[For Seniors] Challenging but Exciting! Kanji Quiz

Kanji Etymology Quiz

Origins of Kanji: Pictograph Quiz

For situations where you want to recommend learning basic kanji, a Kanji Origins Quiz is ideal.

Prepare illustrations of pictographs that represent the shapes of things using dots and lines, and have students work with them.

By drawing the stages of how the illustration transforms into the kanji in sequence, learners won’t just memorize—they’ll retain it as knowledge.

Another tip is to write words that express the illustration, such as “a chain of mountains” for 山 or “a large battle axe” for 王.

Try creating a basic kanji quiz themed around the characters taught in elementary school.

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mutō

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Name of the flower

[15 Kanji Questions About Flowers] Easy Level! Brain Training Puzzles for Seniors with Hints

Many people probably didn’t pay much attention to seasonal flowers when they were younger, but as they get older, they become interested—or find they’ve learned to recognize them without even realizing it.

Here’s a kanji quiz about flower names.

Flower names often use hard-to-read kanji, and there are many that you can read but can’t write in kanji, right? The video only covers the readings, but it could be fun to try writing each one on drawing paper, too.

Characters like “薔薇” (rose) and “菖蒲” (iris) are tricky to write smoothly, but they can be enjoyed like a puzzle.

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utatane

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Prefecture Name Quiz

[Prefecture Name Quiz] 20 Questions! Difficult but Fun Brain-Teaser Prefecture Quiz Introduced [Includes Hard Questions]

Can you name all the prefectures and write them in kanji? This is a quiz where you guess the prefectures that contain a specific kanji character (〇).

If you’re only given a single character, it might not be easy for anyone to answer right away.

It’s also recommended as brain training for seniors, so how about using it for recreation at home or in day-service facilities? When presenting it to older adults, make the text larger and feel free to provide hints! If one kanji appears in multiple prefectures, have participants guess all of the applicable prefectures.

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miyabi

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Dictation Quiz

[Seems simple but is difficult] Kanji Writing Quiz #1

A quiz where you transcribe words written in katakana into kanji.

Within a time limit, you test how many kanji you can recall and write.

Start with an easy first question and gradually increase the difficulty.

For two-character compounds, you can adjust the scoring by giving 1 point per character.

It can be effective not only to use short phrases but also to have participants transcribe full-sentence prompts.

When explaining the answers, deepen understanding by describing the meanings and origins of the kanji.

It’s a perfect brain-training kanji quiz that engages both thinking and handwriting.

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mutō

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Difficult-to-read kanji related to spring

[Difficult Kanji Related to Spring] 20 Questions! A quiz of tricky kanji readings for flowers, plants, birds, foods, and more [For Seniors]

As we get older, the changing of the seasons seems to pass more quickly, but that also makes us look forward to seasonal delicacies and traditional seasonal scenes.

これは「季節の行事」に焦点を当てた漢字クイズです。例えば春には、「筍」や「新玉葱」など、春らしさを感じる旬の食材の漢字が出題されます。

If you’re enjoying the quiz as a recreational activity at a day service center, try using questions that match the current season.

It can also be fun to write them on a whiteboard and play together.

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utatane

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difficult/obscure kanji

[Three-Character Difficult Kanji Quiz] A Collection of Tough Questions! Introducing 20 Fun but Challenging Three-Character Kanji Problems

Let’s take on a “difficult kanji quiz” like the ones you see on TV quiz shows! There are many kanji you can read but can’t write, and there are also plenty that you can’t read at all and have no idea about.

If it’s too hard, let’s give hints one or two characters at a time, like the first letter or the last letter.

Hints like “It’s food” are fine, too.

There are many tricky kanji that are actually very simple characters but have surprising readings.

It makes for a perfect brain teaser, doesn’t it?

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utatane

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Name of the sweets

[Brain Training] 10-Question Candy Kanji Quiz ✏️✨ What’s your favorite candy?

There are plenty of snack names we casually read every day that, when written in kanji, we’re not actually sure how to read.

You might imagine older people would know them better, but when they’re presented as a quiz, many of us still draw a blank.

The process of recalling words you’ve momentarily forgotten is good brain training, and getting the right answer feels satisfying, so it makes for a lively activity in day-service recreation.

However, if participants are struggling too much to find the answer, prepare hints that capture key characteristics, and facilitate the session in a way that doesn’t build up stress for the respondents.

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Hoshino Takashi

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