[For Seniors] Refresh Your Mood! Lively, Get-Moving Games

Hand-wrapping newspaper

Senior activity: super easy, can be done seated with both hands or one hand—newspaper roll-up. #RecreationForSeniors #Newspaper #Easy

Here’s a fun recreation activity using newspaper! The rules are simple: compete to see how fast you can roll up the newspaper using your hands.

You can make it more fun by setting different rules, like using both hands or only one hand.

Another exciting variation is to face each other and roll up the same sheet of newspaper from opposite ends to see who can roll up more.

The heated competition will get older adults watching to enjoy it together as well! This activity can be done while seated, so people who have difficulty standing or who use a wheelchair can also take part.

Palm Volleyball

Let’s try it! Recreational Sports: “Palm Volleyball”

Palm Volleyball is attracting attention as a sport that blends fitness with a competitive element.

Using a 30-gram dedicated ball, players compete to see how many consecutive passes they can make without dropping it, striking the ball with the palm rather than the fingers.

It’s a new sport that can even be played while seated.

Because the same rules apply regardless of age or gender, everyone can enjoy it together.

You can also adjust the rules to match participants’ fitness levels, making it a great recreational activity to customize and try in a way that suits your group.

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Hoshino Takashi

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Tossing beanbags toward the swaying basket

[Elderly Recreation] Throw beanbags aiming at a swinging basket #dayservice #recreation #rehabilitation

Here’s a fun game using beanbags.

You throw beanbags into a hanging basket—much like the ball-toss game often played at school sports days.

Many older adults are familiar with this type of game, so it should be easy to get into.

Like the traditional ball toss, the rules are simple, but this version gets progressively more difficult.

The more beanbags you throw, the more the hanging basket swings, making it harder to land your throws.

You’ll also need to watch the basket and time your throws, so it engages the brain as well.

When the basket fills up with beanbags, older participants are likely to feel a real sense of accomplishment.

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Nakajima Junko

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Number Game! Odd and Even

Brain Training Exercise 12: Odd and Even Exercise

This is an exercise performed while seated, moving the hands and feet in two patterns in response to cues.

In the odd-number pattern, you raise your left hand and right leg; in the even-number pattern, you raise your right hand and left leg.

Participants switch based on the cue.

Start with simple cues of “odd” and “even,” then progress to having participants determine whether a spoken number is odd or even.

Moving opposite hand and foot, and quickly identifying numbers to form the correct body shape, helps activate the brain.

It’s also recommended to add variety with simple arithmetic like addition and subtraction to increase the thinking component.

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kappamaki

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Towel relay with newspaper

2 Recreation Mini-Activities You Can Do with a Newspaper Stick and a Towel

Here are two games that use newspapers and are great for getting a large group excited.

The first is the Newspaper Towel Relay.

Have older adults sit in a circle, and use a long, rolled-up newspaper stick to pass a towel to the person next to them.

The person who receives it last should throw their hands up and shout to signal the goal.

The second is the Towel Catch Game.

The person holding the towel throws it toward a teammate, and the teammate catches it with a newspaper stick.

The thrower needs to control the strength of their throw, and the receiver needs to imagine where it will fly in order to catch it well.

Recreational activities that get lots of people involved can spark conversations between those who don’t usually interact.

Enjoy these activities that help expand your circle.

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moko

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Newspaper Dart

Today's activity: Newspaper Darts

Let me introduce Newspaper Darts.

Cut holes—circles, triangles, squares, etc.—into a large cardboard box and assign points to each.

To prevent the edges of the holes from tearing, it’s a good idea to reinforce them with vinyl tape or similar.

Roll up sheets of newspaper tightly to make long, thin sticks.

This recreation uses those newspaper sticks as darts! Compete by totaling the points of the holes you throw them into.

It’ll be exciting as a team competition, too! It’s a game that involves raising your arm and concentrating to aim for the holes—perfect as a recreation activity in senior care facilities.

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moko

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Balloon volleyball with newspaper-stick bats

Recreation for seniors / Activities during the COVID-19 pandemic / Guaranteed crowd-pleaser: Balloon volleyball using newspaper-stick paddles

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.

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kappamaki

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