[For Older Adults] Games to Enhance Oral Function: Enjoyable and Easy to Do

Ten Times Quiz

[Senior Recreation] Brain Training: Oral Exercise 10-Time Quiz — Enjoyable brain activation while improving oral function

This is a quiz that stimulates thinking and oral function at the same time by having participants repeat a word 10 times and then answering a question.

For example, you might say “Say ‘pizza’ 10 times.

Okay, then what’s this?” while pointing to your elbow.

Many of you have probably heard that one.

Repeating a word 10 times uses the mouth muscles, making it effective for training chewing strength and for voice training.

Listening carefully to the question and answering without being swayed by the repeated word provides a brain-training effect.

It’s a fun way to maintain oral health whether with a small group or a large one, so please give it a try.

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Patakara Exercises – Oyome Samba (Bride Samba)

Mouth warm-up exercise 6: Let’s sing “Oyome Samba” using the syllables pa-ta-ka-ra (with a dual-task).

Let us introduce you to the fun Patakara exercises performed to the tune of Hiromi Go’s classic hit “Oyome Samba.” Strengthening the mouth muscles improves your ability to swallow food and helps prevent aspiration.

First, sing the song normally to check the music and rhythm.

From the second verse, replace the lyrics with the syllables “pa-ta-ka-ra.” If you can manage it, move your hands in rock–paper–scissors (fist, scissors, open hand) at the same time; doing multiple actions simultaneously can also provide brain-training benefits.

Aim to do this at least once a day.

It’s especially recommended before meals.

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Rhythm Oral Exercises

[Care Facility] Mr. Gobou’s Rhythm Mouth Exercises

This is an exercise where you vocalize to a rhythm and move the area around your mouth.

You can keep time even without music, so it can be done anywhere—at home, in senior facilities, and more.

First, press your lips together and make the sound “pa,” then place your tongue on the roof of your mouth and say “ta.” Next, purse your lips and blow the “su” sound, then lift the corners of your mouth and stretch the muscles as you say “i.” After that, blow short bursts with “fu,” and finally open your mouth wide and say “a.” You can change the order, repeat the sequence, or add variations to keep it feeling fresh and enjoyable.

Give it a try!

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Patakara Exercise Song

Patakara Exercise Song

This is an exercise where you say “pa-ta-ka-ra” in time with the Patakara Exercise Song to train the muscles around the mouth.

By vocalizing “pa-ta-ka-ra,” you can expect various benefits such as maintaining and improving chewing and swallowing strength, promoting saliva secretion, and stabilizing pronunciation.

Doing it especially before meals prepares your mouth and increases the effectiveness in preventing aspiration.

Continuing the exercise enhances its benefits.

Try to do it at least once a day, preferably before meals.

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An exercise that can prevent aspiration and choking just by reading aloud: the Pa-Ta-Ka-Ra exercise

Must-see! The “Patakara Exercise”: A routine that can prevent aspiration and choking just by reading aloud

Patakara exercises are exercises that stimulate oral functions through pronunciation.

This time, we’ll introduce a method that uses reading aloud.

All you need to do is read the sentences written on a whiteboard out loud, so you can proceed at your own pace.

Another advantage is that if you jot the sentences down, you can do the exercises anywhere, including at home.

Benefits include improving chewing strength to aid digestion, enhancing swallowing ability to prevent accidental aspiration and the pneumonia it can cause, and increasing saliva production, which helps sterilize and disinfect the mouth.

Doing the exercises before meals can make them even more effective.

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Hand and mouth Pa-Ta-Ka-Ra exercises

Activate your brain with full-body exercise and oral gymnastics [Hands and Feet Pa-Ta-Ka-Ra Exercise, 10 minutes] — simple and gentle exercises for seniors and older adults.

We would like to introduce ideas for the Patakara exercises, which allow you to care for your mouth and get some exercise while seated in a chair.

By pronouncing “pa,” “ta,” “ka,” and “ra” while performing full-body movements, these exercises are highly efficient, benefiting not only your physical function but also helping to maintain and improve oral function.

In addition, because you perform two actions simultaneously—movement and pronunciation—the increased positive stimulation to the brain is expected to help prevent cognitive decline.

It may feel complicated at first, but please try it slowly at your own pace.

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Patakara exercises with butterflies

[With Lyrics] Pa-Ta-Ka-Ra Exercises Before Meals ♪ #OralExercises

We’d like to share an idea for training oral functions—such as chewing strength and swallowing ability—set to the well-known children’s song “Butterfly” (Chōchō).

The method is very simple: just replace the lyrics with the sounds pa-ta-ka-ra and sing along.

Because it’s a short song, you can do it anytime, anywhere, without worrying about the setting.

Doing it before meals serves as a warm-up for the mouth and helps prevent aspiration, so timing it before eating makes it even more effective.

Consistency is important, so please try to do it once a day.

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