[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 (41–50)
Daruma Stacking Game
Let me introduce the “Daruma Stacking Game,” a game that trains finger dexterity, quickness, and concentration.
Prepare paper cups with daruma drawings, and compete to see how many tiers you can stack within 40 seconds.
You can stack them however you like, but because speed and caution are both required, it demands not only concentration but also creativity.
Additionally, the quick hand movements used to grasp the cups are similar to the reflex of grabbing onto something when you’re about to fall, so it may help prevent falls.
It’s also recommended as a recreation activity for senior care facilities.
[For Seniors] Exciting Team Competition Recreation Activities (51–60)
Table hockey
Introducing table hockey, a game that’s a blast whether you’re playing with a small group or a larger one.
Since you play seated, anyone can join in.
Cover the table so the ball won’t fall off anywhere except from the two ends.
Make strikers out of cardboard, place the ball in the center of the table, and you’re ready to go! Play to five points—the winner is the one who sends the ball off the opponent’s end of the table.
It’s fun while also helping to build arm strength, reaction speed, and decision-making, so it can be used as an occupational therapy activity as well.
Give it a try!
Foo Foo Ping Pong
A game where you use only your breath to move a ping-pong ball across a table to the goal! You don’t use your hands or feet, so you can play while seated.
It looks easy, but ping-pong balls are so light that even a small puff of air makes them roll away.
Work together as a team, adjusting your strength as you guide the ball to the goal.
The team that delivers the most ping-pong balls to the goal wins.
ball toss (traditional Japanese beanbag/ball-throwing game)
A classic sports day event: the ball toss! You can enjoy it indoors and even while seated.
Use soft balls like beanbags, and prepare baskets that are lower than the ones used at sports days.
You can set up about two baskets and assign different point values depending on which basket the balls go into.
Of course, if you’re able to stand, it’s totally fine to play standing as well! Split into teams and have fun!
Let’s play frisbee
Here’s a game using a frisbee.
Stand empty plastic bottles on the floor, and have the seniors throw a frisbee to knock them down.
Frisbees had a bit of a boom in Japan from the 1970s to the early 1980s, so some seniors may have played with them back then.
The game might also bring back fond memories.
Forming teams and competing for points can make it more exciting, but of course, it’s plenty of fun to play solo as well.
Beanbag Catch Relay
Using beanbags and a bucket, here’s a beanbag catch relay.
Have the older adults sit in chairs in a single line.
Give the bucket to the person at one end, and have each person catch the beanbag that comes their way using the bucket.
After catching the beanbag, pass the bucket to the next person.
Catching the beanbag that flies toward you is said to help train reflexes.
Even while seated, you’ll be moving your body, so you can do brain training and exercise at the same time.
Once everyone gets used to it, gradually adjust the difficulty by increasing the throwing speed of the beanbags.
It really livens things up, and attempting tasks that feel a bit challenging is also said to help activate the brain.
Super Ball Relay
Introducing the Super Ball Relay, a game that can be enjoyed by small groups to large gatherings.
All you need are paper cups and super balls.
Participants sit in a circle or around a table, each holding a paper cup.
Place a super ball in the first person’s cup, then pass the ball to the next person using the cups.
The goal is to pass it all the way to the last person.
Predicting the ball’s movement and tilting the cup accordingly, as well as figuring out how to receive the super ball, provides great stimulation for the brain.
You can also vary the fun by racing for speed or increasing the number of super balls.