For Seniors: Fun Activities in February — Celebrate Setsubun, Valentine’s Day, and Snow
In February, when the chill still lingers, how about spending some joyful time with activities that warm both body and soul? We’ve gathered plenty of smile-bringing ideas that capture the unique seasonal feel of February—from games themed around Setsubun and Valentine’s Day, to exercises you can do while seated, and even “snowball fights” using newspaper.
These activities can spark nostalgic memories, naturally liven up conversations with those around you, and help you feel good by moving your body—offering lots of positive effects to look forward to.
Precisely because it’s a cold season, please enjoy heartwarming moments indoors with safe, fun activities!
- [For Seniors] Recommended Events for February: Fun Ideas to Fill Everyone with Smiles
- Recreation Ideas for Seniors: Perfect for Setsubun and Bean-Throwing Activities
- [For Seniors] Fun February Crafts: Ideas Inspired by Setsubun, Valentine’s Day, and Other Events
- [For Seniors] Enjoy the Cold Winter! Seated Activities You Can Do
- [For Seniors] Easy and fun seated activities you can do in your room
- For Seniors: Wall Decorations to Brighten Up February — Festive Ideas for Setsubun, Valentine’s Day, Plum Blossoms, and More
- [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 Winter Activities: Recreation and Games
- [For Seniors] Simple Tabletop Games: Fun and Engaging Recreational Activities
- [For Seniors] Lively! Entertainment Ideas for New Year’s Parties
- [For Seniors] Recommended February Snack Activities: Easy, Enjoyable Sweet Treat Ideas
- [For Seniors] Fun Brain Training! February-Themed Quiz
[For Seniors] February Activities: Get Excited with Setsubun, Valentine’s Day, and Snow (131–140)
Demon-slaying with an air cannon
Are you familiar with air cannons? They even appear as gadgets in the anime Doraemon, and they attack by using the force of expelled air.
This time, let’s make one using a plastic bottle.
Cut around the bottom of the plastic bottle, and also cut off the end of a balloon (the side you would blow into).
Stretch the balloon over the cut end of the bottle and secure it with tape to finish.
Set up a freestanding “oni” target made from construction paper and aim at it with your air cannon.
It might be tricky to knock it down with air, but it’s a lot of fun.
For older adults, it may also spark conversation with those around them and help broaden social interaction.
Making snow rabbits
Snow bunnies, made by packing pure white snow into the shape of a rabbit, are a traditional favorite in Japan and are loved by people of all ages for their cute form.
They are wintery figures you can feel the season through—children make them by gathering snow, and they’re also represented in Japanese confectionery.
To craft one, wrap crumpled newspaper with copy paper, then attach origami to represent nandina berries and construction paper shaped like leaves.
By making the nandina leaves and berries together, you can create a more festive item.
The process involves few steps and makes for a recreational activity that also helps train fine motor skills.
Oni Underpants Exercise
When it comes to characters essential to Setsubun, oni (demons) are a must—and the go-to song that depicts them is “Oni no Pantsu.” Let’s do exercises to this song and get a feel for what Setsubun oni look like by moving our bodies.
A key point is not only the oni’s horns but also how to express their “pants.” By incorporating clapping and finger shapes, it effectively trains the fingertips as well.
Rather than limiting movements to in front of the body, it’s recommended to include steps like marching to engage the whole body thoroughly.
Rock-Paper-Scissors Oni Island
Speaking of motifs related to Setsubun, we think of oni (demons), and when it comes to stories featuring oni, Momotaro comes to mind—so this is a game that depicts a battle between Momotaro and the oni.
It’s a team-based competitive game divided into Team Momotaro and Team Oni, and you advance using rock-paper-scissors and dice.
The teams play rock-paper-scissors; the winning team rolls a die and reduces the total health of the opposing team’s characters by the number shown.
You win by depleting the health of all opposing characters.
The losing team draws a card and performs the exercise specified.
Because each character has separate health, players are encouraged to think about how to allocate damage, making it a game that also gets everyone moving even when they lose.
chocolate mizu-yokan (chocolate sweet red bean jelly)
Chocolate is an essential item for Valentine’s Day, isn’t it? Let’s combine that chocolate with familiar mizu-yokan (a chilled red bean jelly) and give it a try.
Add agar to water and bring it to a boil, then add smooth red bean paste (koshian).
Once the paste has dissolved, add crushed store-bought chocolate and mix thoroughly.
Next, add heavy cream, let it cool slightly, pour into containers, and chill until set—done.
Adjust the sweetness by choosing different types of red bean paste and chocolate, and aim for a health-conscious flavor—this is the key point.
Heart decoration craft
Heart shapes are an essential motif for Valentine’s Day—the more of them you have, the stronger the happy atmosphere.
Here’s a decoration that really conveys that joy, made by linking hearts out of origami.
Cut the origami paper into thin strips and fold each strip in half to make a center crease, then gently curl both sides so they mirror each other.
Glue the two curved ends together to form a heart.
Insert the next heart into the indentation at the top of the previous one, and continue attaching them to create a chain of hearts.
You can keep the color consistent for a unified look or mix various colors for a vibrant finish—use color to add your own originality.
Beanbag Tower
Let’s stack beanbags and build a tower.
Many older adults may have played with beanbags when they were young, or even made them for their children.
This game is about stacking soft, lightweight beanbags without letting them topple.
Using a paper cup as the base to place the beanbags on will make it a bit more challenging.
However, that slight difficulty is said to help activate brain activity.
It’s a fun game that’s perfect for February, when the cold can make us reluctant to move our bodies.