[Elderly Care Facilities] Let’s Have Fun Together! Exciting Sports Day Events
In senior facilities such as day-service centers, isn’t it common to hold sports days on a regular basis?
Along with everyday recreational activities, try incorporating events that feel like a traditional sports day!
In this article, we introduce familiar sports day events with ideas tailored to the physical and mental conditions of older adults.
Some ideas can even be enjoyed while seated, making them accessible to many seniors.
Use this article as a guide to create a sports day that everyone can enjoy together.
- [For Seniors] A Fun Sports Day! Recreational Activities You Can Do Safely
- [Nursing Home] Recommended for Sports Day! Lively Recreational Activities
- [For Seniors] Exciting Team-Based Recreational Activities
- [For Seniors] Simple Recreational Activities You Can Enjoy While Seated
- [For Seniors] Have Fun! A Collection of Group Game Recreation Ideas
- [For Seniors] Refresh Your Mood! Lively, Get-Moving Games
- [For Seniors] Recreational Activities Enjoyable in Large Groups
- [For Seniors] Easy and fun seated activities you can do in your room
- Recommended Events for a Sports Day at Day Service Centers for the Elderly
- [For Seniors] Add Enjoyment to Everyday Life: A Compilation of Activity Care Plans
- [For Seniors] Fun Recreational Activities Without Equipment
- [For Seniors] Fun Small-Group Recreation
- Liven up the Respect-for-the-Aged gathering: A roundup of recreational activities everyone can enjoy.
[Elderly Care Facilities] Let's Have Fun Together! Lively Sports Day Events (111–120)
A dance you can do while seated
When it comes to activities that boost a sense of unity among seniors participating in a sports day, dance is a great choice.
Taking on events that incorporate exercise and music can also provide a chance for communication among seniors.
It’s also a good idea to try well-known J-pop hits like “Koi Suru Fortune Cookie.” Even just moving the upper body to the lively rhythm can be enjoyable.
It’s a dance that can be done while seated, so both those who are good at physical activity and those who aren’t can participate together.
Give it a try—this kind of dance will brighten the atmosphere of the sports day.
[Elderly Care Facilities] Let’s Have Fun Together! Lively Sports Day Events (121–130)
cheering contest
Among the events at a sports day, the cheer battle is one of the most exciting.
The cheer squad comes to the front to lead cheers for their team, and everyone on the team participates while seated.
Caregivers can take the role of the cheer squad at the front and help build excitement so the team can come together as one.
Having items like megaphones or pom-poms will really boost the energy.
It’s also a great idea to adapt favorite popular songs into cheer versions for the cheer battle.
Even those who find movement difficult can participate by staying seated and using hand gestures only.
Newspaper-ball rolling relay
This is a game where two people sit facing each other, hold a single sheet of newspaper together, and carry a ball on top of it.
The idea is to pass the ball to the next pair without dropping it, which makes not only the amount of force you use but also your cooperative attitude important.
The heavier the ball, the more firmly you need to support it with the newspaper, so try various adjustments such as changing the ball or the size of the newspaper.
If you split into teams and compete to see who can transport the ball faster, the game will heat up and you can also boost the sense of speed in movement.
Newspaper Stick Holder
Think back to your school sports day—chances are you enjoyed the “tamaire” (beanbag toss) event once or twice.
The activity introduced here, “Newspaper Stick Toss,” is a variation of that game.
What you’ll need is a target made from milk cartons: cut off the spouts and attach about nine cartons together to create the target.
Then, participants throw rolled-up newspaper sticks at the target.
Sticks made from newspaper about 15 cm long work well; about pencil thickness makes them easy to throw.
Set your own rules—like a time attack or taking turns one throw at a time—and have fun!
Newspaper Ring Relay
This is a game where team members stand in a single line holding hands and pass a ring made from newspaper along the linked hands.
Because you hook the ring by moving your joined hands, teamwork and syncing your timing with the person next to you are important.
Since you can’t move your hands freely, you tend to tense your arms, so it not only trains focus and speed on the ring, but also works the upper body, especially the arms.
You can make it more challenging by using a smaller newspaper ring and other tweaks, which boosts concentration even further—highly recommended.
Ball Grabbing Game
Let’s play a game where you grab balls using newspaper.
All the tools used in the game are made from newspaper.
Make the balls by crumpling newspaper into a sphere, and make the grabbing sticks out of newspaper as well.
You can create everything you need for the game using everyday materials.
Place several balls inside a circle, grab them with the stick, and put them into a basket.
If you set a time limit, the game gets more exciting.
Forming teams and competing for the best time will make it even more fun.
Get Excited! Beanbag Toss Bingo Game
It’s a cooperative game where everyone aims for bingo, incorporating the action of tossing beanbags.
Nine baskets are placed in the center of a seated circle, and players throw beanbags to land them on top of each basket.
If you place five or more beanbags, you clear that basket, and you work toward bingo using the baskets you’ve cleared.
In addition to adjusting the strength of each throw, be sure to focus on cooperating so your beanbags don’t collide with your teammates’.
It’s a game that lets everyone enjoy striving for a common goal while getting plenty of physical activity.