![[For Seniors] Refresh Your Mood! Lively, Get-Moving Games](https://i.ytimg.com/vi_webp/IXjMr2fB5mQ/maxresdefault.webp)
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, Active Games (1–10)
Ping-Pong SmashNEW!
In Ping-Pong Smash, instead of a net, a basket with point values written on it is placed in the center of the table tennis table.
Participants hit balls from the left and right sides of the table and try to land them in the basket.
If they miss, they can try again.
There are 15 balls in total, and the game ends once all of them have been sunk.
Let’s add up the points to determine the winner.
If you want to adjust the difficulty based on the points, it’s a good idea to change the size of the basket.
Players use rackets to hit the balls, and since it’s done standing, it also provides a full-body workout.
Balloon BaseballNEW!
It’s a game where you stick score sheets on baskets and hit balloons into them! Since older adults can simply swing a bat while seated, it’s a baseball game anyone can enjoy.
Place the balloons you’ll use as balls on a stand, like a cardboard box, so they’re at just the right height for someone sitting.
Give each person three swings to hit the balloons and compete for the total score.
Choose a lightweight bat, such as a plastic one.
It might be fun to make one of the baskets a “home run” for extra excitement.
Baton relayNEW!
Participants sit on chairs arranged in a circle facing outward.
Make sure the teams are split exactly halfway around the circle.
Prepare two long strings, and have the first and last person on each team hold the ends.
At the starting signal, begin threading batons onto the string one after another.
The team that finishes threading the specified number first wins! If the string sags, the batons will get caught, so everyone should work together.
Wrapping tape around both ends of the string makes it easier to thread the batons.
giant ball rollingNEW!
When you hear “giant ball rolling,” you might picture pairs running while rolling a big ball, but you can actually enjoy it while seated! Divide participants into two teams and line up as many chairs as there are people in each team in a single row.
Make sure the rows of chairs face each other.
At the start signal, roll the giant ball sideways from the first person down the line to the anchor.
The team that delivers the giant ball to their anchor first wins! Be careful about the direction you roll so the ball doesn’t drift away, and pass it to the next person properly.
ground golfNEW!
Ground golf is an easy-to-play activity in parks and plazas that doesn’t require a dedicated course; with just a club, a ball, and a post, anyone can enjoy it.
The rules are simple: you compete on the number of strokes it takes to get the ball into the post.
Since you don’t loft the ball into the air like in golf, it seems safe for seniors to enjoy as well.
It’s similar to gateball, but ground golf is an individual game rather than a team sport.
It also appears to be popular because its rules are simpler than those of gateball.
starting relayNEW!
It’s a rehab-oriented game where participants repeatedly perform the action of standing up from a chair and pass it along to the next person like a relay.
By dividing into teams and competing to be faster than the other side, participants become more aware of their standing-up speed.
However, if they focus too much on speed, they might try to stand up with too much momentum, which could put strain on the body, so care is needed in that regard.
Let’s aim not only to make it a fun game, but also to improve the body by maintaining proper posture and paying attention to how force is applied.
Uchiwa Wasshoi GameNEW!
It’s a game where you fan with uchiwa fans to blow the balloons out of a basket.
Participants each hold a fan and form a circle, placing a basket with balloons in the center.
The game is played in teams, so please prepare several teams in advance.
When the start signal is given, everyone fans air toward the basket, and the first team to get all the balloons out of the basket wins! Be sure to choose a basket with gaps on the sides.
Also, since it’s hard to send air when the basket is on the floor, set it on a stand at about hand height for the participants.