[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! Group Game Recreation Idea Collection (51–60)
A game where you take balloons out of a basket
Let’s work together as a team! Here’s a game idea where you take balloons out of a basket.
Summer often brings to mind uchiwa fans, right? This time, let’s try a unique game that uses uchiwa to lift balloons out of a basket.
You’ll need a stand or table, a deep basket, balloons, and one uchiwa per participant.
Place the basket filled with balloons on the table, and have participants sit around it.
When the signal is given, everyone chants together, “Wasshoi, wasshoi,” while fanning with their uchiwa to get the balloons out of the basket.
It could be even more fun to split into two teams and compete against each other!
Flag-raising game
This is a game where you move red and white flags in your hands up and down according to given instructions.
Your ability to listen carefully and then move—distinguishing between commands like “raise” vs.
“don’t raise” and “lower” vs.
“don’t lower”—is put to the test.
Once you get used to it, it’s recommended to gradually increase the speed of the instructions.
By requiring quicker decisions, you can further stimulate the brain.
To help players focus on listening and moving, it’s also a good idea to make the flags easier to hold—for example, by forming them into rings.
Bomb Game
It’s a game where players take turns answering with words that fit the given theme, while passing a ball that contains a timer to the next person.
It tests both your creativity to quickly come up with words from the theme and your reflexes to swiftly pass the ball.
Although the time limit is announced, the timer is inside the ball and can’t be seen, so you don’t know exactly when it will go off, which adds a sense of tension to the game.
The act of retrieving words from memory while moving your body also helps stimulate the brain.
Balloon Passing Game
This is a game that tests arm movements and handoff communication: you grasp a balloon with both hands and, with a large arm motion, pass it to the person behind you.
Since you’ll be seated and swinging your arms far back, keep your balance and maintain control as you proceed.
It’s also recommended to sing a nursery rhyme or similar song while playing; having a rhythm helps you pass the balloon smoothly and makes the handoff feel more seamless.
Encourage participants to focus on passing it to the next person, aim for careful, deliberate movements, and make sure to communicate clearly.
[For Seniors] Have Fun! Group Game Recreation Ideas (61–70)
Balloon Fight
Raising and lowering your arms isn’t something we do very often in daily life, but it’s essential for activities like getting dressed and cleaning.
This time, we’re introducing Balloon Fight, a game that lets you train your arms while having fun.
Hang a net from the ceiling and line up balloons of various sizes.
Form teams of three, and within a 30-second time limit, compete to see how many balloons you can knock down using fans.
You can make the game more engaging by changing the points based on the size of the balloons that are knocked down.
Give it a try!
Giant Triangular Tower
It’s a very simple game, but actually tricky! Try the newspaper tower challenge! Lay a sheet of newspaper lengthwise and fold it so it becomes a quarter of its original width.
Next, fold it into a triangular prism shape and tuck in the end.
Because it stores flat once folded, you can make it once and play again and again, which is nice.
The rules for the newspaper tower are simple: stack the triangular pieces of newspaper on top of each other and compete to see how many you can pile up.
People watching should call out instructions like, “A little to the right, left, it’s leaning!” This also helps promote communication.
Newspaper Dart
Let me introduce Newspaper Darts.
Cut holes—circles, triangles, squares, etc.—into a large cardboard box and assign points to each.
To prevent the edges of the holes from tearing, it’s a good idea to reinforce them with vinyl tape or similar.
Roll up sheets of newspaper tightly to make long, thin sticks.
This recreation uses those newspaper sticks as darts! Compete by totaling the points of the holes you throw them into.
It’ll be exciting as a team competition, too! It’s a game that involves raising your arm and concentrating to aim for the holes—perfect as a recreation activity in senior care facilities.