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

beanbags

How to Play in a Circle: Beanbag Juggling for Beginners

I recommend beanbag juggling because anyone can enjoy it.

It’s fun not only for older adults but also for small children, so it’s a staple activity when kindergarteners or preschoolers visit senior facilities.

There are many ways to play with beanbags, so start with something simple.

Some older adults are very skilled, so it’s a good idea to learn from them.

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Saitō Ayumu

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Gesture Game

Day Service Center Ranpuen - Gesture Game

The classic “gesture game” often seen on TV shows is also recommended as a recreational activity for older adults.

The rules are simple: the clue-giver looks at the prompt and expresses it using gestures.

If the guessers can identify the prompt from the gestures, they earn points.

Because it engages the mind to infer the prompt from movements, it’s also a great form of brain training.

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Saitō Ayumu

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Bowling

Yuuyuukyo Day Service: This week’s recreation is kick bowling.

If you’re looking for a physical activity, I recommend bowling like in this video.

The pins are made of cardboard, and you knock them down by kicking a ball.

You can play standing up or kick while seated—both are fine.

Splitting into teams and competing to see who knocks down more pins should make it really exciting.

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Saitō Ayumu

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Opening and closing the hand (clenching and unclenching the fist)

[Care Prevention] I came up with eight variations of the open-and-close (grip-and-release) exercise!

This video shows an easy way to do multitask training, which is said to help prevent dementia and reduce falls.

Multitask training involves doing two or more things at the same time, and in this case it seems to use the “rock and paper” hand shapes.

Since you can do it while seated, older adults should be able to continue without strain.

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Saitō Ayumu

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Cross catch (ball)

Cross catch (ball)

A game of catch that can be played while seated is also recommended for older adults.

This “cross catch” is different from regular catch—you catch the ball with your hands crossed.

Because it feels different from usual, you can enjoy playing catch with a fresh mindset.

It also trains fine motor skills, making it a good exercise for both the mind and body.

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Saitō Ayumu

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Scoop it with a spoon.

Spoon activity! Senior recreation

This is a simple recreation activity you can do with a spoon, a plastic bottle, and marbles.

Like the game where you pick up beans with chopsticks and move them to a plate, you scoop marbles with a spoon and put them into a plastic bottle.

Because the marble wobbles on the spoon, it’s trickier than you’d expect and can be quite exciting.

Since it involves using your hands and fingers, it also seems beneficial for stimulating the brain.

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Saitō Ayumu

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Indoor golf

“Viva Golf!” (recreation activity at a day service)

Many seniors were passionate about golf when they were younger.

For those seniors, we recommend indoor golf that can be played while seated.

In this game, you hit a ball with a club and aim to strike pin flags marked with scores to compete for points.

Because control is crucial, it helps train fine motor skills and also provides an upper-body workout.

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Saitō Ayumu

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