[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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- Fun Brain Training! Memory Games for Seniors
- [For Seniors] Brain-Training Recreation Using a Whiteboard
- Simple games for preventing and improving dementia
- [For Seniors] Find daily brain training. Today’s recommended brain workout.
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- Recreation Activities Effective for Long-Term Care Prevention for Seniors
- Hand games that liven things up for seniors—also great brain training
- [For Seniors] Enjoyable Brain Training! Finger Exercises That Help Prevent Dementia
[For Seniors] Fun Brain Training! Exciting Mental Exercises (121–130)
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.
Just paper and pen! Number Bingo
It’s a simple game where you use a pencil to draw a grid and numbers on paper, then aim for bingo.
The grid is 3 squares by 3 squares, for a total of 9, and you freely choose numbers from 1 to 15 to fill them in at random.
Once everyone has finished writing their numbers, you’re ready to play: read out the numbers on the cards in order, and each player aims for bingo.
You can enjoy seeing whether a line on your own card completes, or you can turn it into a competitive game where you try to complete more lines than your opponent—either way, it’s sure to be exciting.