Group homes are senior care facilities with the charm of a warm, homelike atmosphere where residents can feel as if they’re at home.
Recreation is an essential part of everyday life in such settings.
Since most residents are older adults living with dementia, you’ll want to offer activities that help stimulate both mind and body.
For those seniors, how about trying “games and recreational activities that liven up the group home”?
This article introduces recreational ideas that are useful in the daily lives of older adults.
Care workers, please use this article as a reference.
- [For Seniors] Simple Recreational Activities You Can Enjoy While Seated
- [For Seniors] Simple Tabletop Games: Fun and Engaging Recreational Activities
- [For Seniors] Easy and fun seated activities you can do in your room
- [For Seniors] Fun Recreational Activities Without Equipment
- [November Health Topic] Indoor Recreation Ideas for Older Adults
- [For Seniors] Enjoyable Indoor Activities! Recreations and Games That Engage the Mind and Body
- [For Seniors] Today’s Recommended Activity: Fun and Engaging
- Hand games that liven things up for seniors—also great brain training
- [For Seniors] Have Fun! A Collection of Group Game Recreation Ideas
- [For Seniors] Recreational Activities Enjoyable in Large Groups
- For Seniors: Effective Recreation for Preventing Care Needs—Have Fun While Staying Healthy
- [For Seniors] Fun Small-Group Recreation
- [For Seniors] Introducing Recreational Activities Anyone Can Enjoy at Geriatric Health Facilities!
Games that liven up group homes: fun recreation (1–10)
Tabletop Curling
Speaking of curling, thanks in part to the Olympics, it has become a very popular sport.
This recreation called “Tabletop Curling” lets you easily play curling indoors—and on a table, no less.
Brain Training & Refresh Exercises
This is a video introducing “Brain Training & Refresh Exercises.” Compared to ordinary workouts, it features many unique movements and activities that make you think a bit as you move.
It’s a handy set of exercises for adding stimulation when your routine has become monotonous.
Color-coded ring pickup
The great thing about this “Color-Coded Ring Pickup” recreation is that even the preparation itself has a recreational element.
You get to enjoy fun crafts like rolling construction paper into rings and rolling newspaper to make sticks.
The activity itself is also highly game-like and highly recommended.
Newspaper ball rolling relay
This is a recreation activity where you compete to see how fast you can roll a ball placed on a sheet of newspaper.
It’s suitable for small to large groups, so it’s also recommended for situations where you want to promote interaction among older adults.
Arrange chairs facing each other in alternating rows, and have two people hold the ends of a sheet of newspaper.
Roll the ball you’re given onto the next person’s newspaper, and if it makes it into the basket, that’s a goal.
You can enjoy variety by rolling different types of balls, such as a regular ball, beanbags, or a beach ball.
Give this event a try to experience the fun and sense of unity that comes from doing an activity together.
Kiyoshi’s Zundoko Exercises
As the name suggests, the “Kiyoshi no Zundoko Exercise” is a routine performed to the rhythm of Prince of Enka Kiyoshi Hikawa’s hit “Zundoko-bushi,” which enjoys overwhelming popularity among seniors.
Each facility can adapt it in various ways, making it a very easy exercise to implement.