[Brain Training for Seniors] Recommended Hand-Play Recreation for Dementia Prevention
Fingerplay recreation that also helps prevent dementia.
Because it can be done while seated, it’s easy for older adults who have difficulty standing or walking to participate, and it’s offered in many senior care facilities.
That said, it’s tough for staff to plan activities by choosing from the many different fingerplay options, isn’t it?
So this time, we’re introducing recommended fingerplay recreation activities that can also help prevent dementia.
We’ve gathered a wide variety—from simple fingertip exercises to activities that involve moving the hands while singing, which can also help strengthen the muscles used for speech.
The fingertips are so rich in nerves that they’re often called the “second brain.”
Let’s have fun together while moving our fingertips and hands a lot to activate the brain!
- [For Seniors] Hand and finger play roundup: Finger exercises that lead to brain training
- [For Seniors] Easy and fun seated activities you can do in your room
- For Seniors: Fun and Lively Exercise Recreation
- Hand games that liven things up for seniors—also great brain training
- [For Seniors] Extremely Effective Brain Training! A Fun Collection of Hand Games
- [For Seniors] Fun and Engaging Brain-Training Recreation
- [For Seniors] Popular Hand-Play Songs: Fun Brain-Training Ideas
- Cognicise you can do while seated. Simple dementia prevention.
- [For Seniors] Enjoy safely even during the COVID-19 pandemic: Seated activities
- [For Seniors] Brain Training Recommended for Dementia Prevention
- [For Seniors] Recommended Even for People with Dementia! Simple Recreational Activities
- Simple games for preventing and improving dementia
- [For Seniors] Liven Things Up With Different Left-Right Movements! Game and Exercise Ideas
[Brain Training for Seniors] Recommended for Dementia Prevention! Hand Play Recreation (91–100)
Brain-training finger play
Here’s a no-prep recreation activity: a finger-play brain exercise.
It’s simple to do! First, hold your hands up with your palms facing you and make fists.
Open only the thumb on your right hand and only the pinky on your left hand.
Next, switch: open the pinky on your right hand and the thumb on your left hand.
Keep repeating this.
It sounds easy, but it’s surprisingly hard.
Try doing it to a rhythm—one, two, one, two—and you might find yourself laughing at how tricky it is.
But don’t worry.
The goal isn’t to do it perfectly; performing two different movements at the same time stimulates your brain, so just trying it provides a brain-training effect.
With practice, you’ll get the hang of it and feel a sense of achievement.
Give it a try!
Goo Choki Paa-ty (Rock-Paper-Scissors Party)
Shall we all try dancing the “Goo-Choki-Paa” exercise together—just watching it might lift your spirits! In the video it’s done standing, but you can also do it seated, so it can be adapted to the physical and mental condition of older adults.
Animals and creatures appear here and there, and their movements are expressed with the hands and feet.
For example, a fist (goo) can be a gorilla, and scissors (choki) can be a crab—there are many ways to communicate using just your palms.
Don’t forget to take a deep breath at the end to refresh your body and mind.
Rock-Paper-Scissors Exercise
This “Rock-Paper-Scissors” exercise is done while speaking out loud.
Using your voice provides beneficial stimulation to the brain, so it’s recommended.
Even a small voice is fine—the key is to perform the rock-paper-scissors movements while speaking.
Exercises that change the movement on each side are also effective for activating the brain.
These can be easy to get wrong, so it may be difficult to do them correctly right away.
However, making mistakes is also important and can be a good opportunity to communicate with others.
Staff should actively speak to participants while they are exercising.
What shall we make with rock, scissors, paper?
The “Goo-Choki-Paa de Nani Tsukurou” exercise is a song that many older adults are familiar with.
Those with children may remember singing it to them often.
This hand-play song involves moving your body while singing, which provides good stimulation for the brain.
What’s more, just by combining rock, scissors, and paper in different ways, you can create many variations.
It’s a hand-play song enjoyed by a wide range of ages, from children to seniors, so it might be nice to try it together with your grandchildren.
Rock, paper, scissors with pumpkin
Goo-Choki-Pa Pumpkin is a recommended exercise for Halloween.
Dressing up in Halloween costumes while you dance will lift your spirits and make it even more fun.
Since the Goo-Choki-Pa movements are incorporated into various parts, it should help activate the brain.
You can do it standing or sitting, so please adjust it to your physical and mental condition.
The song used here is an upbeat track that I believe will also benefit the minds and bodies of older adults.
Let’s enjoy the Goo-Choki-Pa exercise along with the up-tempo music.