[For Seniors] Have Fun! A Collection of Group Game Recreation Ideas
A nursing care facility that many people use every day.
In many places, you can hear lively chatter wherever you go, every single day.
Now, when it comes to daily life in such a facility, it would be great to create moments where everyone present can spend enjoyable time together.
In this article, we’ve put together ideas for group games that we’d love for older adults to try.
We’ve included everything from activities that get the body moving to recreations that also work as brain training.
Be sure to read to the end and find ideas you can put to use!
- [For Seniors] Simple Recreational Activities You Can Enjoy While Seated
- [For Seniors] Refresh Your Mood! Lively, Get-Moving Games
- [For Seniors] Exciting Team-Based Recreational Activities
- [For Seniors] Enjoyment at Day Care: A Roundup of Games and Recreational Activities
- [For Seniors] Fun and Engaging Brain-Training Recreation
- [For Senior Care Facilities] Fun Bingo Game Ideas That Also Work as Brain Training
- [For Seniors] Guaranteed to Be a Hit! Popular Day Service Recreational Activities
- [For Seniors] Lively Wordplay Game: Fun Recreation for Elderly Care
- [For Seniors] Fun! Games and Ideas to Boost Memory
- [For Seniors] Simple Tabletop Games: Fun and Engaging Recreational Activities
- Hand games that liven things up for seniors—also great brain training
- [For Seniors] Fun Small-Group Recreation
- [For Seniors] Enjoy safely even during the COVID-19 pandemic: Seated activities
[For Seniors] Have Fun! A Collection of Group Game Recreation Ideas (1–10)
Juggling Catch with a Bucket
“Bucket Beanbag Catch,” where you catch flying beanbags with a bucket! Sit in chairs either side-by-side or in a circle, and use the bucket in your hands to catch the incoming beanbags.
If you pass the bucket along in a relay, you can perform two actions at once—receiving the bucket and catching the beanbag—providing even better stimulation for both brain and body.
Try varying the speed, playing music while you do it, and adding other creative twists.
Pikagororek
The “Pika-Goro Rec” game: after the cue that follows “Pika-pika ~ Goro-goro ~,” which is “Dokan!”, the player with the finger inside quickly pulls it out! Pair up in twos.
One person makes a tube with their hand, and the other inserts their index finger into the tube.
At the shout of “Dokan!”, the person making the tube tries to grab, while the person with the finger tries to pull it out before getting caught.
If you pause before the cue or slip in different words to fake people out, it gets even more exciting! Once you get used to it, try playing in a circle with three or more people: make a tube with one hand, raise your index finger with the other, and insert your finger into the neighboring person’s hand-tube.
Rich Man game
The “Tycoon Game,” where you compete for the total score of the squares where the ball stops, combines ball-throwing exercise with brain training for calculating points! Spread sheets of paper with numbers and instructions written in a grid on the floor, and take turns throwing a ball toward the squares.
You receive cards equal to the number on the square, and the person with the most cards at the end becomes the Tycoon! Including squares like “All forfeited” or “Points doubled” will make it even more exciting for sure! You could also ask questions like, “If you add this number to the cards you’re holding now, how many will you have?” and proceed while calculating together.
[For Seniors] Have Fun! A Collection of Group Game Recreation Ideas (11–20)
Delivery Game
The “Delivery Game,” where everyone works together to carry gifts! Split into teams and sit in a line.
Starting from the person at the front, pass the gift to the person next to you.
The last person in line places the received gift into a box.
Once all the gifts are in the box, the person at the front pulls in the box using the string attached to it, bringing it to their hands.
The team that rings the bell inside the box first wins.
It’s a fun, fully cooperative game that combines various actions: receiving and passing, then pulling in the box!
Beanbag game
It’s a game where you toss beanbags toward a board placed at a distance and try to see how many you can stack on it.
The board is set on a base like a stack of empty cans, so you need to balance the beanbags as you place them—your control is tested, too.
If you make it a head-to-head format to see who can keep throwing without collapsing the setup, it adds a mind game of predicting where the opponent will throw, which should heighten concentration.
Let’s adjust the sturdiness of the base to suit the participants and proceed with rules that many people can enjoy.
Block rotation
It’s a game where you thread rods through the holes of a Styrofoam block and pass it to the next person without dropping the block.
You need to adjust the height of the rods on the left and right to keep the block stable, so it really tests your ability to focus with both arms.
From here, it’s recommended to level up by placing a paper cup on the block, challenging players to further improve its stability.
You can vary the distance when receiving, increase the number of items placed on top, and explore many different variations of the game.
Beanbag Toss Game
The “Ojami Toss Game” involves throwing beanbags at a beach ball placed in the center to drive it into the opposing team’s territory! The throwing motion, aiming at the target, provides plenty of exercise even while seated.
Even if you gain the upper hand for a moment, the ball quickly comes back due to the opposing team’s attacks, so participants can stay highly engaged and focused while having fun.
Furthermore, setting a time limit helps players concentrate more on the beach ball, making it a satisfying recreation activity even in a short period.