Let's boost your creativity: Recommended brain training for seniors!
Brain-teaser quizzes are one type of activity that can train quick thinking in older adults.
Thinking in your head and answering right away also helps stimulate seniors’ brains.
They’re perfect for activity time at senior facilities and day services.
They can improve communication among older adults and are also appealing because participants gain various kinds of knowledge.
For staff, offering hints that guide participants to the answer is important, but please also focus on creating an atmosphere where everyone can have fun together.
I hope this helps anyone who’s unsure about how to run quiz activities.
Boost Your Inspiration: Recommended Brain Training for Seniors! (1–10)
What is the name of the bus that runs incredibly fast in Tokyo?
See the answer
Toei Bus
Since we're talking about 'tobasu' (to operate/drive), the correct answer is the Toei Bus. The Toei Buses used in Tokyo are a central part of people’s daily lives. They’re indispensable not only for sightseeing but also for living comfortably within the city.
What is in the middle of the moon and water?
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fire
Some people might take it as a question about mysterious things on Earth, but this riddle means a calendar. Therefore, what’s in the middle of Monday and Wednesday is Tuesday.
There are 20 sweet potato plants planted in the field. If you pull out 5, how many are left?
See the answer
5
Here, the “ato” in the content means “mark/trace,” not “after,” and they’re not asking how many were pulled out. It’s easy to assume you’re being asked about the number of items pulled, right? This is a question that tests your quick-wittedness.
I was told, using a pencil, to draw tulips and cosmos, but what should I do?
See the answer
Write tulips and cosmos using letters
Since we weren’t asked to draw tulips and cosmos, the correct approach is to write them in words. Tulips and cosmos are such showy flowers that you can’t help wanting to draw them, right?
Where is the handle of the teacup?
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outside
Teacups usually have handles, right? We tend to think about whether they’re on the left or the right, but the answer is: on the outside. In winter, having a warm drink makes you feel cozy, doesn’t it?
Among bread, sweets, and seaweed, which one are you most likely to end up buying on impulse?
See the answer
seaweed
When you go to the supermarket, isn’t it often the breads and sweets that catch your eye? Many people probably find themselves picking them up without thinking. However, the answer to this riddle is “seaweed,” because it makes you feel like you’re about to buy it (a pun on the Japanese phrasing).
On a very cold day, there is only one person in a room with a kotatsu. Is that person sitting under the kotatsu?
See the answer
I'm not in the kotatsu.
It’s “standing alone” (立ったひとり), not “all alone” (たったひとり), so they’re not in the kotatsu. For a moment, you might assume they’re under the kotatsu since it’s a cold day, but if you listen carefully, you realize that if they’re standing, they can’t be in it.