[For Seniors] Fun and Engaging Brain-Training Recreation

Onigiri Concentration

[Senior Recreation] Onigiri Concentration (Memory Game)

This is a concentration/memory game where you flip over onigiri cards and try to match the same fillings.

Since there are many cards for each filling—like “12 umeboshi” and “6 cod roe”—you have a relatively high chance of getting a match even when drawing at random, which is part of the appeal.

While it’s important to engage your memory—such as recalling where cards were—be sure to celebrate correct matches so everyone feels good and stays enthusiastic about the game.

If matching proves difficult, it’s also recommended to reveal all the cards and give players time to memorize their locations.

In the end, compare everyone’s hands and get excited about how each set of fillings came together.

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A simple activity using ohajiki (small traditional Japanese game pieces)

[Elderly Recreation] A Big Hit!? Simple Recreation Using Ohajiki (Marbles) [Traditional Games, Reminiscence Therapy, Day Service Activities, Preventive Care]

Some older adults may have played ohajiki when they were young or with their children.

Here are some simple recreational activities you can do with ohajiki.

Beyond lining them up on a table or floor and flicking one with your finger to hit another, there are many ways to play.

For example, you can play a curling-like game by flicking ohajiki onto a sheet with a circle and point values, or stack the pieces upward.

With a bit of creativity, it seems there are plenty of ways to enjoy ohajiki.

In addition to using your fingertips, these games can help improve concentration and promote communication.

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Nakajima Junko

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beanbags

The kind you often see on variety shows #shorts

Beanbags used in various games can feel subtly different depending on the fabric and the filling.

How about testing whether you can accurately identify them under such varying conditions? Because it’s something we casually use, you might find yourself picturing it but unable to recall its name.

It’s also fun to mix beanbags of different weights and textures on purpose, so the differences in feel make people hesitate over their answers.

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Beanbag Bingo

Recreation for seniors: simple brain training, exciting, can be done one-handed! Beanbag Bingo

This is a game where players alternately place beanbags on a grid, and the first to make a line of four wins.

It’s important to aim to complete a line with your own color, but you should also be mindful of blocking your opponent’s line.

Using beanbags is another key feature—the action of carrying and placing them on the grid helps develop grip strength and provides arm exercise.

The game strongly emphasizes strategic thinking, as play style varies by player, so you’ll need to adapt your strategy depending on your opponent.

By playing repeatedly, you may even discover your own surefire winning methods.

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kappamaki

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Beanbag Block

Senior recreation: Seria—Foot exercise with 100-yen shop goods, beanbag blocks #RecreationForSeniors #Seria #Fun #Interesting

Let’s train our legs while having fun with a beanbag game.

Pair up and sit facing each other.

One person throws a beanbag so that it reaches the other person’s feet.

The other person blocks the incoming beanbag with their feet.

Each chair has a designated territory around it, and the person who gets more beanbags into the opponent’s territory wins.

Because you use your feet to block the beanbags, you can train your legs while seated.

Successfully blocking will make older adults feel happy, too.

It also creates opportunities to chat with those around you, which can lead to more social interaction.

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Nakajima Junko

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fruit

What's inside the box?

Because fruit is sometimes sold as cut pieces and people tend to focus on flavor, we may not pay much attention to appearance or how it feels to the touch.

But can we tell what fruit it is just from the sensation of touching it? Since the texture varies greatly by type of fruit, the choice of which ones to use will likely affect both the accuracy rate and the reactions.

Most fruits basically feel smooth, so to introduce contrast, adding something like pineapple is recommended.

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kappamaki

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Kendama

The familiar “What’s in the box?”

The kendama’s unique shape, with the ball and handle connected by a string, seems like a promising hint.

Whether someone has handled one before, and how familiar they are with the toy, would likely affect the accuracy rate.

Since it’s hard to identify it from the feel of the wood alone, it might be better to touch and check the shape as you go.

If the shape and feel still don’t give it away, hints like “New Year,” “toy,” or playing with a ball might help some people figure it out.

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kappamaki

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