[For seniors] January health topics: A roundup of popular recreational activities from exercises and crafts to New Year’s games
January marks the start of a new year—a season when we all want to refresh both mind and body.
Traditional New Year’s games like hanetsuki (badminton-like paddle game), kendama (cup-and-ball), and snowball fights are actually packed with elements that promote health.
You can try your luck with an omikuji fortune slip, clear your head with a daruma-otoshi game, or get moving with sing-and-exercise routines.
This time, we’re sharing ideas that let you enjoy the festive New Year atmosphere while also stimulating the brain and encouraging physical activity.
Savor the New Year spirit and enjoy moments that leave you feeling energized in both mind and body!
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- [For Seniors] January Trivia Quiz & Fun Facts. Brain training with quizzes about New Year and winter.
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- [For Seniors] Enjoy the Cold Winter! Seated Activities You Can Do
- [For Seniors] Fun Winter Activities: Recreation and Games
- Entertainment ideas for year-end parties that seniors will enjoy
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- [For Seniors] Recommended in December! Safe and Fun Indoor Recreation
For Seniors: January Health Topics – A roundup of popular recreations from exercises and crafts to New Year’s games (41–50)
Rhythmic exercise with a New Year’s song
We’d like to introduce a fun way to enjoy the season: “New Year’s Song Rhythm Exercise”! You’ll fold your fingers to the music of the children’s song “Oshogatsu.” Because this finger-folding rhythm exercise can be done seated in time with the music, anyone can do it easily.
Start by folding the same fingers on both hands, and once you get used to it, try folding different fingers with each hand—it also works as brain training.
In the cold season, fingertips tend to get chilly.
Many older adults report difficulty moving their fingers in winter, so this exercise is perfect for chilly January!
Spot the differences in New Year’s illustrations
A spot-the-difference game that helps develop memory, concentration, and attention.
In nursing care facilities and day service centers, it’s often used as brain training for older adults.
In January, using New Year-themed illustrations for the spot-the-difference game is a great idea.
There are plenty of New Year motifs to choose from, such as kagami mochi, the zodiac animal, and kadomatsu decorations! Setting a time limit and tackling the game as a team can also lead to lively interaction with others.
Give it a try!
New Year’s Quiz
Here are some quizzes you can enjoy in the New Year as you welcome the New Year.
Speaking of the New Year, there’s the Red and White Song Contest, as well as New Year’s decorations and traditional New Year’s events.
These quizzes introduce fun questions related to the New Year, and since many of them are simple, everyone can join in and have a good time.
Using illustrations or photos might make the quizzes easier to understand.
You can also make it a team or individual competition to enjoy the quizzes, which I think will help stimulate communication.
Mochi pounding
Let us introduce “mochi pounding,” an activity that’s fun both to make and to eat.
As a cherished Japanese tradition, mochi pounding is something many older adults can enjoy during the New Year.
Doing it with family members or other seniors also encourages lively communication.
Because it engages both arms and the core, mochi pounding is an excellent full-body exercise.
It also requires focus, since the person pounding and the person turning the mochi need to coordinate their timing.
Savor the season and support your health—give mochi pounding a try!
Karuta card game
When you think of New Year’s in Japan, many people probably think of karuta.
The “karuta-taking game” is a perfect recreation for the New Year.
Traditional karuta usually requires sitting formally on the floor, but some older adults cannot sit directly on the floor.
In this version, the cards are placed on the floor, and whoever places a beanbag on a card the fastest gets it.
This way, you can enjoy karuta while sitting in a chair.
Since you use your arm strength to place the beanbag on the cards, it could also be good exercise for older adults.
Making a kusudama (decorative paper ball)
It’s nice to decorate with a festive kusudama for New Year’s, isn’t it? They’re said to drive away evil spirits, ward off disease, and even extend one’s lifespan.
It’s a very auspicious decoration for older adults! This time, let’s make a luxurious kusudama by hand.
It’s easy to make with items like a strainer, tissue paper flowers, twine, and colored cellophane, so I recommend it.
First, make flowers with the tissue paper.
Just fold, fasten, and cut slits, and in no time you’ll have bright, beautiful flowers.
Put the mechanism inside the strainer, attach the flowers around the outside, and your kusudama is complete.
It’s perfect for a celebratory New Year.
Shimenawa wreath making
Let us introduce a New Year’s shimenawa wreath craft you can really feel the season with! It’s an easy wreath you can make using newspaper.
Roll up the newspaper to form a wreath shape, then wrap it with layers of origami paper or crepe paper.
Next, make the fan piece and attach it to finish.
Using tools and choosing paper colors helps promote hand exercise and cognitive training.
It brings a sense of the season, and completing your handmade shimenawa wreath will also give a sense of accomplishment.
For older adults who find it difficult to use scissors and other tools, prepare the pre-cut materials in advance.