[Enjoy Safely While Seated] Newspaper Activities Recommended for Seniors

Hilariously fun and great brain training! Newspaper Activity

Recreation for Seniors: 12 Hilarious Newspaper Activities That Double as Brain Training

Through various newspaper-based recreational activities, let’s experience how easy newspapers are to use while moving different parts of the body.

Basically, the activities are in a competitive format: for newspaper sumo, focus on movements that apply force to defeat your opponent; for a game where you make small balls, concentrate on the motion of crumpling the newspaper.

The idea is to carry out each game with large, forceful movements, linking them to full-body exercise.

The variety of games can also help participants discover the movements they’re good at and those they find challenging.

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Newspaper Paper Kendama

Recreation for Seniors: Looks Simple but Tricky—and Fun! Newspaper Kendama

This is a game where you use a simple kendama made by connecting a rolled-up newspaper ball and a paper cup with a string, and try to get the ball into the cup within a time limit.

Compared to store-bought kendama, it’s lighter and safer to handle, and it’s also easy to make, so you can enjoy it as a craft activity too.

Since there’s only one place to catch the ball, encourage players to focus closely on their hands as they aim for that spot.

It’s a game that gets the whole body moving—not just the wrist—to gently lift the ball and catch it softly.

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Eel Fishing Game

[Easy Craft 047] Eel Fishing Game – A Simple Activity Using Newspaper!

The “eel fishing game” using newspaper is a real crowd-pleaser.

You wind up eels made from newspaper with a stick, but it’s surprisingly tricky and requires dexterity.

For older adults, this game helps build concentration and works as brain training, so it’s highly recommended.

Plus, you can play it while seated, which reduces physical strain and makes it safe and enjoyable.

Seeing everyone play together in a friendly, cheerful atmosphere is truly heartwarming.

As long as you have some newspaper, it’s easy to get started, making it perfect for everyday recreational activities.

Newspaper Stick Holder

Recreation for seniors: super simple, exciting, and fun newspaper stick-in game

Think back to your school sports day—chances are you enjoyed the “tamaire” (beanbag toss) event once or twice.

The activity introduced here, “Newspaper Stick Toss,” is a variation of that game.

What you’ll need is a target made from milk cartons: cut off the spouts and attach about nine cartons together to create the target.

Then, participants throw rolled-up newspaper sticks at the target.

Sticks made from newspaper about 15 cm long work well; about pencil thickness makes them easy to throw.

Set your own rules—like a time attack or taking turns one throw at a time—and have fun!

Newspaper scooping!

[Elderly Care] Senior Recreation: Newspaper Scoop!

The “goldfish scooping” game at festival stalls is so much fun.

Just watching others scoop can be exciting, right? I bet many people ended up keeping goldfish because of that game.

Here, we’d like to introduce a similar activity called “newspaper scooping.” First, cut newspaper into strips about 2–3 cm wide; making each strip about three times as long as its width makes them easier to scoop.

Next, prepare long chopsticks or stick-like tongs.

Using those sticks, scoop up the newspaper strips as a recreation activity.

It feels great when you can pick up a lot, so be sure to prepare plenty of newspaper!

Newspaper Pulling Game

[Elderly Recreation] Boost finger strength just by pulling newspaper! Newspaper Pulling Game

It’s a game where two people sit facing each other, each pinching a long, thin strip of newspaper between their fingers, and then pull against each other.

The winner is decided when the newspaper tears, but since newspaper is quite sturdy and doesn’t tear easily, it really encourages players to use their fingertip strength.

Start with a simple rule where the outcome is decided in a single round: whoever is left holding the longer piece wins.

This helps players learn how to hold and apply force.

From there, you can add variations to the rules.

A recommended rule is that the player who ends up with more short, torn pieces wins.

This not only encourages creativity in how to hold and pull, but as the newspaper gradually gets shorter, it also helps players focus on controlling their strength.

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Group recreation

[Engaging] Group Recreation Using Newspapers [Senior Exercise]

This is a recreational activity that focuses on the motions of crumpling a newspaper and uncrumpling it.

First, lay out newspapers in front of you and compete on speed: crumple the sheets that are spread out, and uncrumple the ones that are already crumpled.

It’s important to remind participants not to tear the paper, which helps them carefully control finger movements and grip strength.

You can add variations, such as searching for a ping-pong ball hidden inside a crumpled newspaper, or stuffing crumpled newspaper into a paper cup, to further encourage focus on fine motor control and how much force to use.

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