[For Seniors] Easy and fun seated activities you can do in your room
Introducing fun seated recreational activities for older adults!
Even when you want to do exercises in nursing homes or day service centers, activities that are too intense or put strain on the legs and back can increase the risk of falls.
The activities we’re introducing this time are recommended because everyone can enjoy them while staying seated.
From exercises that move only the hands to games that engage the entire upper body, choose whatever looks fun from the many options available.
They’re even more exciting if you make them team competitions!
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- [For Seniors] Enjoyable Indoor Activities! Recreations and Games That Engage the Mind and Body
- [For Seniors] Recreational Activities Enjoyable in Large Groups
- [Elderly Day Service] Let’s all have fun! Games and recreational activities
- Hand games that liven things up for seniors—also great brain training
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- [For Seniors] Enjoy the Cold Winter! Seated Activities You Can Do
- [For Seniors] Guaranteed to Be a Hit! Popular Day Service Recreational Activities
- [For Seniors] Exciting Team-Based Recreational Activities
[For Seniors] Easy and Fun In-Room Activities♪ Enjoyable Seated Recreations (111–120)
karuta (traditional Japanese playing cards)
Karuta is a game where you listen to the reading cards and compete to grab the picture cards.
It’s recommended for people with dementia because it stimulates hearing and sight.
When playing with a large group, commercially available karuta sets may be a bit small, so it could be fun to make your own sets together, such as a “Popular Songs Karuta” or a “National Travel Karuta.” Karuta used to be a classic New Year’s pastime, and many older adults likely have one or two memories connected to it.
It would be wonderful to enjoy karuta along with those memories and the conversations they bring.
[For Seniors] Easy and Fun Seated Activities You Can Do in Your Room (121–130)
Shiritori
Shiritori, a word game many of us have played since childhood, is also a recommended recreation for people with dementia.
One of its strengths is how easy it is—no materials or preparation required.
It’s handy for filling small pockets of time, like on the bus when going out to the suburbs.
Another plus is that you can adjust the difficulty to match the person’s cognitive level.
You can customize freely with rules like “three-letter words only” or “food items only.” You could also set a goal, such as “finish after connecting 50 words.”
Rock-Paper-Scissors Ball Passing Game
Here’s a team-vs-team, high-energy Rock-Paper-Scissors Ball Relay game.
First, divide into teams.
Arrange chairs in a single row for each team, facing each other, and have everyone sit.
Next, the two players at the front each hold a ball and play rock-paper-scissors.
The winner passes their ball to the next teammate, and this repeats down the line.
The team that gets their ball back to the front first wins.
It’s exciting because you can clearly see which side is in the lead, and it’s great for engaging both the mind and body at the same time.
Rock-Paper-Scissors Relay
A “Rock-Paper-Scissors Relay” where you can’t pass the baton until you win at rock-paper-scissors! Because there’s a mission to not just pass the baton but to win the game, everyone is sure to take it seriously.
You’ll be able to enjoy it in a relaxed atmosphere—some people will get flustered because they “just can’t seem to win,” while others will burst out laughing at endless ties.
Even those who aren’t great at conversation may find it easier to fit in by communicating through rock-paper-scissors.
Quick and easy! Whiteboard Bingo
How about trying Whiteboard Bingo, a game you can enjoy if you have a whiteboard? Preparation is simple: draw lines on the whiteboard to create a grid.
Draw lines so that it becomes 5 squares by 5 squares.
The rules are that players are split into O and X and take turns marking the grid.
The first person to place four of the same mark in a row—vertically, horizontally, or diagonally—wins.
It’s a game that gives your brain a real workout, as you aim to block your opponent from lining up their marks while also creating your own line of four, making it perfect for mental exercise.
Relaxed setting!
It’s a simple game where you stand a stick—like the core of a roll of plastic wrap—upright in front of you and stretch rubber bands to loop them onto it.
Within a time limit, you compete to see how many rubber bands you can place without knocking the stick over, so delicate hand movements are key.
By changing the stick’s thickness or lightness, factors like how far you need to stretch the rubber band and how much force you use when placing it will vary, allowing you to adjust the difficulty.
The motion of gently shrinking the rubber band and easing it onto the stick helps players focus on concentration and how they apply force.
Pull-and-Find Treasure Hunt Game
It’s a treasure-hunt game where you pull a basket or box filled with various items using a string or similar, and search inside for the target item.
Because it simultaneously trains different abilities—arm strength for pulling the string, listening skills to accurately catch the prompt, and eyesight to find the presented item—it’s highly recommended as a recreational activity for older adults.
If you make it competitive, it also requires quick reaction, which can boost abilities while having fun—another big advantage.
Of course, young children can gain the same benefits, so give it a try!
