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.
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- Liven up the Respect-for-the-Aged gathering: A roundup of recreational activities everyone can enjoy.
[For Seniors] Performances That Liven Up Year-End Parties (1–10)
Matsuken Samba while sitting
Let’s try dancing to Matsuken Samba II, a signature song by Ken Matsudaira that’s loved by people of all ages, while staying seated! Refer to the actual moves from the performance, and turn them into an easy-to-follow routine that still gets your body moving well.
With a fun, familiar song, older adults can also enjoy moving their bodies.
Try extending your arms, marching your feet while seated, using big arm motions, and incorporating larger movements to warm up your body and boost your health.
Don’t push yourself too hard, but enjoy the rhythm and give it a try!
Chair exercises with classic Showa-era songs
Let’s try doing some exercises using beloved classic Showa-era songs that are popular among older adults! Create choreography that can be done while seated in a chair, so it’s easy for anyone to participate.
Choose familiar songs that they listened to in their youth, such as Masao Sen’s “Kitaguni no Haru” or Judy Ongg’s “Miserarete.” Include a variety of movements—stretching the arms wide, making rock-paper-scissors motions, marching in place, and more.
Let’s do our best so we don’t lose to the cold during the year-end party season!
Simple Towel Exercise: “Ii Yu da na” (What a Nice Bath)
The year-end party season is cold, and it makes you want to relax in a nice warm bath, doesn’t it? So while imagining a hot bath, let’s try a simple towel exercise to the song “Ii Yu da na,” made famous by The Drifters! You can do it while sitting, so give it a try during the chilly winter when it’s easy to become inactive.
Hold a towel with both hands and, in time with the song, move it forward and back, side to side, and up and down.
Movements that match the lyrics might make it easier to follow.
If you’re up for it, try singing along as you do it!
[For Seniors] Entertainment Ideas That Liven Up a Year-End Party (11–20)
String-threading relay
One of the big year-end events is the bōnenkai (year-end party).
In senior facilities and day services, do more older adults gather than usual? Here’s a game that large groups can enjoy: the String-Threading Relay.
Have the seniors sit in chairs in a single horizontal line.
Prepare a long plastic string, have the seated participants hold it, and thread rings onto the string one after another.
You can adjust the difficulty by changing the size of the rings—give it a try.
Through the game, participants can call out to one another and work together, creating opportunities for communication and interaction.
Bingo game
Let’s liven things up with bingo, a familiar and popular game among seniors.
Many older adults have probably played bingo at least once, right? When it’s a game they already know, it’s easier for them to join in.
These days, you can even find bingo sets at 100-yen shops.
They’re great to use during the busy New Year season because they make preparation simple.
You can also add a fun twist by replacing the bingo numbers with New Year-themed illustrations.
It’s a lively game for large groups that can help seniors interact and connect with others.
Pinball Catcher
Let me introduce a fun game where you catch rolling balls using a net attached to your foot.
Ping-pong balls are sent down from a platform, and older adults catch them with a small net fixed to their toes.
By adjusting the slope of the platform, you can change the speed at which the ping-pong balls roll.
Please tune it to suit the participants.
Because they can move their feet while seated, it’s an enjoyable activity that also works as gentle exercise.
Successfully catching ping-pong balls—or catching a lot of them—can give participants a great sense of accomplishment.
It’s a game that will liven up a year-end party, and it’ll be even more exciting as a team competition.
Color bead matching
At a year-end party, you want many seniors to have a good time.
A recommended activity is a color-matching game.
Put several balls of different colors—such as red, green, and yellow—into a handheld box.
Place baskets labeled with colors a short distance away from the participants.
Take one ball out of the box and toss it into the basket with the matching color.
One of the great things about this game is that it lets people move both their minds and bodies while having fun.
Setting a time limit or making it a team competition can make it even more exciting.