[March Health Topic] Introducing Recreational Activities for Seniors!

Exercise to the song ‘Spring Has Come’

Simple exercises and senior activities: “Spring Has Come” brain training that livens up day-service programs

The familiar children’s song “Spring Has Come.” This time, we’ll introduce a brain-training exercise you can do while singing this song.

First, let’s review the movement performed over four beats.

After taking three steps in place, on the fourth beat, clap your hands and lift your thigh.

That’s all.

This may seem simple on its own, but doing it while singing the nursery rhyme will likely change your impression.

Moving your body, recalling the lyrics, and singing—these separate actions provide stimulation to the brain and are said to help prevent cognitive decline.

It can be done anywhere and with any number of participants, so it’s also recommended as a recreational activity in senior care facilities.

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kojifumi

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Fill-in-the-blank with a spring theme

[Whiteboard Rec] Word Fill-in Brain Training! For Activating Seniors’ Brains!

It’s a game where you draw circles on a whiteboard—some with blank spaces and some with letters—and have players think of words by filling in the blanks.

While making use of the letters already written, they come up with words of that length.

The broad range of choices helps stimulate the brain.

If you prepare the letters in advance with a spring theme, players can enjoy a sense of spring while still having plenty of options to form words, which is recommended.

The difficulty changes depending on the number of letters and where the blanks are placed, so try various patterns to have players think of different words.

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kappamaki

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ball toss (traditional Japanese beanbag/ball-throwing game)

[Day Service] Ball-Toss Battle!

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.

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Nakajima Junko

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Ball Grabbing Game

[Mini Game] Ball Grabbing Game ♟️ #dayservice #recreation #elderly #nursingcare #rehabilitation #sportsrecreation #shorts

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.

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Nakajima Junko

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Fill-in crossword

Brain Teasers · Brain Training · Fill-in Crossword Puzzle 18

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.

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kappamaki

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Quick brain training, “Ready, set!” game

No prep needed for senior recreation or props! Simple and exciting! Ready, set, go! Game

Here’s a simple brain-training game you can do while seated, with no prior preparation.

Pair up in twos.

When one person calls out a number—like “Ready, five!”—both of you raise your hands or feet.

If the total number of raised hands and feet matches the number that was called, you’re correct.

You can make it more game-like by intentionally raising more hands or feet to throw off your partner’s guess, and enjoy training your brain as you play.

It also helps to create a cheerful atmosphere where mistakes lead to laughter.

Since raising hands and feet doubles as light exercise, try it together with older adults.

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Nakajima Junko

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Paper cup drop

Insanely Hard Paper Cup Drop lol [Senior Recreation]

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.

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Nakajima Junko

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