[For Seniors] Fun and Lively! Recommended Quiz Questions
How about quiz games like wordplay and riddles during recreation time at day service centers and other senior facilities? Puzzles that hide meanings in the arrangement, color, or orientation of letters, as well as riddles, are enjoyable brain teasers.
The answers often draw on familiar folk tales or everyday events, so seniors can experience that delightful “I get it!” moment of surprise and accomplishment when inspiration strikes.
The process of thinking stimulates the brain, and smiles and conversation naturally arise when the answer is revealed.
This time, we’ll introduce clever wordplay and riddle quizzes that are sure to get seniors excited and thinking, the kind that make you say, “Wow, that’s clever!”
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Trivia and Fun Facts Quiz (11–20)
The reason Momotaro’s companions are a dog, a monkey, and a pheasant
Momotaro, a staple of classic folktales that everyone knows, may strike some as a children’s story, but it’s actually a profound tale that also contains elements of Japanese mythology.
One common question about Momotaro is why his companions are a dog, a monkey, and a pheasant.
The reason has to do with the fact that his enemies are oni (demons) and with the symbolism of those who oppose them.
In relation to the direction known as the kimon—the “demon gate,” from which oni and malevolent energies are said to enter—the zodiac signs positioned in the opposite direction, the ura-kimon, are the Dog (Inu), Monkey (Saru), and Rooster (Tori).
Because of this, they are used as symbols of forces that stand against the oni.
It’s a bit of trivia that shows how knowing myths and legends can make folktales even more interesting.
Trivia and Fun Facts Quiz (21–30)
What was written on the placard when Japan participated in the Olympics for the first time in 1912?
The placards carried by athletes during the opening parade display the names of their countries.
The designs, which often incorporate elements of the host nation’s culture and characteristics, also draw attention.
At the Tokyo Olympics held in 2021, a design inspired by manga speech bubbles was adopted and became a hot topic.
Now, regarding these placards—one of the highlights of the Olympics—when Japan first participated in the Games, the placard read “NIPPON.” Although there were suggestions to use “JAPAN” or the Japanese characters for Japan, “NIPPON” was ultimately chosen.
During the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, unused household appliances and mobile phones were collected to make something. What was it?
Many of you may know this as a first-of-its-kind initiative in the history of the Olympics.
The project was called “Tokyo 2020 Medal Project: Towards an Innovative Future for All.” That’s right—the items produced were the medals awarded to athletes.
The plan was to make 5,000 medals using 100% recycled metals, and it was successfully accomplished.
Many people were likely delighted to know that metals extracted from their own computers, mobile phones, and cameras became the medals.
What new sports were added to the 2024 Paris Olympics?
Paris is a tourist city known for famous historic landmarks such as the Eiffel Tower and the Louvre Museum, and is also called the “City of Flowers.” The 2024 Olympics marked the third time the Games were held in Paris.
Many people were likely excited to see how art and sports would merge.
A new event added to the Paris Olympics was breaking, a dance sport.
In breaking, Japan’s Ami Yuasa competed and won a gold medal.
What was the event called in which artworks on sports themes competed for rankings, which once used to be an Olympic discipline?
Although it is no longer an official event because preserving the quality of artworks and establishing objective scoring criteria are difficult, there used to be competitions in past modern Olympics in which artworks were ranked.
They were called “art competitions.” Japanese participants also took part in the Los Angeles and Berlin Olympics.
Starting with the Helsinki Olympics, instead of a competition, art exhibitions have been included as part of the cultural program, as stipulated by the Olympic Charter.
What do you call an athlete who has competed in the Olympics?
Athletes who have competed in the Olympics are called “Olympians.” The word “Olympian” originally referred to residents of Olympia, the Greek city known as the site of the ancient Olympic Games, but today it is commonly used to refer to Olympic athletes.
The term “Olympian” is also said to evoke the gods of Greek mythology and carry the sense of being “majestic and imposing.” That meaning perfectly overlaps with the image of Olympians who take on the challenge of competition while carrying their nation on their shoulders.
Which country leads the parade of nations at the Olympic opening ceremony?
As for the order of the opening parade, it has actually changed over time.
In fact, even in Japan, the 1964, 1972, and 1998 Games used the alphabetical order, but in 2021 it switched to the Japanese syllabary order.
However, despite such changes, the country that enters first has remained the same.
The correct answer is Greece, because it is the birthplace of the modern Olympics.
In recent years, the country hosting the next Olympics is also often placed near the end.
Which country marches last in the Olympic Parade of Nations?
Some of you may be curious about how the order of the Olympic parade of nations is determined.
In recent years, the order has generally followed the host country’s language, but since it used to be based on the Latin alphabet, it could change again in the future.
However, there are fixed rules for the first and last countries to enter.
The first to enter is the country considered the birthplace of the modern Olympics.
And the last to enter, which is the answer to this question, is the host nation.
At the Tokyo Olympics held in 2021, Japan, as the host country, marched in last.
What bird always appears at the Olympic opening ceremony?
This is an issue that ties into the staging specified in the Olympic Charter.
The answer is “doves.” As many of you know, doves are recognized as a symbol of peace, and at the Olympic Opening Ceremony, doves were always released after the lighting of the Olympic flame.
However, due to a tragic accident at the 1988 Seoul Olympics, real doves no longer appear in the staging today.
That doesn’t mean doves have disappeared from the Olympics altogether—each country incorporates doves into their staging in different ways, so please keep an eye out for them.
What do the Olympic rings represent?
The Olympic symbol consists of five interlocking rings, right? When people hear “Olympics,” I think this is the first image that comes to mind, but do you know what the symbol represents? In fact, the rings stand for the five continents—Asia, Europe, Africa, the Americas, and Oceania—and signify their unity and the gathering of athletes from around the world.
The colors of the rings—blue, yellow, black, green, and red—were chosen because they appear in many national flags.