Lovely senior life

[May Health Topic] Introducing recreational activities for seniors!

Social worker / Care workermoko
My name is Moko, a mother of three who admired my mother and worked in the care industry as a care worker and as a medical social worker (MSW) in a hospital. I will be drawing on my previous experience to write mainly about caregiving. Thank you in advance.
Physical Therapist / WriterKawamura Mina
From a physical therapist to a writer, driven by the desire to travel the world with just a laptop. I’ve traveled to over 20 countries. I hope to deliver writing that many people are glad to have discovered. Thank you in advance.

May is a month full of seasonal events, such as Children’s Day and Mother’s Day.

The weather becomes milder and more comfortable, making it easier for older adults to stay active.

With that in mind, this time we’re introducing easy, enjoyable recreational activities for seniors.

By incorporating crafts and songs unique to May, you can create an atmosphere where participants feel the season while having fun.

Everything is simple to try, so please enjoy participating together with the older adults around you.

[May Health Topic] Introducing Recreational Activities for Seniors! (91–100)

Crayfish Exercise

[May 12 - Today’s Brain-Training Weather Care Prevention] Crawfish Snip-Snip Exercise

Crayfish Exercise

Do you know what day May 12 is? It’s said to be “Crayfish Day,” because on that date in 1927, American crayfish were brought into Japan by traders.

While enjoying that little tidbit, why not get moving with a unique exercise called the Crayfish Workout? For your hands, make a “scissor” shape with your fingers, and for your legs, alternate left and right, moving them forward and back in big “scissor” motions.

Each movement is simple, so it’s easy to try.

Doing different movements with your hands and feet at the same time also makes for good brain training!

Raise the rankinglower

Report a problem

Boxing Day Calisthenics

[May 19 Today’s Brain Training & Care Prevention] Plastic Bottle Boxing

Boxing Day Calisthenics

The boxing-style exercise using plastic bottles is especially recommended on May 19, which is known as Boxing Day in Japan.

By the way, this is the day in 1952 when professional boxer Yoshio Shirai became the first Japanese world champion.

First, fill a 500 ml plastic bottle with an appropriate amount of water and hold one in each hand.

Then, thrust your arms forward powerfully like punches, alternating right and left.

Try setting a target—such as 30 punches per side for two sets—and give it a go.

The dynamic movements feel refreshing and can help relieve stress.

Raise the rankinglower

Report a problem

Animal Sounds Exercise

[May 13 Today's Brain Training & Care Prevention] Brain-training exercises with animal sounds

Animal Sounds Exercise

If you’re a dog lover, you might already know what day May 13 is.

Every year, May 13 is Dog Lovers’ Day.

So let’s try an exercise using dog and animal sounds.

On a whiteboard, write the names of animals like dog, cat, and pig, then say their sounds in order.

For example, for a dog say “woof,” for a cat say “meow,” and so on.

Converting from the animal’s name to its sound can make this a slightly challenging exercise.

But tasks that feel “a little difficult” stimulate the brain more than familiar ones.

Give it a try!

Raise the rankinglower

Report a problem

Spot the differences themed for Hyakunin Isshu Day

From easy to challenging! [Brain Training] May 27 is Hyakunin Isshu Day! 🌅 Which one is the odd one out? [Spot the Difference] Episode 319

Spot the differences themed for Hyakunin Isshu Day

May 27 is said to be “Hyakunin Isshu Day,” commemorating the completion of the Ogura Hyakunin Isshu by Fujiwara no Teika in 1235 (Bunreki 2).

How about a quiz where you look at an image filled with illustrations and kanji related to the Hyakunin Isshu and try to find the odd one out? There are lots of variations—like illustrations with swapped colors or ones facing a different direction—so even if it’s hard to spot, just searching is fun in itself.

It’s also a great recommendation as training to sharpen concentration and powers of observation.

Raise the rankinglower

Report a problem

Tea-picking Recreation

[May Recommended Activity] Tea Picking Activity for Brain Activation + Upper Limb Strength Training

Tea-picking Recreation

The song “Chatsumi” is very familiar to older adults.

Try incorporating it into recreation—ask questions like, “What month do we think of for tea picking?” to enjoy a sense of the seasons.

Prepare items such as newspaper, sticks made from rolled newspaper, and a cardboard box.

Begin by tearing the newspaper into long, thin strips; this works the fingers, so have the older adults do it together with you.

Put the torn newspaper into the box to represent tea leaves.

Then use the newspaper sticks to hook and “pick” the newspaper tea leaves.

You can compete on speed, or simply enjoy it while singing.

Raise the rankinglower

Report a problem

tadpole ornament

[Craft Idea] Tadpoles, Frogs, Hydrangeas (May–June, Summer) (Wall Decorations) (Senior Recreation/OT/Daycare) (Early Childhood Education) (DIY Papercraft) (Paper Cups) (Origami, Coloring)

tadpole ornament

May brings beautiful fresh greenery and a hint of summer.

Why not create decorations for facility walls that capture the feeling of May? Try making tadpoles by folding origami and cutting them out, or craft frogs using paper cups.

Gluing parts and using paper cups will give your pieces a three-dimensional finish.

You don’t have to use colored origami or construction paper—coloring white paper works just fine.

Coloring by hand exercises the fingers and encourages imagining and choosing colors, offering brain-training benefits.

Making seasonal flowers and adding them to the display can help older adults feel the season even more.

With a few tweaks, these ideas can be adapted for the rainy season as well, so be sure to give them a try.

Raise the rankinglower

Report a problem

In conclusion

This time, we introduced recreational activities related to May! Among recreational activities, experiencing the seasons can help stimulate seniors’ brain activity.

Some activities are also enjoyable for large groups, which helps deepen interaction among seniors.

Please make good use of them!