[For Seniors] Fun Brain Training! Lively Mind Exercises
Activities like games and brain training exercises conducted in senior facilities—often called “mental workouts”—are said to help prevent dementia or slow its progression.
So this time, we’re introducing “mental workouts for seniors”!
Mental workouts not only provide a sense of accomplishment when a problem is solved and activate brain functions, but they also play an important role in creating opportunities for communication with other seniors.
They are also recommended as a way to relieve stress for seniors who may fall into repetitive daily routines.
By adjusting the difficulty level to suit each senior’s condition and adding creative touches to make the activities easier to engage with, you can further increase their sense of satisfaction.
Try incorporating them into your recreation time or daily routine.
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[For Seniors] Fun Brain Training! Lively Mind Exercises (81–90)
What’s inside the box? Beanbags.
Beanbags used in various games can feel subtly different depending on the fabric and the filling.
How about testing whether you can accurately identify them under such varying conditions? Because it’s something we casually use, you might find yourself picturing it but unable to recall its name.
It’s also fun to mix beanbags of different weights and textures on purpose, so the differences in feel make people hesitate over their answers.
What’s in the box? Kendama.
The kendama’s unique shape—with the ball and handle connected by a string—seems like a good hint.
Whether someone has handled one before and how familiar they are with the toy could also affect the success rate.
Since it’s hard to identify it by the feel of the wood alone, it might be better to touch and check the shape.
If the shape and texture still don’t give it away, hints like “New Year,” “toy,” or “playing with a ball” might help some people figure it out.
What’s inside the box? A folding umbrella.
Although it’s something everyone knows, a folding umbrella is surprisingly rarely seen up close.
Its smooth feel combined with metal and plastic elements may leave you wondering, “What is this?” Because people don’t often touch it while it’s folded, those who weren’t office workers in their younger days might have trouble coming up with the answer.
When no one knows, the host can prompt the group with questions like, “Have you ever used one?” or “When do you use it?” to get everyone involved and make it more enjoyable.
What’s inside the box? A wet mop.
It’s a collection of soft, thin strands, and it’s wet.
If you were to touch it without seeing it, some of you might imagine it’s something alive.
If it’s a well-used mop, when you touch it and smell it, you might wonder, “What’s that smell?” and feel even more unsure about what it is.
If you happen to move the mop while gingerly touching it, you might let out a scream and run away.
Since it’s a cleaning tool that’s widely used, it’s also recommended because it’s easy to prepare.
What’s in the box? Batteries.
Batteries, which are used to power various tools, come in different shapes depending on the type of tool, right? This is about whether you can accurately identify those many types of batteries by touch alone.
The difficulty will likely vary a lot depending on whether you choose commonly seen batteries as the theme or pick ones that are rarely used.
It might also work to arrange various kinds of batteries inside a box so that the broad answer of “a battery” can be reached.
The large number of types serves both as a hint and as a source of confusion.
What is a ____ that starts with ____?
Here’s a brain-training quiz that you can enjoy with a large group as long as you have a whiteboard.
For example, let’s say you make a quiz like, “What are some ___ that start with ___?” First, you put a letter in the first blank.
Then you put a category in the second blank.
For instance, if you put “i” in the first blank and “foods” in the second, the quiz becomes: “What foods start with ‘i’?” Have everyone answer in turn.
If you say, “Let’s try to come up with 10,” everyone will think hard.
That’s what makes it a brain workout.
[For Seniors] Fun Brain Training! Exciting Mental Exercises (91–100)
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.