![[For Seniors] From Games to Crafts: A Complete Guide to Paper Cup Recreational Activities](https://i.ytimg.com/vi_webp/iehvnRoG2R8/maxresdefault.webp)
Preparing recreational activities at senior care facilities can sometimes be a burden for staff.
It’s tough to get everything ready while handling daily duties, isn’t it?
For those in that situation, we’re introducing a recommended recreation activity using paper cups.
Paper-cup activities aren’t just easy to prepare with minimal materials—they also offer various benefits for both physical activity and cognition.
And because paper cups are lightweight and soft, they reduce the risk of injury for older adults, making the activities safe to conduct.
Be sure to incorporate them into your daily recreation programs!
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[For Seniors] From Games to Crafts: A Complete Guide to Paper Cup Recreations (1–10)
Tower game
Here’s an idea for a tower game that will have you on the edge of your seat.
Stack paper cups to build a tower, and once it’s complete, place a ball on top.
You can challenge yourself to see how fast you can do it, or compete against another person for extra fun.
In this kind of tower game, it’s common for the tower to collapse if you rush.
Try to proceed with a bit of tension, wondering, “Will I knock it down?” That way, when you manage to do it quickly, you’ll feel a great sense of accomplishment.
Target practice with plastic bottles
Let’s try a challenge while sitting in a chair or wheelchair! Here’s an idea for a “PET bottle target-shooting” game.
By including activities that can be done while seated, how about reducing resistance to exercise even just a little? For PET bottle target-shooting, combine a cut plastic bottle or a plastic cup with a balloon to launch a ball toward the target.
It works well to stack paper cups to create the targets.
With focused aiming, you’ll likely knock down all the targets and feel great!
Paper cup launcher
It’s a game where you swing a stick made of newspaper to launch a paper cup placed on the tip forward, and compete on how far it flies.
Your ability to control force is tested—how you swing determines how well the power transfers to the cup and how far it goes.
Just swinging with brute force won’t work, so pay attention to where you start the swing, when you stop it, and the angle.
Through the game, you’ll also get good movement in your upper body, especially around the shoulders, which is another key benefit.
Golf game
Here’s an introduction to a simple and fun paper-cup “golf” game.
Lay paper cups labeled with point values on their sides on the floor, and roll ping-pong balls to try to get them into the cups.
The winner is decided by how many ping-pong balls land in the cups.
Calculating the points for the ping-pong balls also provides a brain workout.
Since this golf game can be played while seated, it’s suitable for older adults who have difficulty standing.
Adjusting the force to roll the balls also helps with arm rehabilitation.
Some older adults may have enjoyed golf in the past, and this paper-cup golf can evoke those memories, too.
ball catcher
This is a game where you use a stick with a paper cup attached to the tip to collect balls lined up on a table.
There are also walls on the left and right sides of the table, so make good use of them to smoothly collect the balls.
A face-to-face match across the table is recommended, and trying to collect more balls than your opponent within a time limit tends to increase the speed of movement.
The longer the stick, the harder it is to handle, so once players get used to it, it’s also recommended to add variations such as changing the distance.
disk hit
Let us introduce Disk Hit, a fun activity using paper plates and paper cups.
Use empty milk or juice cartons as pins and throw paper plates like flying discs.
Each person throws seven plates, and you compete by how many pins you knock down.
It’s enjoyable both individually and in groups, and it can be played either seated or standing, so anyone can join.
Throwing paper plates engages everything from the shoulder to the fingertips, making it a form of functional exercise while you play.
It’s highly game-like and exciting, so it’s also recommended as a recreational activity in senior care facilities.
Pull-the-string game
As the name suggests, here’s a fun game where all you do is pull a string.
Preparation is simple.
First, prepare many paper cups with long strings wound around them.
Get one basket and you’re set.
Have the participating seniors sit in a circle and hold the ends of the strings.
Gather the paper cups in the center and cover them with the basket.
Now the game begins.
Lift the basket, and before it can be dropped back down to cover the cups, pull the strings to snatch the paper cups away.
That’s all there is to it, but it gets very exciting.
It also helps build agility, so it’s recommended for recreation at senior facilities.