[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!
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Recreational activities for large groups (1–10)
Number guessing game
It’s a game where each person freely decides, at a signal, whether to stand or sit, and aims to guess how many people will be standing.
If quickly standing up and sitting down is difficult, you can adapt it to something more accessible for everyone, such as raising and lowering hands.
Keeping a rhythm while giving the signals is also important; combining small, rhythmic body movements with larger movements in response to the signal helps ensure the body moves well.
And by quickly predicting and announcing the number, it also trains thinking skills through on-the-spot decision-making.
Pikagororek
The “Pika-Goro Rec” game: after the cue that follows “Pika-pika ~ Goro-goro ~,” which is “Dokan!”, the player with the finger inside quickly pulls it out! Pair up in twos.
One person makes a tube with their hand, and the other inserts their index finger into the tube.
At the shout of “Dokan!”, the person making the tube tries to grab, while the person with the finger tries to pull it out before getting caught.
If you pause before the cue or slip in different words to fake people out, it gets even more exciting! Once you get used to it, try playing in a circle with three or more people: make a tube with one hand, raise your index finger with the other, and insert your finger into the neighboring person’s hand-tube.
Shopping Game
The “Shopping Game” is a game where items are laid out on a table, and players choose and purchase the items written on a piece of paper.
Although it’s a simple recreation, many products today have elaborate packaging, so there are often items that look different from what older adults might expect.
Because players need to look carefully at the products and think, it’s a game that helps activate the brain, and the decision-making skills it builds are useful in daily life.
Recreation activities for large groups (11–20)
Milk Carton Edition! Word-Finding Brain Training Game
This is a game where players make words that fit a theme using hiragana cards laid out on the table.
Preparation is simple—just cut up milk cartons and stick the 50-sound syllabary onto them—so people can easily join from the setup stage.
As you add more sets of the 50 sounds, the range of words you can create expands, and the process of looking for letters takes more effort, which enhances the brain-training effect.
It could also be exciting to proceed with a cooperative pattern where players create multiple words together, leading naturally to communication.
Fly swatter game
A game using a fly swatter that might feel nostalgic for older adults.
You attach Velcro to a fly swatter and to flies made from origami or other materials, creating the sensation of swatting flies with satisfying smacks.
By adding clever rules—such as varying the point values—you can make it even more exciting and turn it into a really fun recreational activity!
Bingo game
When it comes to recreational activities, bingo is a classic.
It’s easy even for people who aren’t good at physical exercise, so it’s perfect as a recreation for seniors.
If you prepare prizes and hold it at a fun event, it’s sure to get everyone excited! These days, you can even buy bingo machines and bingo cards at 100-yen shops, so the cost can be kept low.
Strawberry Picking Game
The bright red fruit, strawberries, are one of the foods that evoke the feeling of spring, and strawberry picking is also an event that brings a sense of the season.
This game is inspired by the scene of strawberry picking, where players compete to collect as many strawberry mascots as possible within a time limit.
A string is stretched out in front of you, and clothespins attached to it hold strawberry motifs.
You remove them and place them into a basket.
It’s a game that values the pinching motion used to remove the strawberries from the clothespins, as well as the speed and concentration needed to aim for a higher count within the time limit.