[For Seniors] Fun and Engaging Brain-Training Recreation

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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Foot Beanbag Bingo

Beanbag Toss Bingo #Recreation #DayService #Seniors

One activity option for events and parties is a bingo game.

Many older adults are already familiar with bingo, aren’t they? While bingo is usually played on paper, this time we’ll introduce a version that uses the feet and beanbags.

Prepare nine paper plates or cups, and have the older adults use their feet to toss beanbags into them.

Use colored tape to group the plates or cups by color, and change the score based on where the beanbag lands.

For example, award 20 points if the beanbag lands in a plate or cup of the same color, and 10 points if it’s a different color.

Because they lift their legs to toss the beanbags, older adults can enjoy the game while also training their legs.

Three-letter shiritori

Recreation for Seniors – Super Easy! Three-Letter Shiritori on a Whiteboard

What’s the very first game you remember learning as a child? Tag, rock-paper-scissors, and of course some might say shiritori.

Let’s spice things up with a twist—not just regular shiritori, but “three-letter shiritori.” Writing answers on a whiteboard takes a bit more time, but seeing each person’s handwriting and simple doodles can spark all kinds of conversation.

Plus, using your hands makes it a nice brain workout.

If you have a whiteboard, you can also enjoy illustrated shiritori just as it is.

AIUEO Puzzle

Whiteboard Game Part 4: Day Service, Elderly, Recreation, Caregiving, Indoor Activities

“Though the blossoms are fragrant, they soon will fall—who in this world can claim to be unchanging? Ui no…” Yes, that’s the famous Iroha poem.

Isn’t it almost a miracle that such a beautiful poem could be composed using each of the 50 kana exactly once, with no repetition? Records say it was created around the 10th century, but the author is unknown.

Still, they must have been remarkably brilliant.

Let’s spend some fun time with a similar game, the “50-syllable elimination game.” Write the 50 kana on a whiteboard and make as many words as you can.

Each time you use a hiragana character, erase it.

The goal is to use all 50 characters.

I’ve heard that few people manage to complete it, so join forces and aim for the goal together!

Making words with the a-row and ka-row

Recreation and simple brain training for seniors! Create words on a whiteboard using the A row or K row (Japanese syllables).

Games like “how many words can you make using each hiragana from the 50-sound chart exactly once” or “how many words can you list that start with a” are examples of brain-training games that involve making words from hiragana.

The rules are simple: using the ten hiragana from the A and KA rows, see how many words you can create.

For example, ai → 愛 (love), ike → 池 (pond), uo → 魚 (fish)… you can probably come up with a lot.

You can also switch to other rows, like KA and SA, and enjoy it that way too—in other words, it’s a game you can enjoy endlessly.

To avoid duplicates, please write your answers on a whiteboard!

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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Othello

Brain workout with Othello! #nursinghome #cognitiverehab #Othello #focus #attention #shorts

Move the Othello discs with your hands and keep those fingers active.

Othello has simple rules, so many older adults are probably familiar with it.

Through the game, you’ll pick up the discs with your fingers and move them around.

Just moving your fingertips alone can help stimulate the brain.

But Othello isn’t only about finger movement, is it? You also think things like, “What will happen if I place it there?” or “How can I prevent them from taking the corner?” You take on the game while thinking.

Advancing the game while considering your opponent is said to be good brain training as well.

With seated Othello, many seniors can engage in it and have fun at the same time.

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