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

Full-body balloon volleyball

Balloon volleyball for parents and children: it works your abs, back muscles, and lower-body strength.

This program gradually adds rules to simple balloon volleyball to thoroughly train the whole body.

We’ll start with a basic rule of returning the balloon with the hands, then add movements like kicking it back with the feet and thinking elements.

Keeping the leg raised puts strong load on the abs and lower back, so if that’s difficult, it’s better to raise the leg only at the moment of returning the balloon.

Adding cues like “apple” to mean “return with your hand,” and other thinking components step by step will also help activate the brain by improving dynamic visual acuity, concentration, and split-second decision-making.

expand_lessRaise the rankingexpand_morelower

kappamaki

Report a problem

Get in a circle and amp it up! Ball game

Pitching Rec: Get Excited in a Circle! Recreation Using a Rubber Ball [Senior Brain-Training Exercise]

A recreation activity where everyone sits on chairs, forms a circle, and tosses a ball to each other.

Since you never know who will get the ball next, it’s a thrilling, heart-pounding game.

Forming a circle also helps deepen interaction among participants, which is a big plus.

And because a rubber ball is used, it’s safe as well.

As for how to throw, you can pass it with a one-bounce method, which builds strength by bouncing the ball off the ground.

It’s also exciting to fake a throw to add a bit of feinting and liven things up.

expand_lessRaise the rankingexpand_morelower

Nanaka

Report a problem

Word Bingo!

[Dementia Prevention] Bingo with Words! — The “Words Starting with ‘Ka’” Edition — Also recommended as a recreation activity for day service centers!

Let’s enjoy a wordplay-based bingo game called Word Bingo! The bingo card has 9 squares, and you fill them with words that match a given theme.

For example, if the theme is “words that start with ‘ka,’” you fill the squares with words that begin with ‘ka’ that you can think of.

When the representative announces their nine ‘ka’ words, check whether any of them match the words on your card; if they do, mark them.

You win when you complete a line vertically, horizontally, or diagonally.

A great thing about this bingo is that it’s fun for large groups.

expand_lessRaise the rankingexpand_morelower

utatane

Report a problem

Let’s find words within a word.

Recreation for seniors: super easy and fun brain training even during the COVID-19 pandemic! Word-search game

I’d like to introduce a game where everyone can play at the same time and get excited: a “find words inside a word” game.

In this game, you rearrange or extract letters from a given target word and see how many other words you can make.

For example, if the target is “とうもろこし” (corn), you can make words like “うし” (cow) or “しも” (frost).

Decide on a target word and a time limit, and you can compete to see who can find the most words.

You can also share with each other, saying, “Here are the words I found.”

expand_lessRaise the rankingexpand_morelower

yamamoto

Report a problem

combined paper cup

Senior recreation · cooperate together · exciting/engaging · combined paper cups

Here’s an introduction to a recreational activity called “Combining Paper Cups.” Prepare one rubber band with several strings tied to it.

Using the rubber band setup, pick up a paper cup and stack it onto another.

Adjust the rubber band by pulling or loosening the strings.

It’s a fun game that also provides gentle arm exercise, making it highly recommended.

Because it’s done with several people, it naturally encourages cooperation and interaction, which helps promote communication.

Talking with others also stimulates the brain, offering potential brain-training benefits.

The interaction itself becomes something to look forward to and can help you feel more lively and positive each day.

expand_lessRaise the rankingexpand_morelower

Nakajima Junko

Report a problem

giant ball rolling

Stop right there! “Giant ball rolling”

A “Giant Ball Roll” that’s so tantalizingly close to stopping you can’t help but get hooked! Set up a frame—using a hula hoop, for example—in the center of a circle, and roll a large ball toward the frame.

If the ball fits neatly inside, you clear the game! When people think of giant ball rolling, they often imagine a relay at a sports day, but with a target-rolling rule like this, you can enjoy it even while seated.

If you make it a day-by-day competition or a team match, older participants will get even more fired up! It might also spark conversations between neighbors—“So close!”—and help break the ice.

expand_lessRaise the rankingexpand_morelower

yuri

Report a problem

Treasure Hunt Game

Recreation for seniors: Newspaper activities and an easy one-handed treasure hunt

Let me introduce a treasure-hunt game you can enjoy using just one hand.

You’ll need a cardboard box, a basket, some newspaper, and lots of colorful balls.

Put the balls in the box, then tear the newspaper and add it on top so the balls are hidden.

Place a basket next to the box, and you’re ready.

Decide which color ball will be the “treasure,” then on “Ready, go!” reach into the box with one hand and search for the balls.

The first person to pull out three balls of the designated color wins.

It’s fun with small numbers or in groups, making it a great recommendation for recreational activities in senior care facilities.

expand_lessRaise the rankingexpand_morelower

kojifumi

Report a problem