[For Seniors] Fun Small-Group Recreation

Paper cup scooping

Simple yet exciting paper! Cup-and-stick scooping

Paper cup scooping is also a recommended finger exercise.

Paper cup scooping is a game where you scoop up paper cups using a pen or chopsticks.

For example, you can scoop using only a pen, or attach adhesive tape to chopsticks and scoop with that.

Set the rules to suit your preferences.

If you want to make the game even more exciting, you can color the paper cups and pretend they’re fish or animals.

In that case, decorate the pen or chopsticks to match as well.

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yamamoto

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Gesture Game

Gesture Game

Let’s play a game of charades! With charades, all you need is paper and a pen, and you can enjoy it anywhere, whether you have a small group or a large one.

You don’t absolutely need paper and a pen, but they can be useful for writing the prompts to show the person acting them out and for checking answers.

How about starting with simple things like familiar animals or objects?

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utatane

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Speaking of ◯◯, the ◯◯ game

[Whiteboard Recreation] Guaranteed Crowd-Pleaser! The “When You Hear ___, You Think of ___” Game

A whiteboard game called “When you think of ___, you think of ___.” There are countless prompts and themes.

For example, for “When you think of spring,” you might answer cherry blossoms, cherry-blossom viewing, school entrance ceremonies—things associated with spring and seasonal traditions.

If writing directly on the whiteboard is difficult, raising your hand to answer works too.

It’s a two-in-one game where everyone can also discuss the ideas that come up.

Sharing personal stories—like memories from cherry-blossom outings or a grandchild’s school entrance—really livens things up.

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utatane

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Shiritori

Shiritori Anywhere

This is a “grid shiritori” game where you prepare a grid, write words in the squares, and connect them however you like.

You can link words vertically, horizontally, or diagonally—any way you want.

Don’t go outside the grid.

It gets lively if you follow a theme like “names of foods” or “names of animals.” The game is complete when the grid is neatly filled to the end.

The last part might be a bit tricky!

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utatane

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ring toss

Recreational Care (06) “Wa-pon”: Upper-Limb Compound Exercise with Ring Toss

Here’s an easy ring toss you can make with household items.

Make the rings by rolling newspaper into thin tubes, taping the ends together to form a loop, and wrapping them with vinyl tape.

Instead of tossing onto pegs like a regular ring toss, place clothespins on the floor and use them as the targets.

Assign different point values by color and compete for the highest score.

It’s best to decide in advance how many throws each person gets.

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utatane

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Boccia

New sport: “Boccia? Pétanque?” (Asumiru-style)

This is a team-based game you can play either sitting or standing.

Each team has a set number of colored balls.

Form a circle and place a sturdy target in the center that won’t tip over, such as a water-filled plastic bottle.

Teams take turns throwing their balls toward the target.

At the end, place a hula hoop around the target and count how many balls are inside the hoop; the team with more balls wins.

While aiming close to the target is important, another strategy is to hit the opposing team’s balls to push them out.

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utatane

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Juggling

Juggling that makes me crack up every time lol

This is a beanbag toss—still a beanbag toss, but so funny you can’t stop laughing.

Have older participants sit and throw the beanbags, while the staff push and pull the box that the bags are supposed to go into, zipping past at high speed.

That sense of speed triggers laughter, and the excitement it creates is also great for the body.

Throw in feints—pretend you’re about to pass in front and then don’t—and the crowd goes wild.

It’s also wonderful as a cheerful, laughter-filled change of pace.

Give it a try!

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Hirakawa Masako (Bōkarisuto: Sakata Mizumako)

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