[For Seniors] Hinamatsuri Recreation: Fun Ideas for Games, Crafts, and Snack Making
How about some recreation ideas for older adults to enjoy during the Hinamatsuri season? We’ve handpicked ideas that naturally get the mind and body moving while having fun—such as seated games like target practice and bowling with Hina-doll motifs, shell matching, enjoyable crafts for display, and seasonal snack activities.
These special, season-only events provide positive stimulation for physical and cognitive functions in older adults.
Enjoy time filled with smiles while chatting with those around you.
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[For Seniors] Hinamatsuri Recreation: Fun Ideas for Games, Crafts, and Snack-Making (71–80)
Hina decorations made of felt
This Hina doll decoration made of felt features gently swaying ornaments as its highlight.
By using plum blossoms and traditional Japanese-patterned fabrics, it’s likely to be a piece that will delight elderly people.
Draw a semicircle on copy paper or similar using a compass to create a fan shape.
Cut out thick paper, felt, and fabric to match this pattern to make a backing, then finish it with yarn (a type of cord).
Finally, add decorations such as flowers made from felt and fabric, and attach the hanging, swaying ornaments.
It’s a Hina Matsuri decoration that brightens up a space just by being displayed—give it a try!
Washi-Modern Hina Dolls with Lace Paper
This is a perfect idea for Hinamatsuri! First, cut a sheet of patterned origami paper and a doily in half, then fold both sides inward like a kimono.
Slip the folded doily inside the origami so the lace peeks out from the kimono for extra cuteness.
Once you decide on the placement, glue it down firmly and add the face parts and accessories.
Next, color the backing paper, and stamp around the border with a dauber or a balloon to make it festive.
Finally, attach the hina dolls, and your handmade, modern-Japanese Hinamatsuri decoration is complete.
Its vibrant colors will instantly bring a spring feel to your room, and the making process is fun, too.
Origami Hina Dolls
Let’s make the parts for the kimono, face, hair, hair ornament, and fan, and complete the Hina doll.
Use Japanese-pattern origami paper for the kimono.
Cut out a triangle at the center, attach the collar on the back, then fold it into a triangle.
Fold up both corners, then fold them back parallel.
Open the origami once and refold so that the bottom corner splits into two layers.
Fold the top of these two layers upward toward the back and pass it through the triangular opening to form the neck.
Next, fold in the left and right sides to make the sleeves, and fold the remaining bottom corner up to the back to finish the kimono! Make the remaining parts and complete your Hina doll.
[Hand Play] “Musunde Hiraite” – Hinamatsuri Version
![[Hand Play] “Musunde Hiraite” – Hinamatsuri Version](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/_OH5TN-9RVo/sddefault.jpg)
This is the Hinamatsuri (Doll Festival) version of the hand game song “Musunde Hiraite,” where you play by clenching your hands into fists and opening them flat! Normally, you just place your hands—either clenched or open—on your head or on your knees, but in the Hinamatsuri version, your hands transform into different hina dolls depending on where you move them.
If you move both hands out to the sides, you can transform into the five court musicians, playing the flute or beating the drum! Try mimicking their actions as you go.
When placing your hands on your knees, make a fist for the Odairi-sama (the Emperor), and for the Ohina-sama (the Empress), gently place both hands neatly one over the other.
While playing the hand game, you can recall what the hina dolls look like and enjoy it as a bit of brain training too!
Hinamatsuri wreath making
When it comes to making wreaths, Christmas is probably the first thing that comes to mind.
But wreaths aren’t just Western-style.
For Hinamatsuri (Girls’ Day), why not try a Japanese-style wreath? Decorate it with spring blossoms like plum and cherry, and add little Emperor and Empress dolls made from origami or felt for a wonderfully festive look.
These days, 100-yen shops carry plenty of Hinamatsuri decorations, so consider making use of those.
Put your crafting skills to work and create a wreath that’s uniquely your own!
Hinamatsuri ring toss
How about boldly turning essential Hina dolls for the Doll’s Festival into targets for a ring toss game? Hina dolls come in many varieties—like the Empress and Emperor—so it would be fun to create original rules, such as assigning different point values to each doll or letting players display the dolls they win on their own tiered stand!
Making koji amazake orange syrup
Amazake is often enjoyed on Hinamatsuri (Girls’ Day).
Because it’s very nutritious, it’s known as a “drinkable IV drip,” and it’s become especially popular among women, with many new recipes released in recent years.
Here’s one of them: an amazake recipe using oranges.
Its refreshing flavor makes it a great dessert for Hinamatsuri.
You might even find yourself hooked on amazake!