[For Seniors] Lively! Entertainment Ideas for New Year’s Parties
With the New Year upon us, some staff members at senior care facilities are likely planning New Year’s parties.
Are you perhaps racking your brains over what entertainment to prepare?
What kinds of activities would delight the elderly residents?
This time, we’ll introduce nostalgic New Year’s games and simple exercises set to New Year’s songs.
Classic New Year’s pastimes can spark memories and get people sharing stories from the old days.
Let’s liven up the New Year’s gathering and make it a fitting event to kick off a fresh year with joy.
- Performances to Liven Up New Year Parties for Elderly Care Facility Staff
- Entertainment ideas for year-end parties that seniors will enjoy
- [For Seniors] Recommended Songs for New Year’s Parties: Nursery Rhymes, Children’s Songs, and Popular Songs to Liven Up Even on Cold Days
- [For seniors] January health topics: A roundup of popular recreational activities from exercises and crafts to New Year’s games
- [For Seniors] Today’s Recommended Activity: Fun and Engaging
- [For Staff at Elderly Care Facilities] Simple Performances to Liven Up a Year-End Party
- For seniors: Simple and exciting! Ideas for staff performances
- Recreation Activities to Liven Up January Events for Seniors
- [For Seniors] Craft Ideas Recommended for New Year’s and the New Year
- [Respect-for-the-Aged Day Celebration] Laughter All Around! Ideas for Performances and Games You Can Enjoy While Seated
- [For Seniors] Brighten Up Your New Year’s Party: A Collection of Handmade Decoration Ideas
- Entertainment and Performances That Delight at Day Services for the Elderly
- Liven up the Respect-for-the-Aged gathering: A roundup of recreational activities everyone can enjoy.
For Seniors: Crowd-Pleasing New Year’s Party Performances (21–30)
Tankō-bushi (Coal Miner’s Song)
Tanko-bushi is a folk song from Fukuoka Prefecture, best known for being used in Bon Odori.
Let’s showcase a comical dance set to its light, buoyant rhythm.
Since the song strongly evokes Bon Odori, we’ll center the choreography around that style and gradually add variations, including comedic movements.
The lyrics that depict the moon floating in the night sky are also memorable, so dancing in moon-themed costumes inspired by that image is highly recommended.
Your creativity will be tested in how much humor you can weave into this gently paced piece.
Lucky Daruma Dance
When it comes to daruma dolls, they’re strongly associated with good luck, and just having one there makes it feel like a celebration.
How about wearing a costume inspired by a daruma and expressing celebration and joy through dance? A big daruma costume can be hard to move in, so you can make people laugh by showing how you do your best to dance in it.
Since a daruma that’s hard to move in can lead to a simple, limited dance, we recommend appearing as a set with a more mobile costume as well.
Prefecture Bingo
It’s a game like bingo where you keep a sheet with prefecture names in a grid and aim to complete lines.
You can play with pre-made sheets, but having participants write the prefectures themselves could make it more fun as they recall them.
Which prefectures come up is a matter of luck, but predicting what might appear next can make it even more exciting.
Because it’s simple, there’s plenty of room to customize—for example, you can have people share memories related to each prefecture.
kayo show (Japanese pop music show)
@appare_toyokawa Here are scenes from the popular singing show by the Appare Festival staff 🎵 By request from some fans, I’m uploading it again individually 🤣 Tomio Umezawa…?? 😆 [Housing-type fee-based nursing home Appare Toyokawa] Care facility #nursing homeTranslationTranslationCare Staff WantedCare workFacility IntroductionToyokawa City #Toyokawa#fypkayō (Japanese popular song; enka and other traditional-style pop genres)#ImpersonationFumio UmezawaSang it (cover)
♪ Original Song – Appare Toyokawa – Appare Toyokawa
When it comes to classics that add flair to a summer festival, nothing beats a “kayō show.” Staff dress up in kimonos or gowns and perform nostalgic pop songs, prompting handclaps and humming from the crowd.
Some people’s eyes light up the moment a Showa-era hit starts playing.
There’s room for laughs with small dance moves, staging, and props, and it works whether you aim for a mellow, heartfelt mood or a lively, festive one.
Even if you’re not a strong singer, wholehearted role-playing draws applause.
It’s a performance that creates a warm moment where nostalgia and smiles overflow together.
Soran Bushi
Here’s an idea featuring the classic Soran Bushi to liven up your summer festival.
With shamisen and drums resounding and staff performing powerful, synchronized moves, the whole venue instantly comes to life.
The spirited calls and rhythmic motions are infectious, creating an atmosphere that makes even older adults want to move along.
Traditional happi coats and tenugui heighten the festival vibe, lifting spirits just by watching.
While evoking the local tradition, it creates a bright, bustling mood—an indispensable, crowd-pleasing attraction for any summer festival.
two-person robe (Nininbaori): a comedic act where two people share one kimono-like garment, with the rear person acting as the arms for the front person
Here’s a crowd-pleasing idea that will have everyone laughing just by watching and doing it: the “Nininbaori” skit.
In this classic setup, the person in back puts their arms through and “controls” the person in front.
The sight of them smearing food on their face as they try to eat, or fumbling with props, sets the whole venue laughing.
Preparation is simple, but with a few creative twists from the performers, the laughs multiply.
Their earnest silliness is endearing and instantly brightens the mood, making it perfect for the opening or a mid-program highlight.
It’s lively, fun to watch, and a staple performance at summer festivals.
costume Bon Odori
Let me introduce an idea that will make your usual Bon Odori many times more fun: the “Costume Bon Odori.” Of course, happi coats and yukatas are great, but if you join the circle in a quirky costume, the onlookers won’t be able to help smiling.
Even just adding headgear or small props instantly elevates the vibe and makes the whole venue lively.
Even if you’re not great at dancing, the beauty of this attraction is that simply dressing up naturally brings a smile to your face.
As you move your body to the rhythm, you may even feel your spirits lift.
It’s a participatory attraction that brightens and energizes summer festivals and is sure to be a hit.