[For Seniors] Extremely Effective Brain Training! A Fun Collection of Hand Games
As a form of recreation for older adults, many facilities incorporate hand games that involve moving the fingers and arms.
It’s said that making fine movements with the fingertips or performing different motions with the right and left arms helps activate the brain.
In this article, we’ll introduce a variety of hand games that also serve as brain training.
These hand games range widely—from activities that only move the fingertips to ones that use the arms, and even the upper body and legs.
Please choose activities that match participants’ physical condition.
- [For Seniors] Hand and finger play roundup: Finger exercises that lead to brain training
- [For Seniors] Simple Recreational Activities You Can Enjoy While Seated
- [For Seniors] Enjoyable Brain Training! Finger Exercises That Help Prevent Dementia
- Hand games that liven things up for seniors—also great brain training
- [For Seniors] Fun and Engaging Brain-Training Recreation
- [Brain Training for Seniors] Recommended Hand-Play Recreation for Dementia Prevention
- [For Seniors] Fun Recreational Activities Without Equipment
- [For Seniors] Today’s Recommended Activity: Fun and Engaging
- [For Seniors] Popular Hand-Play Songs: Fun Brain-Training Ideas
- [For Seniors] Recommended Easy Strength Training
- [For Seniors] Easy and fun seated activities you can do in your room
- [For Seniors] Fun! Games and Ideas to Boost Memory
- Recreation Activities Effective for Long-Term Care Prevention for Seniors
[For Seniors] Highly Effective Brain Training! Fun Hand-Play Collection (131–140)
Color-Coded Singing Game
It’s a game where everyone claps to the rhythm while singing, with an added element of judging your own color.
Each person wears a band of their assigned color on their wrist.
When your color is called, you keep clapping; when it isn’t, you stop clapping.
You keep singing even if you stop clapping, and when no color is specified, everyone claps—so it really tests each person’s judgment.
Once everyone gets used to the rules, try speeding up the song to make players decide more quickly whether they should keep clapping.
battery
Batteries, which are used to power various tools, come in different shapes depending on the type of tool, right? This is about whether you can accurately identify those many types of batteries by touch alone.
The difficulty will likely vary a lot depending on whether you choose commonly seen batteries as the theme or pick ones that are rarely used.
It might also work to arrange various kinds of batteries inside a box so that the broad answer of “a battery” can be reached.
The large number of types serves both as a hint and as a source of confusion.
the temple’s head monk
“Otera no Oshō-san” is also well known as a children’s song sung during rock-paper-scissors play.
It’s said that various lyrics have been given to it depending on the region and era.
Many older adults likely played this hand-game song when they were young.
It may bring back nostalgic childhood memories for some! This hand-play song is done in pairs: you hold hands and play rock-paper-scissors as well.
Because it involves many finger and hand movements, it provides good stimulation for the brain.
Be sure to enjoy it while communicating with each other.
beanbags
This is an exercise that uses otedama, a traditional Japanese juggling toy.
In addition to finger movements, actions like throwing and catching the otedama help train the brain.
It’s recommended to loosen your shoulders and arms before exercising with the otedama.
After rolling the otedama around your neck and thighs, continue by circling it around your head, waist, and feet in that order.
Once your whole body is relaxed, try an advanced variation like throwing the otedama while playing rock-paper-scissors.
It’s a workout that warms your body and also serves as brain training.
Seagull Sailor
A rhythm exercise themed on the 1937 children’s song “Kamome no Suiei-san” (The Seagull Sailor).
It was included in postwar textbooks and became popular in the Showa era, so many older adults may be familiar with it.
Move the fingers of your hand in sequence to the lively rhythm of the music.
Once you’re used to starting with the thumb, add a challenge by starting with the little finger instead.
You can also incorporate movements that raise and lower the feet or move them side to side.
Moving your hands and feet to the cheerful melody makes this an exercise that helps train the brain.
Rock-Paper-Scissors Exercise
This is an exercise that incorporates the hand motions used in rock-paper-scissors (goo, choki, paa).
Try a rhythmic workout that makes use of hand movements everyone knows.
First, move both hands side to side using the same hand shape.
Once you get used to it, repeat rock, scissors, and paper in random order.
As an advanced variation, try using different movements for the right and left hands.
It could also be fun to move your hands to background music like enka, kayōkyoku, or pop.
Why not try this easy, seated brain-training activity?
butterfly
Here’s an easy “butterfly” craft you can prepare quickly with just a few simple steps.
First, prepare three sheets of origami paper: two for the wings and one for the body.
On the two sheets for the wings, draw lines freely with colored pencils.
This will make the finished piece much more vibrant.
After drawing the lines, fold the origami paper into an accordion, then fold it into a V shape.
Next, cut the remaining sheet into the shape of a butterfly’s body.
Attach the wings to the body symmetrically, and you’re done.
If you make butterflies in various colors and display them, they can become a fantastical wall decoration.
Because this craft uses fine motor skills, it also provides good stimulation for the brain and is recommended as a recreational activity in senior facilities.
