[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 (41–50)
Hanging Hina decorations made with ring garlands
This is a Hina display that makes clever use of paper chains.
Speaking of paper chains, they’re a classic decoration that everyone has made at least once, right? Let’s try creating a project that incorporates some ingenuity using those chains! Use circular-cut, traditional-patterned chiyogami to make the Empress (Ohina-sama) and Emperor (Odairi-sama).
Add accessories like fans and crowns, and draw in their faces.
The key to making plum blossoms is to crumple the paper first—this transforms them into lovely, three-dimensional decorations.
After you make tachibana, cherry blossoms, and round ornaments, attach them to a paper chain made from two colors of origami.
To create a richly colored display, it’s a good idea to use various colors of origami and aim for a vibrant look.
A roly-poly Hina doll
Let’s make adorable, round hina dolls.
Inflate a small balloon, then paste shoji paper around it using the papier-mâché method.
Use glue thinned with water as the adhesive.
Once it’s dry, pop the balloon and remove it, then glue a marble to the bottom as a weight.
After putting a lid on, cover the surface with fabric to finish shaping it into a hina doll.
Use beads for the eyes, gold cord for the hair ornament, and finally give it a fan to hold—and it’s complete! Because it’s a roly-poly doll, it’s easy to display anywhere.
Hinamatsuri rice-cracker container
The Hina-doll arare container is an origami piece characterized by a structure where the box portion and the doll’s head are made separately and then combined later.
By standing and folding one side of the box’s wall to the opposite side, it becomes the doll’s torso.
The head and hat can be made from one half sheet of origami paper.
When displayed, it not only has a three-dimensional look, but you can also enjoy using it during snack time by putting small arare inside.
Choosing colors and patterns reminiscent of kimono makes it visually vibrant and perfect for seasonal festivities.
Lining them up on a desk or wall adds color to the space, and the fact that you can actually pick them up and enjoy them is part of the charm of this origami idea.
Three-dimensional Odairi-sama and Ohina-sama
The three-dimensional imperial couple dolls are an origami project that lets you enjoy using your fingertips through steps like folding, bending, and inserting.
Because the shape is made from a single sheet of paper, you really engage your fingers for fine folds and adjusting corners.
It can also have benefits as occupational therapy and helps improve concentration.
Up to the step of squashing a square into a diamond, the process is the same as folding a crane.
After that, you make cuts, fold so the diamonds overlap, then squash the pocket sections to form the dolls’ heads and sleeves.
Even in a modest size, they have a strong presence—an origami idea for seniors that combines the fun of moving your fingers with the atmosphere of seasonal celebrations.
Three Court Ladies
The three court ladies are an origami piece that adds brilliance to Hina Matsuri decorations.
Their accessories—such as the sake ewer, the offering stand, and the long-handled ewer—each symbolize celebratory meanings and roles, and they also add a charming visual touch.
In this idea, you make the head, kimono, sleeves, and hakama as separate parts and then assemble them to complete the piece.
Adding facial expressions brings out individuality and draws the viewer’s eye.
Once finished, arranging them on a desk or wall will add a festive, seasonal atmosphere to the space.
Simply lining them up spreads color throughout the area—an origami idea well-suited for older adults.
Easy Hina decorations with 100-yen shop materials
You can make cute Hina decorations using familiar items.
For example, a round box that holds cheese.
If you remove the bottom part, you’ll get a ring.
You can use that to make a Hina display.
Attach pink masking tape to the ring and make holes with an awl.
Thread yarn alone, or yarn with beads, through the ring using a yarn darning needle.
Make the dolls with round stickers, and you’re done.
Using transparent origami paper also looks cute.
How about making them while chatting with seniors about memories of Hina Matsuri?
Three-tier display: rabbit Hina dolls
Tiered Hina doll displays are gorgeous and impressive, aren’t they? These days, you don’t see as many tiered Hina sets, but in the past, many households of older generations likely displayed them.
Here is a three-tiered rabbit Hina doll set that lets you look back on those memories.
Use craft decoration balls and felt to make the Hina dolls.
Attach wrapping paper with peach blossoms or pink flowers to a display stand sold at 100-yen shops.
Then place the dolls you made—along with the three court ladies and hishi-mochi—on top to complete the display.
Making them as rabbits gives the set an even cuter feel.