Entertainment ideas for year-end parties that seniors will enjoy
As the year draws to a close and the year-end party season approaches, one of the biggest challenges is deciding on entertainment, isn’t it?
At a year-end party in a senior care facility, what kind of performances will help the residents have fun and liven things up?
So this time, we’ll introduce activities everyone can enjoy while seated, such as rhythm exercises set to nostalgic songs, towel-based exercises, and simple yet exciting games.
Since it’s a special occasion, let’s make it a joyful year-end memory for both the residents and the staff.
[For Seniors] Performances That Liven Up Year-End Parties (1–10)
Karaoke activity
Not only moving your body but also singing and using your voice can contribute to good health.
So how about livening up your year-end party with karaoke? Try singing songs that older adults are familiar with, popular tunes, or ones full of memories.
Songs like Michiko Namiki’s “Ringo no Uta (The Apple Song)” and Masao Sen’s “Kitaguni no Haru (Spring in the North Country)” are said to be very popular among seniors.
Some people may feel shy at first, but once they start singing, they often get really into it.
Raising your voice can also help relieve stress, so try karaoke with songs each person can enjoy!
Rock-Paper-Scissors Relay
Let’s try a rock-paper-scissors relay you can do while sitting, without running! Divide into teams and sit in a line.
Starting from the person at the front, take turns playing rock-paper-scissors with the next person.
Each time the next person wins, you pass the baton to them, and repeat this pattern.
The team that completes a round trip within their lineup the fastest wins.
For the baton, you could use a loop of newspaper or a decorated cardboard tube from plastic wrap.
It gets just as heated and fun as a running relay, so it’ll warm you up even in the cold winter!
Hilarious Ball-Passing Game
A ball-passing game where you keep passing a ball to the person next to you in time with a song.
You pass the ball in sync with the piano accompaniment, but the piano stops partway through.
When the accompaniment stops, something happens to the person holding the ball! You can freely decide what they should do—have them answer a question, give a quiz, and so on.
The sudden questions might make everyone burst into laughter.
When passing the ball, try adding a simple movement, like lifting the ball above your head before handing it off.
It’s a great way to get everyone moving just the right amount, so it’s highly recommended.
365-Step March Exercise
Let’s try some exercises to the tune of Kiyoko Suizenji’s classic song “365-Step March”! You can do them standing or seated.
Swing your arms and march in place, reach your hands or feet forward, make big circular motions with your arms—mix in different movements and get your body moving! If the movements match the lyrics, it should be easier for older adults to join in.
If you’re up for it, you might even sing along while exercising.
Let’s move with joy and warm up our bodies!
Dog & Cat Brain Training
How about a deceptively tricky dog-and-cat brain teaser? When the staff member says “dog,” you answer with the dog’s bark, “woof,” and when they say “cat,” you answer with the cat’s meow, “meow.” Try the reverse pattern too: if they say “woof,” you answer “dog,” and if they say “meow,” you answer “cat.” Start by doing only the animal-to-sound pattern, then switch to the sound-to-animal pattern.
Even if it seems easy at first, changing the pattern can get a bit confusing! To make it even harder, mix everything together at random—sometimes you’ll get the animal, sometimes the sound.
It’s great brain training, so give it a try!
Guu-Choki-Paa Exercise
Let’s try moving our hands and have fun with the Rock-Paper-Scissors exercise that also trains your brain! First, make rock, scissors, and paper in order with both hands at a steady tempo.
Try gradually speeding up! Next, switch up the order, like paper-rock-scissors.
After that, add one clap between each of rock, scissors, and paper.
Try a variation where you make a fox hand shape instead of clapping.
Then, combine these: change the order of rock-paper-scissors while also adding claps or the fox.
Increasing the difficulty like this makes for a great brain workout! Give it a try.
Rhythmic Gymnastics: Kiyoshi no Zundoko-bushi
How about doing a rhythm exercise to Kiyoshi Hikawa’s signature song “Kiyoshi no Zundoko-bushi,” which is hugely popular among older adults? Exercising to a favorite or familiar song boosts motivation and makes it easier to move, so it’s highly recommended.
For the part with the shout of “Kiyoshi,” it might be nice to add the actual arm-swinging move from the dance! By including plenty of movements that can be done while seated—like extending the arms and legs forward or making big arm circles—older adults of all abilities can take part.