[For Seniors] A Brain-Training, Crowd-Pleasing Word Search Game

Association game: various surnames

[Word Association Game] Various Surnames

There are many different surnames in Japan.

Depending on the region, you might find people with rare surnames, or areas where many people share the same surname.

According to one theory, surnames have various origins: some come from the family line one was born into, others from occupations, and still others from the places where people lived.

So this time, we’d like to introduce “Word Association Game: All About Surnames.” Give participants one minute to think of as many surnames as they can.

After one minute, have them say the surnames they came up with and write them on a whiteboard or similar.

One person can aim for 10, or the whole group can aim for 50.

It’s perfect as a mental workout, so please give it a try!

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kojifumi

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Choose the middle letter and make a three-letter word.

@husanasomana

Let's have fun making handmade cards!#Indoor PlayChildcareProductionwork

♬ Original song – husanasomana – Sakafure (formerly Asomana-kan)

This is an idea for making three-letter words by choosing the middle letter.

The concept is to correctly match quiz cards with answer cards.

For example, if the quiz card says “な○ま,” you would look for “か” among the answer cards.

Depending on the quiz, there might be multiple correct answers.

Once you get used to it, you can also increase or decrease the number of letters.

The more letters there are, the more complex the quiz becomes.

First, try finding three-letter words that could work as quiz prompts.

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yamamoto

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A game where you make long words using the Japanese syllabary (gojūon)

[Fun Recreation] Brain Training with Japanese Syllabary Cards! Directly from Kenichi Yamaguchi!

Simple yet fun! Here’s a game where you make words using the Japanese syllabary (gojūon).

The rules are easy: Prepare cards with hiragana for all the gojūon and lay them out in order.

Participants create words using the gojūon; they get to keep the cards for the characters used in their word.

Repeat this, and when no more words can be made with the remaining characters, the game ends.

The player with the most cards at the end wins.

It’s perfect brain training because you have to come up with words using limited letters! You can also play in teams and brainstorm words together for extra excitement.

Give it a try!

Communication Card

[Magical Brain-Training Cards] Communication Cards [Brain Training + Communication]

If you’re looking for a card game that energizes the brain and the heart, this is a must-see! Here’s how to play a communication card game.

The rules are very simple: prepare several cards with prompts such as flowers, animals, colors, or foods.

The person who draws a card names three things related to the word on the card.

For example, if someone draws a card that says “Flowers,” it’s OK if they can name three flower names like tulip, cherry blossom, and dandelion.

It seems great for improving vocabulary and memory! If you add twists to the prompts, like “Something great about the person next to you” or “Something that made you happy recently,” the conversation will definitely take off.

Give it a try!

Making words with the a-row and ka-row

Recreation and simple brain training for seniors! Create words on a whiteboard using the A row or K row (Japanese syllables).

Games like “how many words can you make using each hiragana from the 50-sound chart exactly once” or “how many words can you list that start with a” are examples of brain-training games that involve making words from hiragana.

The rules are simple: using the ten hiragana from the A and KA rows, see how many words you can create.

For example, ai → 愛 (love), ike → 池 (pond), uo → 魚 (fish)… you can probably come up with a lot.

You can also switch to other rows, like KA and SA, and enjoy it that way too—in other words, it’s a game you can enjoy endlessly.

To avoid duplicates, please write your answers on a whiteboard!