Fun Halloween recreation activities at a nursing care facility
When it comes to big events in October, Halloween is the first that comes to mind!
Many day service staff may be thinking, “We want our elderly clients to experience the excitement of Halloween that’s so popular among younger generations!”
In this article, we introduce recommended recreational activities for Halloween events held at care facilities.
We’ve gathered a variety of content to liven up Halloween at care homes—from easy-to-play games to Halloween decorations that brighten up the facility.
Let’s help older adults fully enjoy the fun of Halloween!
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- [For Seniors] Handmade Halloween Treats to Enjoy: Fun Ideas with Pumpkins and Ghosts
- [For Senior Care Facilities] Fun! Recommended Events for October
- Recommended recreational activities to help seniors enjoy their time in care facilities
- [For Seniors] Let’s Get Excited with Halloween Crafts! Fun and Easy Decoration Ideas
- [For Seniors] Recreation Games Related to October Events
- [For Seniors] Highlights of Fun Events at Day-Service Centers
- Explaining interesting initiatives at nursing care facilities! We also introduce seasonal recreational activities.
- [For Seniors] Enjoyable Day Service: A Collection of Fun Event Ideas
- [For Seniors] Liven Up November Day Services! Fun Autumn Event Ideas
Fun Halloween Recreational Activities at a Care Facility (21–30)
Making pumpkin pudding
When it comes to autumn sweets that capture the Halloween spirit, pumpkin pudding is a classic.
Using pumpkin—the quintessential autumn ingredient—let’s make a simple yet authentic dessert! First, prepare a caramel sauce using granulated sugar and water.
For the pumpkin pudding, microwave the pumpkin, remove the seeds and skin, then heat it again.
Sieve the heated pumpkin, add milk and heavy cream, and heat the mixture, then turn off the heat.
Add egg yolks, whole eggs, and sugar, mix in the warmed pumpkin mixture, and bake the filled containers in a water bath in the oven.
Once baked, chill in the refrigerator and add toppings to finish! Try making it together with residents who are skilled at cooking or those who enjoy baking.
Jack-o’-lantern face-making game
A simple, reassuring activity that elderly residents in care facilities can enjoy is a Jack-o’-lantern version of Fukuwarai.
Participants place eyes, a nose, and a mouth freely onto a blank mask without facial features.
Known as a traditional Japanese game, it may evoke nostalgia for some older adults.
For a Halloween twist, prepare orange construction paper shaped like a pumpkin and separate facial features.
It’s enjoyable just to arrange the parts however you like, making it easy for seniors to join in.
It’s a unique activity that combines the fun of creating Fukuwarai with the special atmosphere of Halloween.
Halloween shooting gallery
A Halloween target-shooting game where you use a gun made from a paper cup and a balloon to shoot ping-pong balls and knock down targets.
It’s a nostalgic game reminiscent of festival shooting booths, so older adults in care facilities are sure to enjoy it.
Create targets with motifs like ghosts, witches, and pumpkins.
Line up the targets on a table and place chairs at a certain distance from them.
While seated, players launch ping-pong balls from the paper cup and compete to see who can knock down the most targets.
Be careful—if you tilt the paper cup sideways or downward to aim straight at the target, the ball may drop out.
Play with caution and have fun!
Balloon Pétanque
A recreation activity where you place a balloon fitted with a bottle cap filled with weights and play using pétanque rules.
By making part of the light balloon heavier, it won’t lift off the ground but becomes a moving target.
Form teams of seniors and take turns tossing beanbags near the balloon.
A key point is that the balloon can unexpectedly fly off in a different direction, allowing for dramatic comebacks.
Try drawing Halloween-themed illustrations like ghosts or pumpkins on the balloons and have fun.
How about incorporating this easy-to-join, enjoyable recreation into your Halloween event?
Handing out sweets with a grabber tool
A game where you grab a bag of candy with a claw grabber and place it in a designated spot.
Instead of simply handing out sweets, adding a game element of transporting and placing candy helps liven up parties and events.
The claw grabber can pick things up even without strong grip strength, so it’s recommended for older adults who may not be confident in their strength.
You can also make it more fun by changing the points based on the color of the candy or the difficulty of the target location.
Try adding twists like designating the cut-out sections of a jack-o’-lantern as targets or playing while in costume.
Origami: Jack-o’-lantern
When it comes to Halloween motifs, you can’t forget the jack-o’-lantern! How about making pumpkin ghosts out of origami to brighten up your care facility? This tutorial video is easy enough for beginners, so creating them as a recreation activity with day-service users is also effective for seniors’ fine motor training.
By changing the color of the origami and letting everyone draw their own pumpkin ghost faces, you’ll end up with a variety of uniquely charming ghosts.
Let’s stick them on the wall and enjoy a fun Halloween! Please use this as a reference.
Paper plate wreath making
A wreath arranged for Halloween, used as decorations for room walls or doors.
Instead of flowers and leaves, you make the ring from a paper plate, so it’s recommended even for those not used to crafts.
Layer origami or construction paper on top of a paper plate with the center cut out.
Secure it with masking tape or glue, then draw ghosts and bats and attach them so they stand out.
It’s also nice to display works made by older adults like an art exhibition.
This activity can be enjoyed both as a Halloween party recreation and as a decoration.