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[For Seniors] Activities to Enjoy March: Games, Crafts, Music, and Snack Recreation
March, when it gradually gets warmer, is a season that lifts our spirits as we feel the signs of spring.
Why not incorporate seasonal activities into recreational programs to enjoy with older adults? We’ve gathered ideas full of seasonal flair—from games and crafts themed around spring icons like cherry blossoms, butterflies, and bamboo shoots, to snack-time activities that spark the appetite with sweet aromas, and even music sessions that make you want to move.
Many can be done while seated or prepared with familiar, easy-to-get materials, so be sure to try them in your daily recreation programs.
[For Seniors] Activities to Enjoy March: Games, Crafts, Music, and Snack Recreation (1–10)
Hinamatsuri Curling Game
This is a recreation activity where you can enjoy curling while creating a Hina Doll display.
Paste illustrations of Hina dolls onto paper cups, place a ping-pong ball inside, and use them as curling stones.
Draw lines on the table to form a tiered Hina platform, and decide in advance where each character—such as the Odairi-sama (Emperor), Ohina-sama (Empress), and the three court ladies—should be placed.
Take turns gently sliding the cups and try to stop them at the targeted spots.
Because you need to consider the force and direction, it helps with finger dexterity and concentration.
Cheering each other on, the sense of achievement when a beautiful Hina display is completed is exceptional!
Amazake Soy Milk Pudding
Here’s an idea for a fun time: make homemade “Amazake Pudding,” perfect for Hinamatsuri.
Soak gelatin in 100 cc of soy milk, add your preferred amount of sugar, and warm it in a saucepan while dissolving everything together.
Once well mixed, pour into pudding cups and chill in the refrigerator until fully set.
Finish by topping with strawberry sauce and strawberries for a cute, festive Hinamatsuri dessert.
With the gentle sweetness of amazake and a creamy texture, this homemade pudding is a delight for everyone—both its look and taste are sure to satisfy.
From making it to enjoying it, it’s perfect for a Hinamatsuri filled with smiles.
Cup Hina Doll Making
Let’s have fun creating crafts perfect for Hinamatsuri.
Wrap cotton in tissue, then wrap that in fabric to make a cushion.
Place this cushion in a cupcake liner, then attach a collar cut from fabric and face and hair parts made of paper.
Add bead eyes and a fan to finish.
Make the Emperor doll the same way and display the two side by side.
If you use a cup with a lid, you can keep it on display every year without dust collecting on it.
The cushion fabric will serve as the kimono pattern, so prepare any design you like.
Happy Hinamatsuri Exercise
Let’s start some simple and fun exercises while singing the children’s song “Ureshii Hinamatsuri”! First, when the lyrics mention the bonbori lanterns, extend both hands forward and lift one foot at the same time.
Next, clap your hands and then touch your knees with those hands.
There’s also a motion like drumming a taiko.
The movements are generally slow, so spread your arms wide and step your feet forward firmly.
Every move can be done either standing or seated, so we hope many people will enjoy them for Hinamatsuri.
beanbag pouch
Prepare boxes labeled with points and throw beanbags into them.
Decide in advance how many beanbags each person gets.
Assign higher scores to boxes that are harder to hit—such as smaller boxes or those placed farther away—and compete by totaling the points of the boxes that the beanbags land in.
It would be great to enhance the atmosphere with seasonal illustrations and background music.
Creating cute and chic Hina dolls for adults
Here’s a simple way to make cute Hina dolls.
First, stick fabric tape in the center of a piece of felt, fold 3 cm from one edge, and make a 2 cm slit in the middle.
Use the slit to neatly shape the collar with a little twist, then fold the felt in half and secure it with double-sided tape.
Next, glue on a bead about 1 cm in diameter to represent the head.
After making two figures, craft small accessories from origami, thread them through a large eye bead, and attach them to the dolls to finish.
By playing with colors and accessories, you can create charming, unique Hina dolls.
The process itself is fun, so it’s highly recommended!
Spring Bingo
Let’s collect lots of spring-themed words and try a bingo game! Normally, bingo uses cards with numbers and you cross off the numbers that are called, but this version uses words.
Prepare several dozen spring-associated words in advance—for example, “sakura (cherry blossoms)” or “Ohigan.” Get sheets with blank grids, and have each person fill the squares with any words they like.
Once the grids are filled, you’re ready to go.
Starting from one end, take turns calling out any words you like; if you have the called word on your sheet, cross it off.
Keep playing like that!
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!
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.
Hina Doll Rearrangement Game
The Hina doll rearrangement game is such a wonderful recreation activity.
Making Hina dolls out of paper cups and working together to rearrange them sounds like a lot of fun.
It’s a great way to reminisce while engaging your mind—two birds with one stone.
It allows older adults to participate comfortably, so everyone can enjoy it in a friendly, relaxed atmosphere.
Thinking about the correct order for placing the dolls and using your hands also helps stimulate the brain.
Enjoy a delightful time while feeling the arrival of spring.