[For Seniors] Refresh Your Mood! Lively, Get-Moving Games
As we get older, we tend to have fewer opportunities to be physically active.
Even in senior facilities like day services, people may end up sitting for long periods during activities like crafts.
Why not try incorporating some lively, movement-based games?
Of course, it’s fine to stay seated!
Even without strenuous movements, simply rolling your arms or marching your feet a little can loosen the body and make for good exercise.
Please be sure not to overdo it—have fun while keeping an eye on how you feel!
There are plenty of games that get everyone moving and energized.
- [For Seniors] Recreational activities and games that let you have fun while strengthening your legs
- For Seniors: Fun and Lively Exercise Recreation
- [For Seniors] Fun Recreational Activities Without Equipment
- For Seniors: Effective Recreation for Preventing Care Needs—Have Fun While Staying Healthy
- [For Seniors] Exciting Team-Based Recreational Activities
- [For Seniors] Enjoy safely even during the COVID-19 pandemic: Seated activities
- Recommended Indoor Exercises for Seniors
- [For Seniors] Easy and fun seated activities you can do in your room
- [For Seniors] Simple Recreational Activities You Can Enjoy While Seated
- [For Seniors] A Fun Sports Day! Recreational Activities You Can Do Safely
- [For Seniors] Simple Tabletop Games: Fun and Engaging Recreational Activities
- [For Seniors] Recommended Dances You Can Move To and Enjoy
- [For Seniors] Recreational Activities Enjoyable in Large Groups
[For Seniors] Refresh Your Mood! Lively, Get-Moving Games (71–80)
Keep tossing the beanbags!
Let’s take on the challenge of not knocking over the unsteady, wobbly piece of thick paper! We’ll introduce a game idea that uses beanbags you toss one after another.
Beanbags are familiar items to people in Japan, right? How about trying a game where you play using beanbags—tossing them one after another? Participants form a circle, and in the center you place a piece of thick paper or cardboard on top of a stand—then you’re ready to go! Players take turns throwing beanbags at the thick paper, aiming to land them on top.
It’s a thrilling game where the person who causes the thick paper to fall off the stand loses!
Tuna pulling
Sports days are always exciting and really lift the spirits, don’t they? Even older adults who might feel they can’t enjoy a sports day because their bodies don’t move like they did in childhood can still join in! The activity we’re introducing today is “tuna pulling,” a game you can enjoy while seated.
You wind a string around a stick to reel in a fish.
It gets even more exciting when two people compete head-to-head.
The key to winning is quick hand movements.
Using fish that are in season when you hold the sports day adds a nice seasonal touch and is highly recommended.
Bread Carrying Race
When you think of popular events at a sports day, bread-eating races come to mind, don’t they? Many seniors might recall the fun of doing bread-eating races with friends as children.
The bread-carrying race we’re introducing this time involves placing craft-made bread on a box and competing while overcoming obstacles.
It’s gentle on both body and mind for older adults, so it can be enjoyed even while seated.
It’s also great for training balance and concentration, so we highly recommend it.
Ending the event by eating bread together could add an extra bit of fun and motivate participants to try even harder.
[For Seniors] Refresh Your Mood! Exciting, Active Games (81–90)
Ping-pong ball catch
May and June, when temperatures gradually rise and it feels good to get moving, are the perfect season for exercise.
Prepare some fun activities and gently loosen up bodies that got sluggish over the winter! This time, we’re introducing “Ping-Pong Ball Catch.” Attach strips of duct tape in a grid pattern across a hula hoop, then have someone hold it with the sticky side facing up.
From a distance, throw ping-pong balls and have them catch the balls on the taped area.
Adjust the size of the hoop according to participants’ abilities so everyone can enjoy it.
It also serves as upper-limb training while you play, making it a great recommendation for recreational activities in senior care facilities.
Bell cracking
The real thrill of a sports day is everyone on the team doing their best and getting lively over wins and losses, right? This time, we’d like to introduce “Suzu-wari,” a team event that really gets the crowd going.
You’ll need two large colanders, red and white tissue paper flowers, and some balls.
Attach the red and white tissue paper to the large colanders, then face the openings of the colanders together and stick them to create a big kusudama (paper ball).
If you put small pieces of paper in various colors inside, it’ll look beautiful when it opens, like a shower of confetti.
Once you hang the kusudama, all that’s left is for the players to throw balls at it! It’s fun and also serves as training from the shoulder to the fingertips, so even those who aren’t fond of rehabilitation will be happy to participate with this activity.
Escape from the Balloon Tower
Seasonal events are very important for older adults.
Among them, the spring and autumn sports days are great opportunities to show what they can do.
This is especially recommended for seniors who enjoy physical activity.
The game we’re introducing, Escape from the Balloon Tower, involves building a tower with zip ties, placing balloons inside, and fanning them out of the tower using uchiwa (hand fans).
Four teams compete.
Because players fan with full effort, it’s a good way to strengthen the hands and arms.
You time the attempts, and the team with the fastest time wins—making it a very exciting game.
Mountain Cup
Some of you may have played golf back when you were working at a company.
Let us introduce the Mountain Cup, an activity that can bring back those memories.
As the name suggests, the course is shaped like a mountain.
Place a basket in the center, and lay plastic or cardboard boards—on which a ball can roll—over the top.
Make a hole in the center of the board, and roll the ball as you would in golf to get it into the central hole.
It’s easier to enjoy indoors than ground golf or gateball.
It’s likely to be fun for many older adults.
