Hand games that liven things up for seniors—also great brain training
Hand-based activities are a fun and effective way for older adults to stimulate the brain.
Even simple hand games can stimulate the brain by moving the fingertips, helping to maintain or improve cognitive function.
In addition, doing them to music or together with others naturally brings more smiles and increases opportunities for communication.
In this article, we introduce hand games that are easy for seniors to enjoy without strain and also work as brain training.
Incorporate easy activities into your routine to maintain your health while having fun!
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[For Seniors] Fun Hand Games That Liven Things Up and Train the Brain (51–60)
balance bar
Have you ever played by balancing a broom on your palm when you were a student? You probably tried to keep it from falling by maintaining its balance.
In fact, balancing something on your palm is said to be effective brain training.
It helps develop your ability to predict the movement of the object and respond appropriately by moving to maintain balance.
Here’s a safer and easier method using a toilet paper roll and a uchiwa (hand fan).
The steps are simple: stand the toilet paper roll upright on the fan and carry it to a target location without letting it fall.
It can be turned into a tabletop game, and since the rules aren’t complicated, many older adults might be willing to give it a try.
Clothespin scooping
Let’s try a goldfish-scooping style game you see at fairs, using a fan (uchiwa) and clothespins.
Place clothespins on a table, prepare a paper cup or basket, and use the fan to scoop and drop the clothespins into the container.
It looks simple, but it seems to take some skill to scoop the clothespins with a fan.
Since you use your hands, it can also serve as a bit of training.
You can focus and play alone, or play head-to-head with two people and compete for the fastest time to scoop up all the clothespins.
Paper Cup Sumo
There’s a game called paper sumo, where you play with paper wrestlers.
Some older adults may have played it at least once.
Using paper cups and a fan, you can try a different version.
Divide the tabletop in half to set territories, and place paper cups as the wrestlers.
The wrestlers move using the force of air when you flap the fan.
Since it’s sumo, if a wrestler falls off the tabletop ring, they lose.
Flapping the fan back and forth will surely liven up the recreation.
It’s a game where you can almost hear the chant, “Nokotta, nokotta!”
Proverb Match
Let me introduce a proverb matching game that stimulates your vocabulary while having fun.
First, prepare 20–30 proverbs and write the first half and second half on separate cards.
Lay the cards out randomly on a table and look for pairs that form complete proverbs by matching the first halves with the second halves.
Because it uses familiar Japanese proverbs, it encourages you to revisit your memory, rediscover culture and general knowledge, and activate cognitive functions.
The sense of achievement when you find the correct pair can also boost self-esteem! It will be even more exciting if you split into teams or pairs and work together.
Please give it a try.
[For Seniors] Fun Hand Games That Liven Things Up and Train the Brain (61–70)
Momotaro Card Game
Let me introduce a Momotaro-themed card game based on the Japanese folktale “Momotaro.” Prepare a total of 63 cards: nine each of Momotaro, Monkey, Pheasant, Dog, Red Ogre, Blue Ogre, and Green Ogre.
Place all cards face down, and each player draws three cards to start.
The rule is that the first person to complete one of the following three patterns wins: three of the same picture; the trio of Dog, Monkey, and Pheasant; or three ogres of different colors.
On your turn, return one of your cards face down to the table and draw a different card, working toward completing your chosen set.
The charm of this game is in devising strategies for which set to complete and remembering where others have returned their cards—you’ll have your brain running at full power while having fun! Give it a try!
Mackerel and Spanish mackerel: a game where you only take the cards with the same kanji
If you want to train your visual discrimination, try this! Here’s a game where you only grab cards with the same kanji.
First, write two similar-looking kanji—such as 鯖 and 鰆—on cards, making sure each one appears the same number of times.
When the game begins, one person quickly gathers all the mackerel (saba) cards, while the other quickly gathers all the Spanish mackerel (sawara) cards.
The player who gathers all of their cards first wins.
Because you have to instantly tell apart similar shapes, it naturally boosts fine visual recognition, and it also seems to improve concentration and decision-making.
It’s fun to include a variety of kanji, symbols, or pictures, too.
Give it a try for inspiration!
Onigiri Game
Let us introduce the “Onigiri Game,” a fun way to rehabilitate from fingers to arms.
Connect a stick and a plate with a string, placing the stick on your near side and the plate on the opposite side.
Set the rice balls (onigiri) on the plate to start.
Participants use their hands to turn the stick and wind up the string.
The plate will gradually be pulled closer, but don’t let the onigiri fall.
Wind steadily—neither too fast nor too slow—while watching out for obstacles.
The player with more onigiri at the end wins.
You can enjoy it repeatedly by adding more obstacles on the table or making the onigiri lighter, and so on.
