[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] March-Themed Event Activities
- [For Seniors] Hinamatsuri Recreation: Fun Ideas for Games, Crafts, and Snack Making
- [For Seniors] Fun Spring Recreational Activities: A Collection of Games and Play Ideas
- [March Health Topic] Introducing Recreational Activities for Seniors!
- For Seniors: Recommended Wall Decoration Ideas for March
- [For Seniors] Easy and fun seated activities you can do in your room
- [For Seniors] Spring Haiku. Spring Activity
- [For Seniors] Simple Recreational Activities You Can Enjoy While Seated
- [For Seniors] Haiku for March: Enjoying a Spring Moment with Famous Verses
- [For Seniors] Making a March Calendar: Introducing Spring-Themed Motifs and Arrangements
- [For Seniors] Hina Matsuri (Girls’ Day) Trivia Quiz & Fun Facts. Recommended for Dementia Prevention Activities
- For Seniors: Come, Spring! Recommended March Craft Ideas for Daycare Services
- [For Seniors] Simple Tabletop Games: Fun and Engaging Recreational Activities
[For Seniors] Activities to Enjoy March: Games, Crafts, Music, and Snack Recreation (1–10)
Snack activity: Three-color yogurt mousseNEW!
This is a Hinamatsuri dessert made with yogurt mousse that’s easy for seniors to eat.
It’s basically just mixing, so it’s simple to make.
First, whip the heavy cream until it’s fairly stiff.
Add the yogurt to make the mousse, then divide it into three equal portions.
Color each mousse by adding strawberry juice, lemon juice, and matcha powder respectively.
Once you have three colors, add gelatin dissolved in water to each and mix.
Finally, pour them into your preferred containers in the order of green, white, and pink, then chill to set, and it’s ready!
Hishi Mochi Stacking GameNEW!
This is a game where you stack hishi-mochi on a platform.
Of course, the person who topples the hishi-mochi loses! The hishi-mochi are made by cutting milk cartons into thin rings and covering them entirely with green, white, and pink origami paper.
Follow the traditional hishi-mochi order when stacking—green, white, then pink—so be careful not to mix it up.
It’s exciting when you stack them high, and if they fall, that just makes it lively and you’ll probably want to say, “Let’s play again.” Please enjoy this perfect game for Hinamatsuri.
Handmade Hina Doll Decoration MakingNEW!
Let us introduce a lovely fan-shaped Hina ornament.
For the base, cut thick paperboard into a fan shape, cover it with felt and Japanese-patterned fabric, then finish by hanging gold cord and decorations.
You can use any decorations you like, but in this idea we’ll make flower and ball-shaped ornaments.
The overall feel changes depending on the main color you choose, so try finding your favorite fabrics at a 100-yen shop or craft store and give it a try.
If making the parts is difficult, staff can prepare them in advance.
Even just choosing the parts will make for an exciting time.
[For Seniors] Enjoying March: Games, Crafts, Music, and Snack Activities (11–20)
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!
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.
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.
Kanto-style sakura mochiNEW!
Sakura mochi, with its beautiful appearance that evokes the arrival of spring, comes in a Kanto-style version like this one.
It follows a simple procedure: wrap a firm block of sweet red bean paste in cherry blossom–pink batter, then roll it in a salted cherry leaf to finish.
The key to its beauty is letting the bean paste peek through the gaps, so adjusting the sizes of the bean paste and the batter is important.
It’s recommended to check the size of the cherry leaf and match your portions to it.
If you prepare each component in advance and simply enjoy the rolling step, you can still feel the spirit of spring.
