Fun Recreational Activities for Seniors Using Newspapers!
Newspapers—useful for making things, playing, and even in everyday life—are indispensable items for recreational activities in senior care facilities.
In this article, we introduce recreation ideas for older adults that use newspapers for fun.
We’ve gathered a wide variety: activities that use fine finger movements, those that engage the whole body, and others that encourage thinking and problem-solving.
There are options suitable for large groups and small groups alike, so feel free to adapt them to the number of participants and your event.
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[For Seniors] Introducing Fun Recreational Activities Using Newspapers! (21–30)
Newspaper Stick Holder
Let me introduce “Newspaper Stick Toss,” where you roll up newspaper into sticks, throw them, and try to get them in before your opponent! It’s not just about throwing—aiming carefully at a target provides great brain training.
You also have to pick up the sticks after you throw them, which means walking, squatting, and other movements.
These everyday actions may seem simple, but they can be surprisingly tiring.
It might be fun to assign throwers and pickers and try a team competition, too.
target practice
A target-hitting game using newspaper is fun too! It’s a recreation where you throw a newspaper rolled into a tube at a target.
If you don’t make the tube firmly, it won’t fly in the direction you want when you launch it.
You’ll use not only your hands and fingertips but also your head to figure out how to make the tube fly well.
When you fling the tube toward the target, you swing your arm hard and end up using muscles you don’t usually use! It’s also fun to assign points to the targets and compete with the people around you.
Since you can play it with your grandchildren, why not try it at home as well?
Newspaper Walk
Let me introduce the “Newspaper Walk,” where you connect several sheets of newspaper and use your feet to pull them toward you! Older adults are prone to decreased leg strength, which can lead to falls.
When you pull the newspaper with your feet, you use muscles in your toes, ankles, and calves.
The “Newspaper Walk” is effective for maintaining leg strength.
It can be fun to compete with people around you to see how many seconds it takes to pull it in.
With a bit of creativity—like racing or working together as a team—you can make rehabilitation even more enjoyable!
Ball feed with a rod
The recreation game “rolling a ball with a stick” is something anyone can do, and it really livens things up.
You use a stick to roll balls made of newspaper to the goal.
It’s great fun with a big group, full of lively energy.
By helping each other and calling out encouragement to get the ball to the goal, participants can communicate with those around them.
Making lots of newspaper balls also requires wrist and finger movements, making it good rehabilitation.
People of all ages, from children to seniors, can enjoy it!
Bamboo Shoot Digging Game
Here’s a sit-down bamboo shoot digging game you can enjoy.
Tear up newspaper and hide bamboo shoots made from milk cartons in it.
Use a hanger to push aside the newspaper and find the bamboo shoots.
When you peel the milk carton off the bamboo shoots you’ve found, you’ll discover a daikon radish and a bamboo shoot made by wrapping items around plastic bottles.
Each item has points: daikon is 10 points and bamboo shoot is 100 points.
Compete to see how many points you can score—the highest score wins! Setting a time limit will make it even more exciting.
Eel Fishing Game
The eel-catching game sounds fun! You roll up newspaper to make eels, grab them with chopsticks, and place them on a stand that looks like a grilling rack.
Since it uses fine motor skills, it can help activate the brain.
It’s a perfect recreation for the Day of the Ox in midsummer, too.
Competing to see who can place the eels the fastest would be exciting.
It seems like everyone could enjoy it in a friendly, cheerful atmosphere.
Older adults will surely smile as they reminisce.
I hope you all have a great time together!
Newspaper scooping
Let me introduce “newspaper scooping,” where you scoop up cut pieces of newspaper with chopsticks! First, cut the newspaper into small pieces.
Then use chopsticks to scoop up the tiny pieces and place them into a container.
Because you’re using tools, it also serves as fine motor exercise.
If you set a time limit and have everyone do it together, it adds a bit of tension and makes it more fun.
Cheering each other on with things like “So close!” will make it even more exciting.
Since you’ll be using scissors to cut the newspaper, be careful to avoid injuries.