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[For Seniors] Introducing Whiteboard Activities to Enjoy in Winter!
In the cold winter season, older adults may be reluctant to go outside.
They’re likely to do indoor recreational activities instead.
In that case, you’ll want to incorporate activities that don’t require much preparation.
Here, we’ll introduce whiteboard recreation ideas themed around winter.
By adding winter elements to the whiteboard activities you usually do, you can enjoy the season while participating.
Of course, they’re also effective for dementia prevention.
Please use these ideas as a reference!
[For Seniors] Introducing Whiteboard Activities to Enjoy in Winter (1–10)
It’s not about winter, Nakatōri.
Some older adults may feel that shiritori has become routine.
In that case, the game I recommend is “Naka-tori.” In regular shiritori, players think of a word that begins with the last character of the previous word.
In Naka-tori, you connect using the middle character of the previous word.
While regular shiritori ends your turn if a word ends with “ん” (n), in Naka-tori you must avoid having “ん” appear in the middle of the word.
Moreover, because you use words with an odd number of characters—like three or five—Naka-tori is a bit more difficult than shiritori.
It may sound hard, but research suggests that tasks you find “just a little difficult” are actually more effective for stimulating the brain.
Winter-themed word association game
Winter is full of major events like Christmas, New Year’s, and Setsubun.
Here’s a whiteboard-based recreation activity we recommend for busy staff as well.
Ask older adults to suggest words that evoke January and February.
From the many words they come up with, choose the next prompt.
Start with a broad theme like “images of January and February.” Then, from the words they’ve offered, pick something likely to spark more answers and make that the next prompt.
If the answers have regional characteristics, the discussion will expand even more.
It also works as an easy brain-training activity, so give it a try with older adults.
Collecting words with Setsubun chants
When you think of February, Setsubun comes to mind, right? Many elderly care facilities probably hold Setsubun events.
The activity we’re introducing this time—“Collecting Words with the Setsubun Chant”—is a perfect recreation for a Setsubun event.
Divide the seniors into two teams: “Oni wa soto” (Demons out) and “Fuku wa uchi” (Fortune in).
Each team competes by coming up with kanji that include the components for “oni” and “soto,” or “fuku” and “uchi.” Thinking of matching kanji stimulates the brain and may help prevent dementia.
Be sure to try it in your February recreation program.
A word-collecting game themed around beans
Bean-throwing with the chant “Demons out! Good fortune in!” The exact chant may vary by region, but in most places the custom is to throw beans, right? So why not enjoy a word-association game using words that include “mame” (bean)? Write the prompt “mame” on a whiteboard and ask older adults to come up with words that contain it.
Associating words like this is said to help train memory and creativity.
Of course, you can also collect words related to seasonal items other than beans and still have fun.
It’s a game that fosters communication with others through play.
Please give it a try!
Picture shiritori about winter
This is a shiritori word game inspired by pictures and illustrations.
Draw pictures on a whiteboard so they connect in a shiritori sequence.
Together with older adults, link words step by step based on what each picture suggests.
To keep things smooth, you can draw all the pictures on the whiteboard before starting the game.
It’s a great option even for staff who feel they’re not good at drawing.
For older adults, the key point of recreation is to have fun.
With a shiritori using “unique, charming drawings,” laughter naturally follows and participants may enjoy it even more.
By all means, try playing shiritori inspired by pictures while having fun together.
Valentine’s Day True-or-False Quiz
This is a simple quiz where you write Valentine’s Day-themed questions on a whiteboard and have participants think of the answers.
By not only listening to the words but also carefully reading the text on the whiteboard before answering, participants can train not just their imagination for the answers but also their concentration on the questions.
For those unfamiliar with Valentine’s Day, encourage them to focus more on understanding what Valentine’s Day is rather than getting the correct answers.
Keep the answers simple—either “true” or “false”—and have everyone respond in unison.
This helps create a sense of unity among participants, which we highly recommend.
New Year’s Trivia Quiz
Traditional Japanese events and customs like New Year’s and Setsubun have been around for generations.
How about enjoying a quiz that incorporates these familiar practices, which many older adults have known since childhood? Because the themes are familiar to seniors, it’s easy to participate.
Trivia that prompts recalling memories can be expected to have brain-training benefits.
Writing the questions on a whiteboard also makes it easier to remember.
When familiar topics come up and participants answer correctly, they can feel a sense of accomplishment.
It also offers the joy of learning new facts and can trigger memories of past New Year’s celebrations.
Please give it a try.