[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.
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For Seniors: Highly Effective Brain Training! A Fun Collection of Hand Games (21–30)
Ehomaki Game
Let’s turn the ehomaki we eat on Setsubun into a game.
Ehomaki are filled with lots of ingredients, right? On top of paper “nori” and “rice,” place ingredients made from long, thin strips of construction paper or fabric.
The key is to prepare colors that look like real ehomaki fillings, such as red and green.
Then, using both hands, roll it up as if you were making a real sushi roll.
When it’s finished, face the lucky direction for that year and take a big bite.
This idea of making ehomaki from paper or fabric seems like something older adults would also enjoy.
It’s a perfect game to do in February.
clothespin chain
Do you know where muscle strength in older adults starts to decline? The answer is that it begins with the fingertips.
When fingertip strength decreases, it can affect daily life—for example, making it difficult to get dressed or causing more food to be dropped while eating.
Try using clothespins to train the fingertips.
Set up a string slightly higher than the head height of a seated older adult.
Then attach clothespins to the string.
It’s a simple activity, but it provides fingertip movement training with minimal strain on the body.
It can also be done as a game while chatting with people around you.
Clap-Clap Game
This is a game where everyone tries to clap right in time with the designated person’s movements.
The designated person turns to the side, extends one hand, and then brings the other hand over to overlap it.
Everyone claps at the exact moment the hands meet.
If the hands come together too slowly, it’s hard to sync the sound, so keep a certain pace.
While you might expect a steady rhythm, the key to making the game exciting is throwing in twists—like not letting the hands meet on the final beat.
10-minute morning exercise
It’s hard to get your body moving in the morning, isn’t it? And everyone feels a bit groggy right after waking up.
At times like that, try some quick exercises to wake up your body and brain.
First, bring the fingertips of both hands together, then spin the opposing fingers in circles as if they’re playing tag.
Do this from the thumbs to the little fingers.
Next, move the muscles in your face, such as by opening your mouth wide.
Finally, use both your hands and feet for a full-body exercise.
If you’re an older adult, please prioritize safety and try these exercises while seated.
tea caddy
A hand-play activity that incorporates the song “Chatsubo,” which is often sung in childcare settings.
As you move to the light rhythm, it becomes a fun brain-training exercise.
First, make a fist with your left hand and tap the top and bottom of your left hand with your right hand.
Repeat this alternately.
Try changing the speed or reversing the order of top and bottom to challenge different movements.
If you’re comfortable with the motions, it’s also recommended to sing along while doing them.
Give this exercise a try to both support building a healthy body and liven up the atmosphere.
Under the big chestnut tree
“Under the Spreading Chestnut Tree” is a children’s song based on an English folk tune.
It is said to have been sung among Boy Scouts in the United States.
It was introduced to Japan after World War II.
On the NHK TV program “Uta no Ojisan,” Masanori Tomotake sang it with accompanying actions, which led to its popularity as a hand-play song.
Because the movements are simple, older adults can learn it quickly.
It’s a charming hand-play song that uses the hands to represent a big chestnut.
Enjoy it with a childlike spirit, as if you’ve gone back to your childhood.
Beanbag Bingo
Here’s a bingo-style game using beanbags that you can enjoy with one hand.
Prepare a sheet of paper with a 5-by-5 grid.
Take turns with your opponent placing one beanbag on a single square.
The first person to line up four beanbags in a row—vertically, horizontally, or diagonally—wins.
Beanbags are light, so there’s little risk of injury if they fall, which is a plus.
While aiming to make your own line of four, you’ll also try to block your opponent.
It’s a game that encourages focused thinking and may help stimulate the brain.
Try playing while seated in chairs with older adults, and have fun getting lively together.