[For Seniors] March-Themed Event Activities
In this article, we introduce March events and recreational activities for seniors!
March is full of occasions like Hinamatsuri (Girls’ Day) and White Day.
Elderly care facilities such as day services often hold a variety of events every month.
Of course, classic recreational activities are fun, but these ideas are also recommended when you want to change things up a bit and try something different.
Many of them can be enjoyed at home as well, so please feel free to incorporate them.
- [For Seniors] Activities to Enjoy March: Games, Crafts, Music, and Snack Recreation
- [For Seniors] Hinamatsuri Recreation: Fun Ideas for Games, Crafts, and Snack Making
- For Seniors: Recommended Wall Decoration Ideas for March
- For Seniors: Come, Spring! Recommended March Craft Ideas for Daycare Services
- [For Seniors] Fun Spring Recreational Activities: A Collection of Games and Play Ideas
- Entertainment and Performances That Delight at Day Services for the Elderly
- [For Seniors] Haiku for March: Enjoying a Spring Moment with Famous Verses
- [For Seniors] Fun Recreational Activities Without Equipment
- [For Seniors] Making a March Calendar: Introducing Spring-Themed Motifs and Arrangements
- [For Seniors] Liven Up Cherry-Blossom Viewing! Fun Games and Recreational Activities
- [For Seniors] Brighten Up Hinamatsuri: Wall Decoration Ideas
- [For Seniors] Spring Haiku. Spring Activity
- For Seniors: Games and Recreational Activities to Enjoy in April
[For Seniors] March-Themed Event Activities (21–30)
Spring Wild Edibles Quiz
March is the season when lots of spring mountain vegetables start to appear, isn’t it? They can be a bit strong in flavor, so many people may have disliked them as children but grown to appreciate their taste as adults.
How about having some fun by making a quiz about these wild vegetables? From varieties that foodies know to ones you can find at the supermarket, you can learn the names of many kinds! Try getting people to guess the names from photos of the vegetables, or identify which mountain vegetables are used from pictures of dishes—get creative with the questions.
Learning about the origins of their names together could make it even more exciting.
Learn about the customs of Ohigan (the equinoctial week)
Many older people are likely familiar with the customs of Ohigan.
Still, how about reviewing them once more and learning about them in greater depth? Ohigan occurs in both spring and autumn, when we visit graves to honor our ancestors.
In addition to the traditions and trivia of Ohigan, it’s also a good idea to learn proper etiquette for visiting graves.
It’s a recreational idea that will surely make you want to share what you’ve learned with your family when you get home—both enriching your knowledge and sparking conversation.
[For Seniors] March-Themed Event Activities (31–40)
Hinamatsuri Game
Let’s liven things up with a game themed around March’s big event, Hinamatsuri (Girls’ Day)! How about a game where you throw balls or beanbags into sections modeled after a tiered hina display, each labeled with a point value? It works well even with large groups as a team competition, and it can be played standing or seated.
Set the Emperor and Empress (Odairi-sama and Ohina-sama) as high-value targets and place them on the upper tiers.
You can compete by total team points or enjoy individual scoring.
You can attach the target to a whiteboard or set up point boxes on the floor for fun.
Bamboo Shoot Digging Game
Bamboo shoots are one of the tastes of spring.
Some older adults may even have gone out to dig for them.
Here’s a bamboo shoot digging game that’s perfect for spring.
All you need are two things: newspaper and paper cups! Roll up the newspaper to make a stick, then attach a paper cup to one end.
Place more paper cups on the table to represent bamboo shoots, and you’re ready to go.
Drawing pictures or adding illustrations to the cups will make it feel even more authentic.
If you cover the “bamboo shoots” with the stick’s cup and lift, they come up surprisingly easily.
Set rules like “the first to collect five wins” to make it exciting.
It’s also a fun way to exercise the arms, elbows, and shoulders, so it’s recommended for senior facilities as well.
Onigiri Kororin Game
How about trying the sure-to-be-exciting “Rolling Rice Ball Game”? Attach yarn to a paper plate and make rice balls and obstacles.
Place the rice balls you made on the paper plate and start the game! Reel in the yarn, and if you can bring the rice ball all the way to you without dropping it, you succeed.
There are obstacles made from plastic wrap or construction paper along the way, so be careful not to let it fall! The winner is decided both by speed and by how many rice balls you can transport without dropping them.
It’s a recreation activity that gets not only the older adults pulling the string excited, but also everyone watching around them.
Please feel free to use this as a reference!
Easy hanging Hina dolls made from cardboard
You can easily make hanging hina dolls using familiar materials like cardboard.
Cut the cardboard into an egg shape, draw the faces, and attach kimono made from origami paper.
The steps are simple, but you’ll end up with very cute Odairi-sama and Ohina-sama.
Make small accessories that evoke the Peach Festival—such as peach blossoms and hishi-mochi—then hang everything on a string to finish.
If you also make the three court ladies in the same way as the Odairi-sama and Ohina-sama, it will create a lively atmosphere.
Since there are many steps that use your fingertips, you can also expect brain-training benefits.
They say the fingertips and the brain are connected by many nerves, so much so that the hands are called the “second brain.”
Hina-arare scooping
Speaking of March, it’s all about Hinamatsuri (Girls’ Day), isn’t it? Many senior care facilities probably hold Hinamatsuri events.
So this time, we’re sharing “Hinamatsuri recreation” ideas that are perfect even for busy staff.
Events and recreational activities can sometimes require a lot of preparation, like making things in advance.
However, there are also activities you can set up on the day.
With a bit of creativity, you can have fun with games like crumpling newspaper into balls or playing a Daruma-otoshi-style game using stacked tissue boxes.
For activities that do need advance preparation, try using items you’ve previously made or upcycle familiar materials like milk cartons and other recyclables.
We hope these ideas help you spend enjoyable time with the seniors.