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[For Seniors] Introducing Whiteboard Activities That Liven Up Spring!
When spring arrives, it gradually gets warmer, and older adults tend to become more active, don’t they?
Even seniors who tended to stay in their rooms during the winter may enjoy going out and interacting with others.
At such times, it would be fun to have games that are easy to play and can involve a large group, right?
This time, we’ll introduce whiteboard recreation activities that are perfect for enjoying in spring.
All you need are a whiteboard and markers, so preparation is simple and hassle-free.
They’re all activities that can be enjoyed by many people, making them great for fostering interaction among seniors.
Use these ideas as references for whiteboard recreation that lets you feel the spring season even indoors!
[For Seniors] Introducing Whiteboard Activities That Liven Up Spring! (1–10)
Arunashi quiz
It’s a game where you’re shown words divided into two groups—“has” and “doesn’t have”—and you have to figure out what they have in common.
The tricky part is that the shared feature can take many forms, such as something that appears when you add a word before or after, or a property hidden within the word itself.
The breadth of possible commonalities makes it challenging, but it also stimulates the brain by encouraging diverse approaches.
Since that same breadth can make it hard, let’s provide hints gradually to help guide the thinking process.
If you try reading the words out loud, you might notice something that brings you closer to the answer.
An evolved word-association game with a spring theme
This is a variation on a word-association game where you throw out a theme word and have participants think of words that fit the condition.
Write two blocks on the board—adjectives like “cute” or “round,” and nouns like “animals” or “vegetables”—and have them quickly come up with combinations of the two.
Setting a rule like “things related to spring” makes it easier to form images from scenery, so that kind of tweak is recommended.
Since participants must think of combinations instantly after they’re specified, it should effectively stimulate the brain.
Brain training with rock-paper-scissors
It’s a game where you create patterns that switch between rock, scissors, and paper hand shapes, then go through those different patterns in order.
The key is thinking about what shape comes next.
Having players say the shapes out loud while making them is also important; thinking, moving the hands, and speaking at the same time helps activate the brain.
Start at a slow tempo at first, then gradually increase the speed to make it more challenging.
It might be easier if you write the sequence on a board in words so players can refer to it while figuring out the shapes.
Word association game: speaking of spring
With the warmth of each passing day, some older adults may be sensing the shift from winter to spring.
In senior care facilities and similar settings, try enjoying games that capture the feeling of the season.
On a whiteboard, write down things that older adults associate with spring.
You’ll likely hear associations such as “butterbur sprouts,” “cherry blossoms,” or “school entrance ceremonies.” The key is to have each person share an answer.
Recalling their own knowledge helps stimulate the brain and can provide cognitive training benefits.
Writing the ideas on the whiteboard also encourages more conversation among participants.
Please give it a try.
Fill-in-the-blank with a spring theme
It’s a game where you draw circles on a whiteboard—some with blank spaces and some with letters—and have players think of words by filling in the blanks.
While making use of the letters already written, they come up with words of that length.
The broad range of choices helps stimulate the brain.
If you prepare the letters in advance with a spring theme, players can enjoy a sense of spring while still having plenty of options to form words, which is recommended.
The difficulty changes depending on the number of letters and where the blanks are placed, so try various patterns to have players think of different words.
Animal sound brain training
It’s a game where you read the written name of an animal, think about which sound that animal makes, and answer.
It tests your ability to connect memories—how quickly you can imagine the sound from the animal’s name.
Start by checking which animal makes which sound, then move on to the letter chart.
Because you can reach the answer by thinking carefully, it’s also important to be mindful of speed.
The process of thinking from the written word and then saying it aloud helps activate the brain.
Let’s change one character with a spring-themed prompt.
It’s a game where you change just one character in a word written in hiragana to make a different word, and see how far you can keep the chain going.
If you limit the category of words you can use, the difficulty becomes too high, so starting with words that evoke spring is recommended.
Since the flow involves searching your memory for words that fit, it really tests how many words you know and how well you can retrieve them.
The difficulty also changes depending on the starting word’s length, so try various patterns to train your brain.