body further increases the exercise benefits.

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Boxercise

Care Recreation Plaza.book Vol.14 - Boxercise -

Boxercise is an exercise that incorporates boxing techniques and movements.

It’s often done standing, but with seated variations, it can be easier for older adults to participate.

Sit in a chair and throw punches with your right and left hands alternately, or throw consecutive punches with the same hand.

Of course, keep your stance with both hands clenched, elbows bent, and your fists in front of your face.

Once you get used to it, try increasing your punching speed or adding more movements.

Learning the sequences can also help stimulate the brain.

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