[For Seniors] Exciting! A Collection of Game Ideas Using Uchiwa (Japanese Hand Fans)
Uchiwa fans are an essential item for easing the summer heat.
They’re especially familiar to older adults who have used them for many years.
These days, air conditioners and electric fans are common, so we might use uchiwa less often, but if one is nearby, you can’t help wanting to use it.
Uchiwa don’t just provide a cool breeze—they can also be used to play fun games with a few simple ideas.
This time, we’ll introduce some easy games that use uchiwa.
Besides uchiwa, these ideas use everyday items like balloons, newspaper, and plastic bottles, so if you’re a care worker looking for summer recreation ideas, please use this as a reference.
- [For Seniors] Simple Tabletop Games: Fun and Engaging Recreational Activities
- [For Seniors] From Games to Crafts: A Complete Guide to Paper Cup Recreational Activities
- [For Seniors] Simple Recreational Activities You Can Enjoy While Seated
- [For Seniors] Refresh Your Mood! Lively, Get-Moving Games
- [For Seniors] Exciting Team-Based Recreational Activities
- [For Seniors] Fun Activities That Liven Up Cool Evening Festivals and Summer Festivals
- [For Seniors] Fun! Games and Ideas to Boost Memory
- [For Seniors] Enjoy the Cold Winter! Seated Activities You Can Do
- [For Seniors] Enjoy Summer to the Fullest! Fun Summer-Only Activities Introduced
- Fun Recreational Activities for Seniors Using Newspapers!
- [For Seniors] Fun Autumn Activities: Recreation Games
- [For Seniors] Let’s Start a Fun Craft Activity
- [For Seniors] Today’s Recommended Activity: Fun and Engaging
[For Seniors] Exciting! A Collection of Game Ideas Using Uchiwa Fans (1–10)
Rolling Curling Game
Curling is a sport where you slide round stones with handles, called “stones,” across the ice.
A few years ago, curling even became a boom in Japan.
Here’s an idea for a casual game that’s like real curling.
Use a paper fan to roll toilet paper tubes and compete for points.
If you paint the toilet paper tubes or decorate them with origami paper to make them colorful, you can create a game that looks great, too.
It’s easy to make, so it seems like something you could enjoy together with older adults from the crafting stage.
Since it can be played while seated at a table, many seniors are likely to be able to participate.
A game where you take balloons out of a basket
Let’s work together as a team! Here’s a game idea where you take balloons out of a basket.
Summer often brings to mind uchiwa fans, right? This time, let’s try a unique game that uses uchiwa to lift balloons out of a basket.
You’ll need a stand or table, a deep basket, balloons, and one uchiwa per participant.
Place the basket filled with balloons on the table, and have participants sit around it.
When the signal is given, everyone chants together, “Wasshoi, wasshoi,” while fanning with their uchiwa to get the balloons out of the basket.
It could be even more fun to split into two teams and compete against each other!
target practice
A target-hitting game using uchiwa fans is recommended for older adults because it helps improve concentration.
First, prepare a garment rack, hang uchiwa fans on the hangers, and draw point values on them.
You can throw anything—beanbags, balls, even uchiwa fans.
It’s a competitive game where the player with the highest total of the points they hit wins.
Competing together also enhances communication skills.
It’s appealing because it can be enjoyed as either an individual or team match.
If you draw summery designs on the uchiwa used as targets, you can fully enjoy the season and savor a summery atmosphere.
[For Seniors] Exciting! A Collection of Game Ideas Using Fans (11–20)
Newspaper Flapping Challenge
This game uses a uchiwa, a must-have item for summer.
Hang strips of newspaper, cut into long narrow pieces, above head height.
At the starting signal, flap your uchiwa to fan them down and try to knock them all off.
You can set a 10-second time limit, or make it a team competition where the fastest team, or the team that drops the most newspaper strips, wins—there are plenty of ways to enjoy it depending on the number of participants.
You can also vary the thickness of the newspaper strips to make them harder to drop, which adds to the fun.
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.
Who is the master of the uchiwa?!
Speaking of summer, uchiwa fans are a must-have, right? They’re convenient and easy to use, and they’re cherished as items that blow away the heat.
This time, we’re introducing a recreation activity using uchiwa.
It’s a game where you use a fan to put tissues into a box! You can enjoy competing to see who can put the most tissues in.
As long as you have a fan, it’s an easy game you can play not only at day service centers but also at home.
It helps strengthen the hands and arms, and it’s great for stimulating the brain, so we highly recommend it.
Tissue removal
This is a game where you fan tissues off with a uchiwa (hand fan)! All you need is a pen that can stand upright on a desk, a uchiwa, and some tissues.
First, stand the pen on the desk and place a tissue with a hole over it.
Then use the uchiwa to fan the tissue so it lifts up, and whoever removes the tissues from all the pens the fastest wins! You can start right away with items lying around the room, so it’s great as a quick recreational activity during short breaks.
It’s a simple game, but depending on your fanning angle the tissue might not lift easily, which makes it surprisingly exciting!
