[For Seniors] Voice Activities That Are Fun and Lively—Great for Stress Relief and Preventing Aspiration!
The time we spend laughing out loud together is a wonderful moment that brings energy to our daily lives, isn’t it? This time, we’re sharing ideas for activities that incorporate “vocalization” to refresh the mind and body—no equipment needed.
We’ve gathered smile-inducing activities like tongue twisters, parody songs, and the Pa-Ta-Ka-Ra exercises done while moving your hands and feet.
Using your voice helps relieve stress, maintain swallowing ability, and prevent aspiration.
Let’s all have fun together while working to improve oral functions!
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- [For Seniors] Guaranteed to Liven Things Up! A Collection of Brain Training Activities That Will Spark Laughter
- [For Seniors] Recommended for Recreation! A Collection of Fun and Lively Parody Songs
- [For Seniors] Let's try customizing the usual Pa-Ta-Ka-Ra exercises!
- [For Seniors] Stay Healthy Through Your Mouth with the A-I-U-BE Exercises!
- [For Seniors] Have Fun! A Collection of Group Game Recreation Ideas
For Seniors: Voice Activities That Are Fun and Lively—Great for Stress Relief and Preventing Aspiration (1–10)
Mouth exercises with pa, pi, pu, pe, poNEW!
Because “pa/pi/pu/pe/po” are plosive sounds, they’re perfect for oral motor exercises! Let’s use this P-row and try singing.
The song will be the children’s song “Hato” (Dove), which also became a Ministry of Education school song.
First, as a review, sing it normally.
After that, replace all the lyrics with “pa/pi/pu/pe/po” and sing.
You’ll keep repeating the pattern of assigning the P-row sounds in order—“pa,” “pi,” “pu,” “pe,” “po”—to the parts of the lyrics.
At first, it’s fine to make a lyric card as a guide and sing while looking at it.
Once you get used to it, try singing without the card.
Since you’ll be thinking, “Which sound comes next?” as you sing, it can be used not only as an oral exercise but also as brain training!
Let’s all sing togetherNEW!
Singing not only helps relieve stress, but also exercises the mouth, may help prevent aspiration, and can stimulate the brain—offering many positive effects.
Try singing songs you loved as a child or favorites by singers you like.
When you sing, be sure to open your mouth wide and sing loudly within a comfortable range—that’s the key.
Singing can brighten your mood and make you feel more positive, so be sure to incorporate it into your regular recreational activities.
Oral Exercises: A I U E ONEW!
Even with just the five sounds “a i u e o,” you can do solid oral exercises by incorporating different methods! Start by saying “a i u e o” with your mouth open wide.
Next, change the order in which you produce the sounds—for example, “i e a o u” or “u e o a i.” Since the order changes, pay closer attention to how you open your mouth for each sound.
Then, vary the pitch when you speak: try saying them in a high voice, a low voice, or a mix of both.
Finally, try stretching each of “a i u e o” as you say them, or repeat them rapidly like a tongue twister.
Using a variety of ways to say them will help strengthen your mouth!
[For Seniors] Great for Stress Relief and Preventing Aspiration! Fun, Lively Voice Exercises (11–20)
singing contestNEW!
@wakuwaku_idea Recreation for seniors: a simple, seated, laugh-filled singing contest that warms both heart and bodyElderlyRecreationTranslationInteresting
♪ Original song – Idea Wakuwaku Rehabilitation – Idea Wakuwaku Rehabilitation
This activity lets you sing while moving your body, and it also works as brain training.
First, sit facing a partner in pairs and hold a single stick together.
While pulling the stick back and forth as if rowing a boat, sing a song.
To start, everyone should sing the same song together while alternately pulling the stick.
Simple, easy-to-sing children’s songs with clear lyrics are recommended.
Once you get used to it, try pulling the stick while each of you sings a different song.
For example, one person can sing “Usagi to Kame” (The Hare and the Tortoise) while the other sings “Urashima Tarō.” Keep pulling on the stick, but be careful not to get pulled along by your partner’s song!
Melody change rec
Let’s try making parody versions using songs that older adults are familiar with, such as nursery rhymes and TV drama theme songs.
Singing the lyrics of a different song to a familiar melody can really liven things up.
The key point here is to choose songs that older adults know well.
If you pick songs that aren’t widely known, their motivation to sing may drop, so please be careful.
With parodies, even if you make some mistakes in the lyrics or go off pitch a little, it can turn into laughter.
It also helps stabilize emotions and relieve stress, so we hope you’ll enjoy singing.
Consciously singing different lyrics to a familiar tune stimulates the brain and supports activation.
Please give it a try.
tongue twister
Tongue twisters, where you quickly pronounce set phrases, are often seen as a way to improve enunciation.
By consciously moving the tongue and articulating words clearly, you can also train the muscles used for swallowing.
To become more aware of the tongue and throat muscles and their movements, it may be more important to move your mouth fully and focus on clear pronunciation—along with using facial expressions—rather than simply aiming for speed.
Actively moving the tongue also helps stimulate saliva production, so it’s recommended.
Get hyped! High-speed patakara
This is an exercise that encourages you to pay close attention to the speed of articulation and aim for smooth mouth movements.
Focusing on each of the syllables in the familiar “pa-ta-ka-ra,” it’s a simple activity where you repeatedly say the specified syllable in succession.
It’s easiest to follow the person standing in front, using their pronunciation as a reference and aiming for the same mouth movements and the same speed.
The comical effort of trying hard to pronounce the same word is also an important point—let’s make it fun while training the mouth’s movements.