[For Seniors] Enjoy safely even during the COVID-19 pandemic: Seated activities
In this article, we introduce recreation activities you can enjoy safely even during the COVID-19 pandemic.
At day service centers and other senior facilities, a variety of recreational activities are held every day.
However, during periods when COVID-19 and other infectious diseases are spreading, worries are never-ending.
So we’ve gathered activities that can be enjoyed while maintaining distance—such as those for small groups or done in turns.
What’s more, they can all be done while seated, making them enjoyable for wheelchair users and those who are unsteady standing.
You may also find that more people will casually join in, thinking, “If it’s something I can do while sitting, I’ll give it a try.”
Please use these ideas as a reference for your daily recreation programs.
- [For Seniors] Simple Recreational Activities You Can Enjoy While Seated
- [For Seniors] Fun Recreational Activities Without Equipment
- [For Seniors] Simple Tabletop Games: Fun and Engaging Recreational Activities
- [For Seniors] Easy and fun seated activities you can do in your room
- [For Seniors] Recreational activities and games that let you have fun while strengthening your legs
- For Seniors: Effective Recreation for Preventing Care Needs—Have Fun While Staying Healthy
- [For Seniors] Refresh Your Mood! Lively, Get-Moving Games
- [For Seniors] Enjoyable Indoor Activities! Recreations and Games That Engage the Mind and Body
- [For Seniors] Recreational Activities Enjoyable in Large Groups
- [For Seniors] Fun Small-Group Recreation
- [For Seniors] Exciting Team-Based Recreational Activities
- [For Seniors] Enjoy the Cold Winter! Seated Activities You Can Do
- [For Seniors] Enjoyment at Day Care: A Roundup of Games and Recreational Activities
[For Seniors] Safe and enjoyable even during the COVID-19 pandemic: Seated activities (91–100)
Balloon kick
This is a balloon kick game where you kick balloons into a target frame! Attach the cut-off bottom of a milk carton to the balloon’s knot as a weight so the balloon doesn’t drift around.
Then just kick the balloon so it fits neatly into a frame made from twisted newspapers or similar! Because balloons are light, they travel far even with a small amount of force, so older adults can kick them while seated and still send them flying nicely.
You can also prepare multiple frames and set rules to score the total points of the frames the balloon lands in, or try other variations to enjoy the game in different ways.
Balloon Volleyball × Brain-Training Word-Guessing Quiz
It’s an activity that adds a quiz element to balloon volleyball so you can move your body and brain at the same time.
Attach pieces of paper with letters written on them to the balloons, keep the balloons floating, and observe them to read the letters.
It’s a game that tests various abilities: moving your hands so you don’t let the balloon drop, dynamic visual acuity to read letters stuck on an unstable balloon, and the thinking skills to rearrange the letters you’ve read into a word.
Rather than everyone competing for the right answer individually, it also seems like it would be exciting to have everyone cooperate to complete the word together.
[For Seniors] Enjoy with Peace of Mind Even During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Seated Activities (101–110)
Let’s look for some fish and try catching them!
The fish-finding game played as a recreation activity for older adults is always a big hit.
It’s easy to enjoy not only for those who love fishing, but also for complete beginners.
The game involves placing various fish on a table and catching them with a rod.
A staff member calls out the name of a fish on the table, and the older adults look for it.
Because it requires split-second decisions, it helps develop their powers of observation.
Through this game, older adults can learn fish names, and it also serves as brain training, so it’s highly recommended.
fishing
Let’s train the brain, hands, and arms while enjoying a game of “fishing.” It’s a recommended activity for busy staff and can be prepared easily with simple items like paper cups, newspaper, and disposable chopsticks.
You’ll draw fish, octopuses, and more on several paper cups—having more cups makes it even more fun.
Tearing newspaper and making a fishing rod from chopsticks involve using your fingertips.
Because many nerves connecting to the brain are concentrated in the hands, they’re often called the “second brain.” Using your hands and fingers stimulates and activates the brain.
Reeling in the catch also provides exercise for the hands and arms.
Give it a try with your non-dominant hand as well!
Theme Bingo
This is a theme bingo that starts by choosing a topic and filling in the grid with words.
Hand out blank grid sheets to participants and have them fill each square with names that fit the chosen theme.
Writing while recalling item names makes for good mental exercise.
Once everyone is done, draw from the prepared cards in order and read them out.
If someone completes a line vertically, horizontally, or diagonally, it’s bingo! Even common items like vegetables or animals can be surprisingly hard to recall on the spot.
Be sure to enjoy it together!
ball whacking
This is a recreation game called Ball Smack that naturally brings out laughter.
The rules are simple: split into two teams and sit facing each other.
One team passes a hitting stick to the person on their left, while the other team passes a defending hat to the person on their right, one after another.
When each item reaches the person at the far end, that person raises it above their head once, then starts passing it back in the opposite direction.
The person who finally receives the stick hits the beanbag on the floor with it.
Meanwhile, the person who finally receives the hat tries to defend by covering the beanbag with the hat.
It’s thrilling and fun to see whether the stick team can strike first or the hat team can defend first!
ball throwing
Ball tossing is perfect for recreational activities at care facilities, as it allows participants to move their upper bodies well even while seated.
Using soft, beanbag-like balls that fit in the palm makes it safe too, which is a nice bonus.
Once everyone gets used to it, it’s easy to switch up the size or material of the balls, so try incorporating different variations.
And when the ball doesn’t fly as intended, the shared suspense and excitement make it even more fun—highly recommended!