In senior care facilities and day services, I believe staff regularly plan events that seniors will enjoy.
Seasonal events enrich seniors both mentally and physically and can also help relieve stress.
They also provide positive stimulation for those who have fewer opportunities to go out.
In this article, we’ll introduce popular events that are well-received by seniors.
Through a variety of activities—such as birthday parties, dining outings, and cherry-blossom viewing—seniors can also deepen their connections with one another.
Please read this article and use it to help you plan your events.
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Seniors Will Love It! A Roundup of Popular Events (1–10)
Flea market
A flea market is an event held in parks or plazas where people bring items they no longer need.
In recent years, flea markets have become more accessible, with smartphone apps now offering the experience.
While they may not be very common in senior facilities, hosting a flea market could let older adults enjoy the excitement of discovering hidden treasures.
Instead of exchanging money, you could increase the fun by letting participants earn shopping vouchers through games to use at the flea market.
Karaoke Contest
No matter how old we are, everyone loves singing, don’t they? These days karaoke has such a huge repertoire that it’s hard to choose, but it’s a good idea to prepare a few all-time hits that anyone can hum along to.
Get the energy up by clapping, swaying to the rhythm, or adding call-and-response lines.
Reading or recalling lyrics is great brain training, and it also helps relieve stress.
It may even give you a chance to discover a new side of someone and think, “I didn’t know they had that in them!”
barbecue
An outdoor activity that seniors can easily join is a barbecue.
Set up tents in places like a care facility’s garden or parking lot, or in a park, and enjoy fun activities.
In addition to grilling and eating meat, vegetables, and fish, offering sweets like marshmallows is also recommended.
Hosting events such as a karaoke contest or a magic show can make it even more exciting.
Gathering in a different setting from everyday life also provides an opportunity for seniors to deepen communication with one another.
Picnic
How about an event where we all go out for a picnic? When we think of picnics, we tend to picture families with small children, but people of any age can enjoy them anywhere.
The only thing we really need to worry about is the weather, right? Let’s head out with packed lunches, snacks, and drinks.
Store-bought is perfectly fine—food tastes amazing when you eat it outdoors! And don’t forget a picnic blanket!
Cherry blossom viewing
Speaking of hanami, it’s the cherry blossom season—an essential event of spring.
Through the beautifully blooming sakura, let people feel the arrival of warmer days and the start of a new year.
It’s also worth noting that each season has its own emblematic flowers, not just spring.
How about inviting people to sense the changing seasons through flowers? There are many ways to enjoy this—using it as a reason to go out, or encouraging people to imagine the flowers blooming outdoors, among other approaches.
Christmas party
When it comes to must-have winter events for both children and adults, Christmas surely comes to mind.
Christmas is a Christian festival that commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ.
In Japan, it is said to have spread to the general public after confectionery companies turned it into a promotional event.
If you prepare items like Santa outfits, Christmas cakes, and presents, it will undoubtedly be an event that seniors can enjoy as well! Incorporating Christmas-themed games could make it even more exciting.
birthday party
A birthday is a major event that comes to everyone.
Becoming aware of the passing years can prompt us to look back on the path we’ve taken so far.
Even a simple celebration—receiving kind words along with a cake—can make it a joyful occasion.
It might also be fun to have the birthday person try decorating the cake themselves to liven things up.
If there are people with the same or nearby birthdays, organizing a joint birthday party could be an interesting way to help them get to know each other better.