[For Seniors] July Events: Recommended Recreation Ideas for Senior Facilities

Treasure Fishing

Okayama City Day Service Summer Festival Final Chapter Day 1

Let’s host a summer festival that gets participants’ hearts racing with excitement! Here’s an idea for a Treasure Fishing game.

When you think of a summer festival, many people imagine food stalls, right? This time, let’s try a treasure fishing challenge where you use a hook attached to a string to aim for and lift the ring attached to a prize.

The treasures can include snacks, drinks, tumblers, and small goods.

It’s fine to put them in transparent bags so the contents are visible, but setting them up in wrapping paper or paper bags so the contents are hidden could be fun too.

Be sure to give it a try!

Enjoying food stalls in a yukata

Enjoying food stalls in yukata! #shorts #yukata #nursinghome #recreation

Savor summer in quintessential Japanese style.

Here are ideas for enjoying festival stalls in a yukata.

When it comes to summer, cool-evening festivals and summer festivals are major events.

Why not take this opportunity to change into a yukata and enjoy the event with your whole being? Slip into a beloved yukata and you’ll naturally stand a little taller and feel refreshed—no doubt about it! Nostalgic summer memories will come flooding back, and conversations will flow.

Even if going out is difficult, festival stalls set up in your facility or garden can spark excitement and joy.

It’s sure to be a wonderful event spent in a gorgeous yukata.

Shaved ice making

Warakuen: the full-fledged summer has arrived — shaved ice is delicious.

Making shaved ice is perfect for a hot and humid summer.

First, prepare a shaved ice machine and a few kinds of syrup.

Then let everyone enjoy watching the ice being shaved.

Next, pick a favorite syrup and pour it on—this part is exciting and fun, too.

After that, it’s finally time to dig in.

You can savor the delicious taste or get carried away reminiscing about summer memories! Adding some toppings can make it even more fun.

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Balloon scooping

[No Crowding] A Recreation Game for Seniors (Home Care, Day Services, Nursing Homes) Using Fans and Balloons: “Balloon Scooping”

Here’s a very simple and easy activity that still requires balance and really gets everyone excited: Balloon Scooping.

You know the small water balloons used for yo-yo fishing at summer festivals? For Balloon Scooping, use those balloons, but inflate them without water.

Place about 10 balloons on a flat surface like a table, set a box next to them, and use a handheld fan (uchiwa) to scoop up the balloons and put them into the box.

How many seconds will it take to get all the balloons in? The balloons float and wobble, making them hard to scoop—which makes the game even more fun.

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Grilled Eel Game

I tried the eel-grilling game 💕🤣

In July, there’s the Day of the Ox in the Doyo period, right? In fact, there are several days called Doyo no Ushi no Hi throughout the year, but it became popular in summer as the time to eat eel to prevent summer fatigue.

How about trying a perfect activity for that day: the Grilled Eel Game? You make long, wriggly eels by rolling up newspaper, then place them on a platform that represents a grilling rack and compete for speed.

Simply placing them would be too easy, so try picking them up with chopsticks and setting them on the rack.

It’s good fine motor practice, too.

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utatane

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Watermelon splitting

Watermelon splitting at a special nursing home for the elderly

Bring the stick down with a powerful swing—crack! Nicely done! It’s watermelon smashing, a delicious summer recreation.

Green and black stripes with a peek of red between them… just imagining it makes you hungry, doesn’t it? If you’ve tried it before, you’ll know that you actually need quite a bit of force to break a watermelon with a stick.

For safety, it’s recommended that a staff member hold the stick together with the participant or place a supportive hand to steady their body.

Also, placing the watermelon on a raised surface like a table rather than on the ground makes it easier to aim and allows it to be done while seated.

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Araki Jakkan

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Ghost Story Gathering

[Scariest] Jam-Packed Ghost Story Event [Shuhei Shimada, Gandhi Yokosuka]

For those who love to chat, a ghost-story gathering is something you should definitely try.

Let’s forget the summer heat with spine-chilling tales.

Personal experiences or made-up stories—anything goes.

If you’re into it, a “rakugo ghost-story session” could be an option too.

To set the mood, keep the venue a bit dim.

That said, some people aren’t good with scary stuff, so be sure to check in advance.

Paying attention to outfits—like wearing yukata—can also help create the right atmosphere.

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