![[For Seniors] Exciting Team-Based Recreational Activities](https://i.ytimg.com/vi_webp/DcrblLGy9oc/maxresdefault.webp)
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!
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[For Seniors] Exciting Team Competition Recreations (1–10)
Newspaper-ball rolling relay
Here’s the “newspaper ball-rolling relay,” which you can play even in a small space as long as you have newspaper and a ball.
First, divide into two teams.
Two people facing each other each hold one end of a sheet of newspaper with both hands.
Then the next two people do the same, and the next two as well, creating a path out of newspaper.
Roll the ball along this newspaper path.
Adjusting the height of the newspaper and making sure there are no gaps requires good teamwork to create a smooth track.
It’s more fun if you prepare not just one ball but several balls of different types.
Rock-Paper-Scissors Ball Pass
‘Rock-Paper-Scissors Ball Relay’ where you can pass the ball only if you win at rock-paper-scissors! Split into two teams, and each team forms a single line facing the other.
The first person in each line holds a ball, and they play rock-paper-scissors.
If you win, you pass the ball to the next person; if you lose, your ball cannot move.
Continue having rock-paper-scissors only between the people currently holding balls, and each winner keeps passing their ball along.
The team that gets their ball to the last person first wins.
Tie, Open, Towel Relay
The “Towel Relay,” where you tie and untie a single towel and pass it to the next person! You can only relay it to your neighbor after you’ve tied the towel once and then untied it.
The team that manages to relay the towel all the way to the last person the fastest while performing this action wins.
The key is not to tie the towel too tightly! If you tie it too tight, it’ll be hard to undo, so tie it loosely so you can open it up quickly.
Speaking of ◯◯, the ◯◯ game
Here’s a recommended recreation that uses only a whiteboard.
It’s called the “When you think of ___, you think of ___” game.
Divide into two teams and take turns writing things related to a given topic on the whiteboard.
The team that writes the most items within the time limit wins.
Because you actually write on the board yourself, it trains both your mind and your hands to move quickly.
Work together as a team to come up with and write down as many items as you can!
Rolling Rice Ball Game
When it comes to things that roll easily, rice balls (omusubi) are a classic example.
This game has you place those rice balls on paper plates and reel them in along a bumpy path.
The person who pulls more rice balls toward themselves wins.
You’ll need paper-made rice balls, string, paper plates, and a few empty plastic wrap cores.
The wrap cores are used both to wind the string for reeling in and as obstacles.
Reeling in the string with the wrap core is great for fine motor skills, and navigating the bumpy path also relies heavily on tactile sensitivity.
Rock-Paper-Scissors Relay
How about a simple “Rock-Paper-Scissors Relay” that only requires newspaper? Split into two teams.
The person holding a baton—made by rolling newspaper into a circle—plays rock-paper-scissors with the next person in line.
If they win, they can pass the baton to the next person.
The team that manages to pass the baton all the way down and back first wins.
If there’s someone really strong at rock-paper-scissors in the middle, the baton can get stuck there.
So instead of just playing without thinking, it might be good to consider how you could deliberately lose when needed.
Table curling
Let’s play curling—made famous at the 2018 Pyeongchang Olympics—on a tabletop instead of on ice! Use paper cups in place of curling stones, and no brushes.
Slide the paper-cup stones across the table to get them into the scoring area.
It doesn’t have to be a circular target like in real curling; it’s totally fine to assign points based on where the cup ends up after sliding.
The team that scores the most points—by avoiding or knocking off the opponent’s paper-cup stones—wins!