[For Seniors] Exciting Team-Based Recreational Activities
In this article, we introduce super exciting team-based recreational activities for older adults!
They might bring back nostalgic memories of your school sports days.
As the games progress, things can really heat up and turn into a thrilling competition!
Some activities can be done while seated or started with simple tools, so feel free to use these as a reference.
Making it a team competition might also be a chance to get friendly with people you don’t usually talk to.
We hope everyone has a great time together!
- [For Seniors] Recreational Activities Enjoyable in Large Groups
- [For Seniors] Guaranteed to Liven Things Up! A Collection of Brain Training Activities That Will Spark Laughter
- [For Seniors] Simple Tabletop Games: Fun and Engaging Recreational Activities
- [For Seniors] Easy and fun seated activities you can do in your room
- [For Seniors] A Fun Sports Day! Recreational Activities You Can Do Safely
- [For Seniors] Simple Recreational Activities You Can Enjoy While Seated
- [For Seniors] Fun Recreational Activities Without Equipment
- [For Seniors] Exciting! Ball-Based Recreation
- [For Seniors] Enjoyable Indoor Activities! Recreations and Games That Engage the Mind and Body
- [For Seniors] Today’s Recommended Activity: Fun and Engaging
- [For Seniors] Enjoyable Day Service: A Collection of Fun Event Ideas
- [For Seniors] Enjoy safely even during the COVID-19 pandemic: Seated activities
- For Seniors: Fun and Lively Exercise Recreation
[For Seniors] Exciting Team-Based Recreational Activities (11–20)
Ojami Wobble Game
This is a game where you place beanbags on an unstable platform while keeping balance in mind, stacking them so the platform doesn’t topple.
Participants take turns placing the beanbags, and figuring out how to place them without tipping the platform—as well as the fine motor adjustments that can make the difference—also serves as good hand training.
Since they’re just beanbags, even if things fall over, there’s no risk of injury, which is reassuring.
You can easily make the unstable platform by putting a round tray on top of a toilet paper roll core or a plastic wrap tube.
Bomb GO
This is a game where players kick crumpled newspaper balls in two colors, aiming to get their team’s balls into the opponent’s side.
Sit in two facing rows, and mark a white line in the middle with tape to divide the territory.
Through the game, encourage plenty of leg movement, such as moving the feet back and forth to kick and stretching the legs to reach distant balls.
If you draw the white line at a distance that the feet can’t reach and place some balls there as well, players will also focus on finely controlling their foot movements by bumping nearby balls to move others—this setup is highly recommended too.
Air-reading game
Are you good at reading the room? Here’s a recreation activity that tests exactly that.
First, form a circle facing each other.
Without deciding who goes first or the order, participants stand up one by one while calling out the next number.
If more than one person stands up at the same time, the game is over.
If everyone succeeds in standing up, next you do the same while sitting down, continuing the count.
Standing up and sitting down while sensing the team’s mood and timing seems simple but is surprisingly difficult.
Give it a try!
Clothespin relay
How about trying a clothespin relay that you can start right away with just clothespins and a towel? It exercises the hands and helps develop quick reflexes and team unity.
Here’s how to play: Sit in a line or in a circle around a table.
Each person clips three clothespins onto the towel and then passes it to the next runner.
Once the towel reaches the last runner, pass it back in the opposite direction while each person removes three clothespins.
The team that finishes first wins.
It’s a fun game that also fosters a sense of solidarity by being on the same team.
Cleaning battle with uchiwa fans
Fan paper cups with a uchiwa and have a cleaning showdown! Put a tape mark in the center of the table and place paper cups evenly all over.
Once you’re standing by on both sides holding your uchiwa, start at the “Ready, go!” signal and fan from a low position to push the paper cups into your opponent’s territory.
The player with fewer cups left in their own territory at the end wins! The key is to fan as if you’re slapping the uchiwa against the table.
It could be even more fun if everyone draws pictures on the paper cups beforehand and you play with colorful cups.
Ring Relay
In March there are some days when you can feel the warmth, but there are also days with sharp temperature swings.
At times like that, let’s liven things up indoors with a “ring relay.” To prepare, use paper or toilet paper rolls to make rings in large, medium, and small sizes, and pass them to the next person by threading them onto chopsticks.
It works well as a small-group game, and it’s also fun as a team competition for larger groups.
Through the relay, you’ll naturally interact with those around you and help promote communication.
Since you can do it while seated, it should be easy for older adults to join in too.
Enjoy your time!
[For Seniors] Exciting Team Competition Recreations (21–30)
Sukiyaki Rock-Paper-Scissors Game
The “Sukiyaki Rock-Paper-Scissors Game” is a game where you collect sukiyaki ingredients: meat, grilled tofu, egg, shirataki noodles, and green onion.
How you collect them is by playing rock-paper-scissors! If you win a round, you get to choose an ingredient.
The first person to collect all the ingredients wins.
You can make it easy to understand by drawing the ingredients as illustrations on paper.
It’s a game for two or more players, and it gets pretty heated!
