[For Seniors] Enjoy the Cold Winter! Seated Activities You Can Do
Winter’s cold makes it easy to feel reluctant to go outside, doesn’t it?
In snowy regions, some older adults may find going out difficult in the first place.
These “Seated Activities for Winter” are perfect for such seniors!
We’ve gathered exercises and games you can enjoy safely and comfortably in a warm indoor setting.
From activities that move the legs and hands while seated to those with brain-training elements, they help keep the body active and support dementia prevention.
We hope these ideas help you enjoyably get through the rest of this bitterly cold winter!
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- For Seniors: December Health Topics — Winter Recreational Activities to Warm the Body and the Heart
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- [For Seniors] Recommended Easy Strength Training
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[For Seniors] Enjoy the Cold Winter! Seated Activities (1–10)
Brain training exercises: If You’re Happy and You Know It (Clap Your Hands)
This activity encourages moving your body to the lyrics of the children’s song “If You’re Happy and You Know It,” while incorporating handclaps.
Clapping firmly not only exercises your hands but can also help improve circulation.
Instead of waiting just for the clapping parts, it’s recommended to add marching steps during the other parts of the song.
The key is to keep the rhythm and move your whole body thoroughly.
You can start with basic marching and clapping, then make the movements more complex to add a brain-training effect as well.
Whac-A-Mole
This is a game where you stack paper-cup hammers on paper-cup moles arranged on a table to collect them.
Because you have to align the hammer precisely over the mole to collect it, it trains hand movements and concentration.
To encourage awareness of speed, it’s also recommended to set a time limit or make it a head-to-head match.
As the number of stacked moles increases, controlling the hammer gradually becomes more difficult, so it’s a game that really helps players focus on how they move their hands.
Korokoro Push Game
It’s a game where you use a stick to keep balls from falling as they roll toward you.
Since the field where the balls roll is far away, your ability to control a long stick that can effectively transfer force to the balls is put to the test.
The rules increase the number of balls gradually over time, which adds a decision-making element about which ball to tap.
It’s a game that can train various skills—judgment, speed, control, and how you apply force—by keeping all these factors in mind.
[For seniors] Enjoy the cold winter! Seated activities (11–20)
Chopstick Ball-Carrying Game
Here’s an introduction to a fingertip game where you use chopsticks to pick up and carry small items.
Games that involve fine finger movements can help stimulate the brain.
They’re also useful for training movements needed in daily life.
What you’ll need is an ice tray for making ice—one that makes small cubes is recommended.
Prepare some craft pom-poms (also called “pompoms”) and a pair of disposable wooden chopsticks.
You can get everything you need at a 100-yen shop, so preparation is easy.
Starting from one end of the ice tray, use the chopsticks to pick up the pom-poms and place them into the compartments.
This action helps train eating-related movements.
Since it’s a seated game, it’s likely to be easy for older adults to try.
Beanbag Tower
This game uses beanbags—an indoor winter classic—and tests precise hand movements and concentration.
A paper cup is placed upside down in front of you, and you compete to see how high you can stack beanbags on top of it.
The tricky part is that one hand must support the cup while the other hand alone stacks the beanbags.
Because beanbags easily change shape when force is applied, you’ll also need to think about what shapes to create as you build.
Running the game with a time limit further sharpens focus and quickness at hand, so that’s highly recommended too.
Korokoro Pon Game
Here’s a tabletop game that uses balls.
Prepare balls of different sizes, such as ping-pong balls or rubber balls about the size of a fist.
An older adult rolls a ball from one end of the table.
On the opposite side of the table from where the older adult is rolling, hang a basket.
The game is to roll the ball and get it into this basket.
It can be played while seated, so it seems suitable for older adults who use wheelchairs as well.
Moments like “It almost went in but didn’t!” are likely to make it exciting for the participants.
Paper cup launcher
It’s a game where you swing a stick made of newspaper to launch a paper cup placed on the tip forward, and compete on how far it flies.
Your ability to control force is tested—how you swing determines how well the power transfers to the cup and how far it goes.
Just swinging with brute force won’t work, so pay attention to where you start the swing, when you stop it, and the angle.
Through the game, you’ll also get good movement in your upper body, especially around the shoulders, which is another key benefit.