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[For Seniors] Recreational Activities Enjoyable in Large Groups
We want to spend time filled with fun and smiles! With that in mind, we’re excited to introduce a variety of cleverly designed recreational activities.
From nostalgic games that get large groups buzzing to handmade games and snack-time activities, we’ve gathered options seniors can enjoy together.
These activities help build concentration while moving the body and spark lively conversation.
If everyone takes on the challenge together, you’re sure to make wonderful memories.
Be sure to incorporate them into your daily recreation!
Recreational activities for large groups (1–10)
footbasket
This is a game where you place a beanbag on the top of your foot and use only the strength of your leg to kick it forward, aiming to land it in a goal made from a basket or cardboard box.
It helps develop awareness of where to aim, concentration around your feet, and control of leg strength.
If you set up multiple goals with different point values based on distance, players can also enjoy the strategic aspect of deciding where to aim.
If participants place the beanbag on the top of their foot by themselves, it also provides exercise for the waist and hands, so let’s actively incorporate that as well.
Confectionery
Baking sweets is a two-for-one recreation: it’s fun to make and delicious to eat.
Cookies and the like are easy to make, and you can customize the shapes to your liking, making it perfect for recreational activities.
Also, while making them, conversations naturally flourish among seniors, so it’s recommended as a recreation that helps strengthen friendships.
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.
Pop it in the bag!
This is a game where you use an air-inflated plastic bag to launch beanbags toward a distant goal.
By pressing the bag forcefully from both sides to fling the beanbag placed on a corner, the focus naturally shifts to quick movements and precise control of strength.
It’s harder to control where it goes than when you throw it yourself, so players must concentrate on adjusting force and direction.
Since sending it farther makes balancing power and angle even trickier, it’s a good idea to award higher points for more distant goals.
Shiritori
Because shiritori is a classic game that’s been around for a long time, I think older adults are also very familiar with the rules.
Even a simple game of shiritori can become a much more enjoyable activity just by adding a few rules—like arranging words in a grid as shown in this video, or narrowing down the categories of words to use.
I think inviting participants to propose new rules is a fantastic idea.
karuta (traditional Japanese playing cards)
Karuta is a game where you listen to the reading cards and compete to grab the picture cards.
It’s recommended for people with dementia because it stimulates hearing and sight.
When playing with a large group, commercially available karuta sets may be a bit small, so it could be fun to make your own sets together, such as a “Popular Songs Karuta” or a “National Travel Karuta.” Karuta used to be a classic New Year’s pastime, and many older adults likely have one or two memories connected to it.
It would be wonderful to enjoy karuta along with those memories and the conversations they bring.
Flag-raising game
This is a game where you move red and white flags in your hands up and down according to given instructions.
Your ability to listen carefully and then move—distinguishing between commands like “raise” vs.
“don’t raise” and “lower” vs.
“don’t lower”—is put to the test.
Once you get used to it, it’s recommended to gradually increase the speed of the instructions.
By requiring quicker decisions, you can further stimulate the brain.
To help players focus on listening and moving, it’s also a good idea to make the flags easier to hold—for example, by forming them into rings.