[For Seniors] Recommended for older adults: enjoyable recreational activities

Tossing beanbags toward the swaying basket

[Elderly Recreation] Throw beanbags aiming at a swinging basket #dayservice #recreation #rehabilitation

Here’s a fun game using beanbags.

You throw beanbags into a hanging basket—much like the ball-toss game often played at school sports days.

Many older adults are familiar with this type of game, so it should be easy to get into.

Like the traditional ball toss, the rules are simple, but this version gets progressively more difficult.

The more beanbags you throw, the more the hanging basket swings, making it harder to land your throws.

You’ll also need to watch the basket and time your throws, so it engages the brain as well.

When the basket fills up with beanbags, older participants are likely to feel a real sense of accomplishment.

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Nakajima Junko

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Number Game! Odd and Even

Brain Training Exercise 12: Odd and Even Exercise

This is an exercise performed while seated, moving the hands and feet in two patterns in response to cues.

In the odd-number pattern, you raise your left hand and right leg; in the even-number pattern, you raise your right hand and left leg.

Participants switch based on the cue.

Start with simple cues of “odd” and “even,” then progress to having participants determine whether a spoken number is odd or even.

Moving opposite hand and foot, and quickly identifying numbers to form the correct body shape, helps activate the brain.

It’s also recommended to add variety with simple arithmetic like addition and subtraction to increase the thinking component.

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kappamaki

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Text Color Card Game

[Senior Recreation] Rec Craftsman Series Part 132: “Colored Letter Card Game [Brain Training/Card/Game]”

This is a karuta-style card game where players focus on the reading of the characters and the colors on the cards to find the one that matches what is read aloud.

It tests your ability to decide whether the cue refers to the character or the color, and your judgment in locating it among the cards in front of you—so your thinking speed is key.

Clear phrasing by the reader is also important; be mindful to use concise expressions like “the character is red and the color is green.” The more cards with the same character in different colors are mixed in, the harder it becomes to judge the correct answer, so it’s recommended to gradually increase the number of cards as players get used to the game.

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kappamaki

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Newspaper ball rolling relay

Two-person teamwork, everyone teamwork: 'Newspaper Ball Rolling Relay'

This is a recreation activity where you compete to see how fast you can roll a ball placed on a sheet of newspaper.

It’s suitable for small to large groups, so it’s also recommended for situations where you want to promote interaction among older adults.

Arrange chairs facing each other in alternating rows, and have two people hold the ends of a sheet of newspaper.

Roll the ball you’re given onto the next person’s newspaper, and if it makes it into the basket, that’s a goal.

You can enjoy variety by rolling different types of balls, such as a regular ball, beanbags, or a beach ball.

Give this event a try to experience the fun and sense of unity that comes from doing an activity together.

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mutō

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Balloon volleyball with newspaper-stick bats

Recreation for seniors / Activities during the COVID-19 pandemic / Guaranteed crowd-pleaser: Balloon volleyball using newspaper-stick paddles

Balloon volleyball played using rolled-up newspaper sticks lets you reach farther with the tool, while also challenging more delicate control of force.

It’s also important to treat the table like a volleyball court: set up a proper net in the middle so you can enjoy the volleyball atmosphere.

The higher the net, the more it encourages players to hit the balloon upward, which naturally directs their gaze up and can help improve posture.

Rather than focusing on winning, encouraging players to keep the rally going will likely help them enjoy it for longer.

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kappamaki

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Flag-raising game

Day Service Center Ranpuen Flag-Raising Game

This is a game where you move red and white flags in your hands up and down according to given instructions.

Your ability to listen carefully and then move—distinguishing between commands like “raise” vs.

“don’t raise” and “lower” vs.

“don’t lower”—is put to the test.

Once you get used to it, it’s recommended to gradually increase the speed of the instructions.

By requiring quicker decisions, you can further stimulate the brain.

To help players focus on listening and moving, it’s also a good idea to make the flags easier to hold—for example, by forming them into rings.

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kappamaki

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How to Find the Best Way to Live Your Life

Film 'How to Find the Best Life' Trailer - In Theaters Friday, October 11, 2019

The film “The Bucket List” was remade in Japan in 2019 based on the original released in the U.S.

in 2007.

It tells the story of a housewife and a female CEO who have been given limited time to live and decide to carry out a young girl’s “bucket list” while they are hospitalized in the same hospital.

Through this journey, they look back on their past and reexamine their future.

Through the radiant performances of Sayuri Yoshinaga and Yuki Amami as they face their remaining time, the film conveys that it’s never too late to take on something new.

The deep sense of empathy that comes from depicting the story against Japanese landscapes—and the way it prompts viewers to reflect on their own lives—are major parts of its appeal.

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kappamaki

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