[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] Liven Things Up With Different Left-Right Movements! Game and Exercise Ideas
- [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
- Liven up the Respect-for-the-Aged gathering: A roundup of recreational activities everyone can enjoy.
[Elderly Care Facilities] Let’s Have Fun Together! Exciting Sports Day Events (41–50)
Pseudo curling
Here’s a sit-down, casual curling-style game you can enjoy.
Participants sit in chairs and hold a stick.
Use the stick to push a wheeled cart so it slides along a curling-style course.
Beforehand, write point values on the floor to set the targets.
Compete to see how many points you can score.
It’s best to write the target numbers large so they’re easy to see.
Since players only need to push the wheeled cart, even those with less strength can join in, making it a game everyone can enjoy.
Please play within comfortable limits so you can enjoy it safely!
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!
Passing balloons with handheld fans
Team competitions are exciting precisely because everyone participates, win or lose.
So this time, we’re introducing “Balloon Pass,” a game perfect for large groups.
All you need is a single balloon—just that.
Have each team sit in a single horizontal row of chairs.
At the starting signal, the person on the end passes the balloon to the next person, and the first team to get it to the last person wins.
There are many variations: pass with a fan instead of by hand, increase the number of balloons and compete on how many you can pass, or have the last person pop the balloon.
It’s a game anyone can enjoy in a variety of ways.
Fluffy ball
Let’s have fun with a game where you compete for points using balloons.
Inflate a balloon and tie a string to it with a weight attached to the end.
Before you start, write point values on the floor.
Aim for the spaces with the written points and throw the balloon.
The person who scores the most points wins.
The trick seems to be to swing the weight firmly as you throw the balloon.
Throwing the balloon can also be an effective workout for the upper body and arms.
Since balloons aren’t very heavy, there’s little risk of injury if they’re dropped, which is nice.
Fan-Flick Flying Game
The Uchiwa Fly-Away Game is easy to join because the rules are simple.
You just fan a bag in front of you with a paper fan and see how far you can make it fly—simple as that.
Since it only involves moving your hands and arms, it’s great even for people who aren’t confident in their physical strength.
To add a bit of fun, just draw a face on the bag and you’re sure to get some laughs! Competing together also helps deepen communication.
Plus, since uchiwa fans evoke a summery feel, this game is perfect for summer events.
Rolling Curling Game
Curling is a sport where you slide round stones with handles, called “stones,” across the ice.
A few years ago, curling even became a boom in Japan.
Here’s an idea for a casual game that’s like real curling.
Use a paper fan to roll toilet paper tubes and compete for points.
If you paint the toilet paper tubes or decorate them with origami paper to make them colorful, you can create a game that looks great, too.
It’s easy to make, so it seems like something you could enjoy together with older adults from the crafting stage.
Since it can be played while seated at a table, many seniors are likely to be able to participate.
Bottle knocking game
All you need is a plastic bottle and a uchiwa fan to enjoy this simple game: Plastic Bottle Knockdown.
First, thread a rubber band or string through the fan and secure it so you can quickly retrieve it after throwing.
It’s a seated game, making it easy to tailor to older adults’ physical and mental conditions.
Since the bottles are empty, they’re easy to knock over, so anyone can have fun.
Compete to see who can knock down the most bottles, and consider preparing a prize for the top scorer.
Let’s enjoy it together!