[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.
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For Seniors: Enjoying March Activities — Games, Crafts, Music, and Snack Recreation (71–80)
Hinamatsuri Multiple-Choice Quiz
Let’s help older adults have fun with quizzes and relieve stress at the same time.
Many seniors reportedly feel stressed by worries about things they can no longer do or about their health.
In fact, when you’re thinking through quiz questions, you’re focused, which makes you less likely to feel stress and can also provide a refreshing change of pace.
With that in mind, we’d like to introduce a “Hinamatsuri Multiple-Choice Quiz” that’s perfect for March.
Because it’s a three-choice quiz, it’s easy for older adults to answer.
It should also feel easy to give it a try, right? Quizzes naturally spark conversation with people around you, so they’re great for boosting communication too.
Enjoy a fun time with the Hinamatsuri three-choice quiz!
Making roasted marshmallows
The skillet, which can be used for cooking and set right on the table, has sparked a huge boom.
Here’s a baked marshmallow with chocolate made in a skillet.
All you need are chocolate and marshmallows—just layer them in the skillet and bake in a toaster oven, and it’s done.
It’s low-effort and doesn’t require knives or other tools, so it’s a great snack activity that many older adults can join.
It’s also recommended for White Day events at senior facilities.
For older adults who enjoy barbecues, baked marshmallows may feel familiar.
For those who don’t know them, they might enjoy both the delicious taste of toasted marshmallows and the surprise of toasting them.
Give it a try!
Matching game
This is a game where you look at the pictures drawn on the bottoms of arranged paper cups and find and match the ones with the same picture.
By searching for matching pictures, you can train concentration, and by quickly stacking the paper cups, you can also encourage awareness of hand movements.
It’s also important to decide what kind of pictures to draw; for example, limiting them to a spring theme lets players enjoy the game visually as well.
Adding trick elements, such as pictures that look similar but are slightly different, is recommended, as it helps players focus even more on their hands.
[For Seniors] Activities to Enjoy in March: Games, Crafts, Music, and Snack Recreation (81–90)
Dress-up Hina dolls
These are Hina dolls made with paper cups that are fun both to make and to play with once finished.
When you spin the paper cup, the patterns on the Emperor’s and Empress’s kimonos change.
You can gift them to your grandchildren or display them in your room.
After cutting and coloring a paper cup, attach the faces and decorative parts for the Emperor and Empress.
On a separate paper cup, create three different kimono patterns.
Using masking tape makes this easy.
Stack the two paper cups to complete the craft.
The steps are simple, but it’s a cleverly designed project.
Moving your fingers while making it and spinning the finished piece may also help stimulate the brain.
Peach Festival Quiz
The Peach Festival quiz is a recreational activity that older adults can enjoy as well.
Since participants choose answers from three options about the origins and customs of Hinamatsuri, it’s not too difficult and easy to join.
The quiz may also bring back nostalgic memories.
Plus, because it engages the brain in a different way than usual, it could help improve cognitive function.
Questions related to seasonal events are perfect for rekindling memories.
Thinking about the answers together in a friendly atmosphere will likely make for a lovely time that lets everyone feel the arrival of spring.
Tulip
Here is an introduction to a calendar themed around tulips, which come into full bloom around March.
Tulips have a distinctive rounded shape and vibrant colors.
A calendar made with tulips crafted from origami or construction paper may hold each senior’s personal thoughts and feelings.
Looking at a cute, self-made tulip calendar can bring joy and a sense of satisfaction.
Displaying it in one’s room might even make it feel as if spring has arrived indoors.
Strawberry Quiz
When it comes to fruits that evoke spring, strawberries come to mind.
These days you can find them in supermarkets even in winter, but strawberries are originally in season in spring.
Because they’re sweet and often used in desserts, some older adults may be fond of them as well.
A quiz about strawberries—an iconic spring fruit that’s familiar to older adults—would likely get everyone excited.
Through the quiz, you’ll also have the chance to learn surprising facts about strawberries.
It can be a fun way for older adults to discover things they didn’t know about strawberries.
Enjoy a delightful time with a strawberry quiz!