[For Seniors] Recommended! Seasonal Recreational Activities
The recreational activities offered at facilities have various benefits, including invigorating the mind, body, and brain, and improving quality of life.
Because they often involve interacting with others, they also naturally encourage communication.
By incorporating a sense of the seasons into recreation, older adults can lead even more fulfilling daily lives.
So this time, we’re introducing seasonal-themed recreational activities.
For older adults who may find it difficult to sense the passage of time, seasonal recreation can help them become more aware of time.
It also allows those who have trouble going out to feel the seasons, providing positive stimulation to break up the monotony of spending most days indoors.
We hope this helps make each day more enjoyable.
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Autumn Recreation (11–20)
Autumn Word Collection Brain Training
This is a brain-training activity where participants freely write words related to the season on a whiteboard under the theme “What comes to mind when you think of autumn?” Participants say as many words as they can think of, and staff write them on the board.
Once a certain number has been collected, the board is hidden, and participants are asked to recall and say as many of the words as they remember.
This activity stimulates memory while naturally developing creativity and vocabulary.
Talking about seasonal topics helps evoke shared memories and emotions, encouraging the enjoyment of speaking and broadening conversation.
Because it focuses on enjoyment rather than right or wrong answers, it allows older adults to use their brains without strain, making it a suitable and enjoyable recreation.
Autumn Letter Rearrangement Quiz
It’s a quiz where you write scrambled letters of autumn-related words on a whiteboard and guess what the word is.
Choosing themes like seasonal foods and traditional autumn scenes makes it easier for older adults to participate.
When someone gets the right answer, there’s applause and cheers, which naturally encourages conversation.
By offering hints and thinking together, you can stimulate the brain and improve concentration.
It also sparks stories about past memories and discussions of seasonal flavors, helping deepen connections among older adults.
It’s an activity that’s easy for anyone to join and can be enjoyed repeatedly.
Persimmon Picking Game
It may look like you’re just using your hands to pick persimmons, but in fact there are points written on the back.
You can’t see the points while you’re picking, and only find out afterward—that’s what makes this “Persimmon Picking Game” fun.
Since there’s a time limit, you can enjoy deciding whether to aim for persimmons you predict will be high-scoring or to pick as many as possible.
If you yank in a hurry, the persimmons get caught on the pins, so the key is to use your fingertips to unhook them from the pins.
Because there’s an element of luck, there are fewer issues of aptitude or skill differences between players, and anyone can enjoy it.
sweet potato yokan (Japanese sweet potato jelly)
Some elderly people may prefer soft and sweet yokan, don’t you think? Yokan is a treat where, with a single bite, sweetness fills your mouth.
Let’s make imo-yokan by adding sweet potatoes to that yokan.
Peel the sweet potatoes, slice them into rounds, and boil until tender.
Mash the sweet potatoes by pressing them through a sieve, or blend them in a food processor or mixer.
Add the mashed sweet potatoes to a pot where water and agar have been brought to a boil, then transfer the mixture to a mold.
Chill in the refrigerator for about 3 hours until set.
You’ll have wonderfully soft sweet potato yokan.
Winter Recreation (21–30)
Introduction to recommended fun games and recreational activities for winter
In winter, it gets cold and we tend to go out and move our bodies less. Many older adults may end up spending more time sitting, don’t you think? When physical activity decreases, blood circulation can worsen and the intestinal environment may deteriorate. It also removes opportunities to relieve stress and can lead to a lower quality of life. Even in the cold winter, let’s help people spend time enjoyably with indoor recreational activities. With a bit of creativity, games usually enjoyed outdoors can be done indoors, too. Crafts and cooking themed around the many winter events and holidays are also recommended. Through winter-themed recreation, some people may recall memories of games they played in childhood and feel nostalgic about the past. Related articles:[For Seniors] Fun Winter Activities: Recreation and Games
Winter Recreation (1–10)
Ehomaki Catching Game
It’s a game where you catch and retrieve fake ehomaki using a frame attached to strings.
Think of it like goldfish scooping.
Because the ehomaki are round and tend to roll away, they don’t easily stay inside the frame.
So you’ll need to reel the frame in with the strings and throw your arm out repeatedly.
You can play it while seated, but it still engages your whole body and makes for good exercise.
After working up a sweat by seeing how many you can pull in within the time limit, be sure to enjoy some real ehomaki!
A game where you can get candy in the shape of an ogre’s iron club if you drop it
It says “a game where you get candy if you knock it off an ogre’s club,” but the rules are the same as ring toss.
The target, designed to look like a spiked club, has candy attached to it, and if your ring lands on the target and the candy falls off, you get to keep it.
It’s a fun idea because you enjoy the ring toss itself and there are prizes, too.
It’s also recommended as a game to enjoy with your grandchild.
You can easily make the target and rings with materials like thick paper, construction paper, origami paper, and toilet paper rolls, so be sure to make them and give it a try.
foot bath
As December arrives, the winter chill really starts to set in, and the desire to warm up grows stronger, doesn’t it? A great health practice that helps you get through the cold—and is perfect for relaxation—is a foot bath.
It’s simple: just soak your feet in warm water.
Warming your feet improves circulation and helps warm your entire body.
You can enjoy it in various ways, like taking your time while chatting, or adding bath salts to enjoy the fragrance—there are plenty of versatile options.
In conclusion
Recreation themed around the four seasons seems like something that even people who find it hard to go out or have trouble sensing the seasons can enjoy.
Since most of the activities can be enjoyed indoors, they should also be easy to participate in.
The daily lives of older adults tend to become monotonous.
Please add some zest to life with enjoyable recreational activities.