[For Seniors] From Games to Crafts: A Complete Guide to Paper Cup Recreational Activities

Bamboo Shoot Digging Game

Recreation for seniors: Easy one-handed activity! Bamboo shoot digging

Bamboo shoots are one of the flavors of spring.

Some older adults may even have gone out to dig them in the past.

In this article, we introduce a bamboo shoot digging game.

All you need are just two items: newspaper and paper cups! Roll the newspaper into a stick and attach a paper cup to its tip.

Place additional paper cups on a table to represent bamboo shoots, and you’re ready to go.

Drawing pictures on the cups or adding illustrations makes it feel even more authentic.

When you lower the stick over the “bamboo shoots,” you can pick them up surprisingly easily.

Setting rules like “the first to collect five wins” will make it more exciting.

It also serves as a fun way to exercise the arms, elbows, and shoulders, so it’s recommended for senior care facilities as well.

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kojifumi

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Make it for recreation! Paper cup crane

[Easy Craft] How to Make a Paper Cup “Claw Machine”

Let’s try making a paper-cup version of the ever-popular crane game from arcades.

The crane game market has been growing year by year, and it’s said that more than half of total sales at amusement facilities come from crane games.

Now, once you’ve prepared two paper cups, use one to make the crane body and the other to create the arm.

It nicely recreates that unreliable, hard-to-grab feeling of the arm.

The real machines move up, down, left, and right with control buttons, but for this crane, you’ll have to operate even the opening and closing of the arm by hand.

Stick & Paper Cup Game

Hands-off! Stick and paper-cup passing recreation [Senior activity]

Here’s a recreation activity for preventing care needs that can be enjoyed by large groups.

All you need are paper cups and long, thin sticks.

You can make the sticks from a wrap core or cardboard.

Form a circle or a line, place a paper cup on the tip of your stick, and start! Carefully pass it to the person next to you without dropping the cup.

Once you get used to it, increase the number of cups to raise the difficulty.

This activity involves fine motor movements of the hands and large arm swings, so it’s also recommended as arm training.

Because you have to think while moving to avoid dropping the cups, it also stimulates the brain.

Try incorporating it as a fun recreation for preventing the need for long-term care!

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moko

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paper cup ghost

Simple Craft! How to Make a Paper Cup Ghost [Plus the Skills Kids Can Develop Through Play]

Why not try making a paper cup ghost using everyday materials like a paper cup and a plastic bag? It’s a very simple craft, and you can create an adorable little ghost! Drawing directly with oil-based colored pens or decorating with stickers and paper also helps train fine motor skills, making this craft especially recommended for older adults.

Just punch a hole in the paper cup, insert a straw, and tape it to a plastic bag to finish.

Store the plastic bag by rolling it up into the paper cup, then blow into the straw—the bag inflates and the ghost pops out! Blowing into the straw is also said to help activate lung capacity, so why not give it a try?

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miyabi

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Paper Cup Relay

Recreation for Seniors: Easy One-Handed! Paper Cup Relay with Newspaper Sticks

How about trying a paper cup relay—a perfect recreational activity for seniors that lets you move your body and get some exercise while having fun? Each person prepares one stick made from newspaper.

The “ball” used in the game is a paper cup.

Using the tip of the stick, you pass the paper cup to the next person and compete for speed.

Of course, if you drop the paper cup while handing it off, you’re out.

There are many rule variations.

You can form a circle and race to the goal, or split into teams and face each other for a head-to-head competition—both are fun.

Give the paper cup relay a try; it’s a game that demands both careful precision and a sense of speed.

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nikki

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Paper Cup Shooting Game

Recreation for Seniors: Guaranteed Hit! Paper Cup Shooting Game

Why not make a paper cup shooting game using everyday materials like paper cups and balloons? It’s great not only for older adults but also for families to enjoy with children! It’s very easy to make.

Cut out the bottom of a paper cup, trim the tied end of a balloon, fit it over the cup, and secure it firmly with vinyl tape.

Stack paper cups in a pyramid and use a ping-pong ball to knock them down and enjoy the game! Try using it for recreation or rehabilitation activities in senior care facilities.

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miyabi

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Rocket

[Early Childhood Education] Fun for ages 3 and up! How to make a paper cup rocket 🚀

We’ll show you how to make a fun rocket that soars into the air just by stacking paper cups.

All you need are two paper cups, some rubber bands, and construction paper.

First, mark four evenly spaced points on the bottom of one cup and cut slits at those marks.

Next, make rocket parts out of construction paper and decorate them with the hope that your rocket will fly high.

Link the rubber bands together and hook them into the slits on the paper cup—now you’re ready.

Stack the other paper cup over it and press it firmly down.

When you let go, the rocket will shoot out with amazing force.

It’s also fun to play a game to see whose rocket travels the farthest!

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kojifumi

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