[For Seniors] Guaranteed to Liven Things Up! A Collection of Brain Training Activities That Will Spark Laughter

Shiritori

Shiritori Anywhere

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.”

Word guessing quiz

Convey it without saying the answer! Word-guessing game [Senior Recreation]

A word-guessing game where players have to identify the target word without using specific, direct terms.

Write the target word on a whiteboard, have the clue-giver sit facing it so they can see, and have the guesser sit with their back to the whiteboard.

For example, if the target is a specific food, the clue-giver must convey its characteristics clearly without naming it, and the guesser must envision the answer from the given hints—so both need to think hard.

It’s a recreational game that feels refreshing and satisfying when you get the answer right.

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Hoshino Takashi

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Magical Banana

[Viral] We tried playing the Magical Banana game with all the members and burst into laughter lol

Let your imagination grow from the prompt and give your answers! Here are some ideas for the game “Magical Banana.” It’s a simple game where you chant “Magical Banana,” clap your hands, and keep making associations.

Try to avoid using the same words as much as possible, and take on the challenge with a slow rhythm.

For example, if the person sitting in front of you says, “When you say banana, I think fruit,” you would answer, “When you say fruit, I think apple,” and then the next person might say, “When you say apple, I think red,” and so on, as the prompt changes and goes around.

Give it a try while expanding your imagination!

Word search with hiragana cubes

Word search game

Prepare eight cubes with hiragana written on them and roll the cubes.

Combine the hiragana that appear to form as many table-friendly words as you can.

If the word changes, it’s okay to use the same hiragana more than once.

Since the hiragana change each time, you’ll get a different kind of stimulation every time you play.

There are many ways to enjoy it, such as changing the number of cubes or trying to form as many words as possible within a time limit.

Finding words and assembling them from characters activates the brain, so you can enjoy yourself while getting brain-training benefits.

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kojifumi

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Where is the food?

Word Search [Day Service at Home]

Hiragana characters are arranged within a 5-by-5 grid.

From this grid, try to find words that are names of foods.

It’s simple, but actually quite challenging.

Even characters you could find if you stay calm and take your time can suddenly become hard to spot if you set a time limit.

When creating problems, it’s good to prepare multiple answers rather than limiting it to just one.

In senior facilities, having participants create puzzles for each other and swap them not only fosters interaction but also doubles the brain-training effect.

Give it a try!

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kojifumi

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Gesture Game

Gesture game #nursingCare #dayService #careFacility #careHome #elderly #game #recreation #triedPlaying

A gesture game you often see on variety shows.

It doesn’t require any props—just your body—so it’s easy to enjoy and even gives you a bit of exercise.

As you know, the way it works is that the performer conveys the prompt to the participants using only body movements.

There are many ways to express it: capturing distinctive features, imitating actions, and highlighting key points of expression.

The performer thinks about how to communicate and how to represent the prompt through movement.

Participants, watching and wondering what it could be, focus on the motions and make associations, so it can also be expected to have brain-training benefits.

Give it a try!

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kojifumi

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Stepping Brain-Training Exercise

[Fall Prevention] Hilarious! Stepping Brain-Training Exercise – Senior Recreation

When you run recreational activities with a large group, turning it into a competitive format makes it difficult to explain the rules and manage the situation, right? That’s why many people prefer a setup with a quizmaster and the rest as participants, especially with older adults.

For those people, I recommend this “Seated Foot-Stepping Brain Training Exercise.” It’s a seated routine where you step your feet, combining physical activity with cognitive training.

If you add hand claps on multiples of ◯◯ like in the video, there will always be some older participants who make mistakes—use those moments to playfully point it out and turn it into a laugh.

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Ryo

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