[March Health Topic] Introducing Recreational Activities for Seniors!
March is the season when we start to feel the arrival of spring little by little.
Fresh greenery and flowers begin to bloom bit by bit, making us want to go outside.
However, older adults who spent the winter indoors may feel a lack of exercise, find themselves unable to do things they used to, or in the worst case, experience falls.
This time, we’ve put together caregiving recreation ideas themed around March!
With events like Hinamatsuri (Girls’ Day) and graduation ceremonies, it can be a time of many farewells.
There are also exercises inspired by songs related to graduation!
Even if you’re worried about going outside all of a sudden, everything here can be done indoors, so please enjoy and give them a try!
- [For Seniors] March-Themed Event Activities
- [For Seniors] Fun Spring Recreational Activities: A Collection of Games and Play Ideas
- [For Seniors] Activities to Enjoy March: Games, Crafts, Music, and Snack Recreation
- [For Seniors] Haiku for March: Enjoying a Spring Moment with Famous Verses
- [For Seniors] Crafts to Make in March! Recommended Project Ideas
- [For Seniors] Core Training: Recommended Simple Rehabilitation
- [For Seniors] Spring Haiku. Spring Activity
- [For Seniors] Introducing Whiteboard Activities That Liven Up Spring!
- For Seniors: Games and Recreational Activities to Enjoy in April
- [For Seniors] Making a March Calendar: Introducing Spring-Themed Motifs and Arrangements
- [For Seniors] Spring Songs You'll Want to Hum: Feel the Season with Nostalgic Classics
- [Elderly] Feel the Arrival of Spring with Snack Activities! Recommended Menus for March
- [For Seniors] Enjoy a Warm Spring! April Health Topics Roundup
[March Health Topic] Introducing Recreational Activities for Seniors! (71–80)
Let’s make flowers bloom on a withered tree.
When the warm spring arrives, the cherry blossoms come into full bloom, but in March many regions are still just beginning to bloom, aren’t they? How about enjoying an early cherry blossom viewing as a recreation activity at a senior facility? This game is called “Let’s Make Flowers Bloom on the Withered Tree.” As the name suggests, you toss cherry blossom flowers onto objects that resemble tree branches to make them look fully bloomed! If the flowers land on paper plates placed at the tips of the branches—with points written on them—you earn those points.
This game can be enjoyed while seated, making it appealing because everyone can participate together.
Please enjoy a full bloom of cherry blossoms with this game!
Stick Catch
We all want to stay healthy and live long, don’t we? Try using a newspaper-stick catch game as a way to help prevent the need for care.
Divide older adults into pairs and have them sit facing each other in chairs.
One person throws a stick made from rolled-up newspaper with one hand to their partner, who catches it with one hand as well.
In the actions of throwing and catching, it’s important to see how well the pair can synchronize with each other! Why not try this recreation activity, which lets you enjoy communication while addressing lack of exercise and working on care prevention?
bubble foot bath
Here’s a foam foot bath you can do at the bedside.
It cleans effectively and can also help you relax.
Put some body soap, etc., into a plastic bag and whip it up to make foam.
Place one foot into the foamy bag and wash it as if giving a massage.
When you’re done, wipe off the foam with a wet towel, then dry thoroughly with a dry towel—that’s it.
It’s especially useful on days when taking a bath is difficult, so give this foam foot bath a try.
Applying a moisturizer at the end can also help prevent dryness.
ball toss (traditional Japanese beanbag/ball-throwing game)
Tamaire, the ball-toss game often seen at school sports festivals.
Some older adults may have taken part in sports days and played tamaire in the past.
Here’s a perfect tamaire activity for a warm April day to get the body moving.
Because it’s a familiar game, it can help older adults refresh their mood and relieve stress.
Have participants sit in chairs and place a basket in the center.
Prepare red, white, and other colored balls, and have the participants throw them into the basket.
The person who gets the most balls in the basket wins.
Throwing with the arms and shoulders also provides upper-body exercise.
Ball Grabbing Game
Let’s play a game where you grab balls using newspaper.
All the tools used in the game are made from newspaper.
Make the balls by crumpling newspaper into a sphere, and make the grabbing sticks out of newspaper as well.
You can create everything you need for the game using everyday materials.
Place several balls inside a circle, grab them with the stick, and put them into a basket.
If you set a time limit, the game gets more exciting.
Forming teams and competing for the best time will make it even more fun.
Fill-in crossword
This is a game where you complete a crossword puzzle that already has most of its letters filled in by filling the remaining blanks.
Thinking about which letters work both across and down, and then placing them one after another, helps stimulate your brain.
The more blanks there are to fill, the higher the difficulty, so encourage players to gradually try puzzles with multiple blank patterns.
Sometimes the letters alone won’t lead you to the answer, so in those cases, it’s recommended to reveal hints about the meanings of the words that go across and down.
Paper cup drop
Here’s a game using paper cups.
Line up the paper cups in a row.
Use the lined-up cups as targets and have older adults throw a ball at them from a short distance away.
Depending on where you set up the cups, the goal is to throw the ball so that the cups tip over or fall to the floor.
Even if they don’t hit the cups perfectly, it’s likely to spark laughter and provide a nice change of pace.
It can also encourage conversation with others and help expand social interaction among older adults.
Paper cups are sold at 100-yen shops, so preparation is easy.