[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] Enjoy Safely Even During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Seated Activities (111–120)
Air hockey
This game recreates the classic arcade air hockey using everyday items.
Because it’s a head-to-head matchup, it’s easy to get excited and really into it.
Making the handheld rackets glide smoothly is a key point for capturing the air hockey feel, so be mindful of how you combine materials.
If having only one ball makes the game drag on, you might consider adding a twist like increasing the number of balls as time passes.
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.
Push Pump Tower
This is a game where you use push pumps that release air when pressed to move a balloon to its destination.
First, set up several push pumps under a large tube to create a structure that blows air upward.
Put the balloon into the tube, and when the start signal is given, everyone keeps pumping air until the balloon shoots up out of the tube.
The longer the tube, the harder it is to launch the balloon, so it’s recommended to adjust the tube length and the number of participants according to your group’s abilities.
Easy-Peasy Balloon Volleyball
When you play balloon volleyball, you might sometimes hit it too hard and it flies off in an unexpected direction.
In those moments, attaching a string to the balloon so you can control it will help you keep the rally going longer.
It’s a simple tweak—just attach some plastic ribbon to the balloon and move it—but you’ll need to be thoughtful about how you guide it and how much force you use.
If you pull too hard on the string, the balloon’s movement can become restricted or it may fall faster, so be sure to apply gentle, controlled force.
Simple finger exercises
This is a brain-training exercise where you count numbers using your fingers held out in front of your body, gradually adding more elements to how you move them.
When you focus on your hands in front of you, it’s easy to slip into a relaxed posture, so it’s important to be mindful about sitting up straight with your back extended.
Start by making the same shape with both hands; once you get used to that, move on to making different shapes, gradually increasing the complexity of how you switch between them.
If you add not only hand shapes but also forward/back and side-to-side movements of the arms, it will further enhance the brain-training effect and help you stay aware of your arm muscles as well.
Chopstick Color Sorting Game
When we casually use chopsticks in everyday life, we’re actually making special finger movements.
If we incorporate a game that uses chopsticks, we could train the hands and brain at the same time.
Prepare a piece of cardboard with evenly spaced pins inserted, along with color-coded rings.
At the starting signal, place each ring onto a pin of the matching color.
It’s a game where you compete to see how quickly you can place all the rings.
If you decorate not only the pins and rings but also the cardboard in colorful ways, it’ll be even more fun!
Partition Rec
Here’s a game recommendation for when partitions are installed on tables as part of infection control measures and your usual recreational activities aren’t possible.
Instead of seeing the partition as an obstacle, think of it as a way to divide territories, and you can come up with all sorts of games.
For example, with a fan and a balloon, you can play a kind of volleyball that takes advantage of the partition’s height.
Or you can enjoy a hockey-like game where you flick plastic bottle caps with your fingers, making use of the small pass-through holes to send pieces back and forth.