[For Seniors] Recommended Events for February: Fun Ideas to Fill Everyone with Smiles
February still brings lingering cold, but let’s hold events and get through it together with smiles and fun! When it comes to events that liven up February, the classics are Setsubun and Valentine’s Day.
There’s also Cat Day, Mount Fuji Day, and Kabuki Day.
Recreational activities that let you enjoy seasonal traditions with seniors create special moments that warm both heart and body.
From bean-throwing and heart-themed games to exercises full of seasonal flavor, we’ll introduce ideas packed with February-specific touches.
Move your mind and body, and enjoy a time filled with smiles.
- Recreation Ideas for Seniors: Perfect for Setsubun and Bean-Throwing Activities
- For Seniors: Fun Activities in February — Celebrate Setsubun, Valentine’s Day, and Snow
- [For Seniors] Fun February Crafts: Ideas Inspired by Setsubun, Valentine’s Day, and Other Events
- [For Day Service Centers] February Craft Ideas: Decorations for Setsubun, Valentine’s Day, and the Feeling of Spring
- [For seniors] A handmade calendar you’ll want to make in February
- [For Seniors] Fun Recreational Activities Without Equipment
- [For Seniors] Enjoyable Brain Training! Valentine’s Trivia Quiz & Fun Facts
- [For Seniors] Recommended February Snack Activities: Easy, Enjoyable Sweet Treat Ideas
- [For Seniors] Simple Recreational Activities You Can Enjoy While Seated
- [Day Service] Setsubun decorations that bring smiles. Ideas for enjoying them with a variety of materials.
- [For Seniors] Liven Up Setsubun Crafts! Handmade Ideas Using a Variety of Materials
- For Seniors: Wall Decorations to Brighten Up February — Festive Ideas for Setsubun, Valentine’s Day, Plum Blossoms, and More
- [For Seniors] Hinamatsuri Recreation: Fun Ideas for Games, Crafts, and Snack Making
[For Seniors] Recommended Events for February: Fun Ideas That Bring Out Everyone’s Smiles (1–10)
Soy shooting
https://www.tiktok.com/@karitasunosato/video/7201013136923692290For the February tradition of Setsubun, try enjoying “soy shooting.” It’s basically a strikeout-style game where you throw balls—standing in for beans—at targets featuring illustrations of oni (demons) and compete for points.
Since it feels like demon-slaying, it’s perfect for a Setsubun event.
Using photos of acquaintances for the oni illustrations could make it unique and lively.
You can buy ready-made strikeout sets, but it’s also possible to make one yourself with cardboard and other materials.
It can be played while seated, too, so everyone can join in and drive away misfortune together.
Tango of the Red Ogre and the Blue Ogre
@e6u42 [Day Service Center E-Yu] The Tango of the Red Ogre and the Blue Ogre#Asahikawa#Asahikawatranslation#WelfareCaregiverCaregivingElderlyNurse#CareManagerCare ManagerHome-visit nursingHelper RecruitmentCaregiver recruitment#AssistiveDevices#WantToConnectWithCaregiversResidential fee-based nursing homeLikeLike-backLooking for followsFollow meTranslationDay service recreation#vr360-degree cameraLooking for followsSetsubunDemon#Setsubun Bento
♬ Fun Fun Fun Fun Fun Fun – Parry Gripp
The Red Ogre and Blue Ogre Tango is a game that uses your hands and also works as a visual exercise.
Prepare several cards on the table, each with illustrations of a red ogre on one side and a blue ogre on the other.
When someone says “red,” flip each card so the red ogre side is facing up.
When they say “blue,” flip them to the opposite side.
Don’t stack the cards—spread them out in different positions so it also becomes a mental exercise to locate the cards.
A faster, more energetic call-and-response might make the game even more exciting.
Have fun and give it a try!
Oni-korogashi (Demon Roll/Topple)
@ishizuegroup Good evening, everyone! This is Yama, PR representative of Ishizue. Here’s an introduction to the brain-training recreation at the Kokoro Day Service Center for February. This time we’re introducing “Oni Korogashi”! Everyone sits in a circle and, as soon as the music starts, begins stepping in place (or clapping for those who find stepping difficult). Following a prompt (such as names of round objects or animals), participants pass a stuffed toy wearing an oni mask to the person next to them, like a hot-potato game. The stepping, clapping, and passing the stuffed toy engage the whole body, and recalling words that match the prompt stimulates the brain’s language areas. It’s a short video, but please have a look if you’d like.#Foundation groupCaregivingTranslationRecreationBrain training#GrandmaGrandpa
Original song – Ishizue Group – Ishizue Group
The “oni rolling” game is a gentle activity that gets both the mind and body working with simple movement.
While seated, keep marching your feet, and answer the prompt that’s been given while holding a doll wearing an oni (ogre) mask.
After you answer, pass the oni doll to the next person to hand off the turn.
The person who receives the doll should answer the next prompt in order.
Clear, familiar categories like vegetables, fruits, and animals work well.
Setting a time limit will likely make it even more exciting.
[For Seniors] Recommended Events for February: Fun Ideas That Bring Out Everyone’s Smiles (11–20)
Let’s gather love!
This is a game where you sit on a chair inside a ring and use a broom and dustpan to gather balls that are rolling around.
There are three types of balls—colored balls, tennis balls, and ping-pong balls—and once collected, you put each type into its designated basket.
Compete to see how many you can gather within the time limit.
You’ll need to be careful not to put the balls into the wrong baskets, so it’s a game that uses your head, too.
Try treating the balls as symbols of love and play it on Valentine’s Day.
You can easily make the ring by connecting pool noodles.
Ehomaki Rolling Game
The custom of eating a whole sushi roll called ehomaki in silence while facing the year’s lucky direction on Setsubun is said to have become a nationwide trend since the 2000s.
Around Setsubun, various types of ehomaki are sold to wish for good luck in the coming year, but for older adults, finishing one in a single go can be difficult and even dangerous.
So why not try making your own ehomaki by rolling seaweed and fillings using materials sold at 100-yen shops? It’s easy to make, provides finger dexterity training, and is a safe activity—highly recommended.
Making Valentine’s chocolates
February means Valentine’s Day! How about enjoying some Valentine’s chocolate making with an easy recipe? Arrange chocolate bars of different colors on a sheet of parchment paper and warm them in the microwave.
Give them a gentle swirl with a toothpick to create a beautiful marbled pattern.
Then simply decorate the top with store-bought cookies and chocolates however you like.
Once it’s chilled and set, break it up casually like chocolate bark and pop the pieces into cute gift bags.
You can create impressive homemade chocolates without any complicated steps, so give it a try!
Making ehomaki (lucky direction sushi rolls)
Ehomaki are said to bring good fortune when you face the year’s lucky direction and eat them in silence while wishing for a year of good health and prosperous business.
Store-bought rolls can be so large that they’re hard to finish, and since it’s considered best to bite into an ehomaki rather than slice it, cutting it up can feel a bit inauspicious.
In that case, why not make your own ehomaki in a size you can finish by yourself, using your favorite fillings? Prepare easy-to-eat ingredients like egg and tuna, and enjoy making ehomaki freely without worrying about the types or number of fillings!