Activities perfect for July for seniors: Introducing games and recreational options

Tanabata game

Today's Lesson ~Tanabata Game~

There’s also the legend that on Tanabata, Orihime and Hikoboshi, separated by the Milky Way, are able to meet just once a year.

Here’s a game inspired by the story of Orihime and Hikoboshi.

Use a vinyl cord to create the Milky Way on the floor.

Players take the role of Hikoboshi and toss beanbags toward Orihime, who is placed at the end of the vinyl cord.

Place Orihime the farthest away; if a beanbag reaches her spot, the player gets the highest score.

You can make it even more exciting by setting up sections between the Milky Way and Orihime that award small points or result in a miss.

It’s a game that seems likely to foster interaction among participants, including older adults.

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Nakajima Junko

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Let’s cross the Milky Way! Game

Let's cross the Milky Way!

This is a group activity where participants work in pairs to pass a ball across a vinyl sheet representing the Milky Way, using two sticks to prevent it from falling.

There are balls of various sizes, and once they reach the other side of the river, they spread the sticks apart to drop the ball into a box below to score, which requires fine motor adjustments.

Using both the head and hands to make these adjustments contributes to rehabilitation.

Incorporating seasonal recreation also has the benefit of helping participants feel the sense of the season more closely.

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Hirakawa Masako (Bōkarisuto: Sakata Mizumako)

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Wish Upon a Star Game

Make a wish to the stars from our day service! Simple! Hilarious, super exciting Tanabata activity ♪ #Elderly #DayService #Recreation #ElderlyRecreation #Tanabata #Game #shorts

Speaking of big events in July, Tanabata is a must, and the story of Orihime and Hikoboshi separated by the Milky Way is an essential element.

This is an easy-to-understand game that focuses on the day when Orihime and Hikoboshi cross the Milky Way to reunite, where you make Hikoboshi run toward Orihime.

Place Hikoboshi on a wheeled platform and send him toward Orihime, who is positioned on the far side of the river field.

If he reaches Orihime, you get the highest score; there are also points placed along the way, so the goal is to aim for a high score by making use of those as well.

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kappamaki

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Let’s draw fireworks with straws

[Easy Craft 059] Fireworks — Beautiful drawings even without artistic skill

Do you know about etegami, which is popular among seniors? It’s a simple postcard art where you draw seasonal fruits or events on a postcard and add a short message.

The charm of etegami is that the drawings don’t need to be especially skillful—if anything, the roughness gives it a nice character.

One technique used in etegami is drawing fireworks with a straw.

Even if you can’t go to a fireworks festival, you can enjoy the summer atmosphere with these straw fireworks drawings! The method is very simple: cut the tip of a straw as if you were making octopus-shaped sausages and spread the slits out.

Then dip it in your favorite colors and stamp onto black paper.

If everyone works together to complete a big picture, you’re sure to have a great time!

Long time no see.

Tanabata Festival at Nagomi-no-Sato Kabe Day Service Center, Asakita Ward, Hiroshima City

This recreation activity called “Ohisashiburine” is a game based on the Tanabata tale of Orihime and Hikoboshi.

A picture of Orihime and Hikoboshi is attached to a water-filled plastic bottle, then placed on top of a uchiwa (Japanese hand fan).

A string is tied to the fan, and the other end of the string is wound around a stick or similar object and gradually wound to bring it closer.

Because it’s easy to enjoy while seated, it’s recommended as a recreation activity for older adults.

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Saitō Ayumu

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Let’s write our wishes on tanzaku

[Tanabata] Examples of How to Write Wishes on Tanzaku [Penmanship]

Many of you probably wrote wishes on tanzaku strips and decorated bamboo branches when you were children.

As adults, we don’t often get such opportunities.

Even just writing your wishes on a tanzaku is very helpful for dexterity and brain activity.

You can also enjoy drawing illustrations on the tanzaku and adding decorations with origami.

Moreover, doing this in facilities or day-service centers can foster communication among participants as they discuss what wishes to write.

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Hirakawa Masako (Bōkarisuto: Sakata Mizumako)

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Tanabata Magic

[Elderly Care Recreation] Authentic with Simple Tricks! Tanabata Magic

For a Tanabata recreation activity, how about some Tanabata-themed magic tricks? One involves an illustration of bamboo leaves placed in an envelope that transforms, with just a snap of the fingers, into a picture of bamboo decorated with many ornaments.

This is easy to do by using a double-layered envelope and taking the picture out from the other side.

Another trick uses paper cups with Orihime and Hikoboshi drawn on them: when you pour water into the cup, the water disappears and, instead, paper streamers keep coming out.

This can be easily done by using a polymer absorbent like the kind used in disposable diapers.

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Hirakawa Masako (Bōkarisuto: Sakata Mizumako)

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