[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] Simple Recreational Activities You Can Enjoy While Seated
- [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] 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] Enjoying March: Games, Crafts, Music, and Snack Activities (11–20)
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.
Hinamatsuri Target GameNEW!
It’s a game where you throw balls at a target inspired by a tiered hina-dan display.
Hula hoops are used for the target’s frames, and they’re covered with tape that makes the balls stick.
On the tape are illustrations of the Ohinasama (Empress), Odairisama (Emperor), the three court ladies, and the five musicians, and it seems the score varies depending on where you hit.
As expected, the tape beneath the Empress and Emperor likely yields higher points…
It’s a game everyone can enjoy, letting you get moving while soaking up the Hinamatsuri spirit!
Ohinasama OkoshiNEW!
Let me introduce a fun game where you use 10 beanbags and throw them at arranged targets! Set up the targets in rows of four in front, then three, then two, and place Hina dolls at the two spots in the very back.
The front row is worth 10 points, the middle row 30 points, and hitting a Hina doll earns a high score of 50 points! It’s enjoyable even with gentle throws, so everyone can take part according to their own strength.
Compete for points individually, or play in teams and aim for the highest total score—either way, it’s sure to be exciting.
Enjoy a Hinamatsuri filled with everyone’s smiles!
Hinamatsuri Café
March 3 is Hinamatsuri, also known as the Peach Festival, a day to celebrate and pray for girls’ healthy growth and happiness.
While hina-arare (colorful rice crackers) are commonly eaten for Hinamatsuri, how about enjoying a buffet-style Hinamatsuri café this year? Just seeing an array of colorful sweets lined up is enough to lift your spirits.
Choosing your favorites from so many varieties is fun, and it’s sure to spark lively conversation like, “This is delicious!” and “This one’s great too!” Please enjoy a delicious Hinamatsuri!
Hinamatsuri Doll Carrying GameNEW!
Place the hina dolls and the imperial prince and princess made from cups on a base attached to a string.
Participants should pull the string with their feet to reel in the base.
Try not to knock over the dolls as much as possible.
You can decide the winner by how many cups remain standing, or assign points in advance and compete based on the points of the dolls that stay upright.
Since you have to use your feet firmly to pull it in, it’s also perfect for a lower-body workout!
Hinamatsuri Bag Toss GameNEW!
Attach illustrations of the Ohinasama and Odairisama to plastic bottles, then cover them with bags.
At the start signal, participants use uchiwa fans to send air and blow the bags off the bottles.
Prepare several bottles, and make the rule that the person who removes all their bags first wins.
Bags won’t fly off if you fan them from the front, so the key is how well you strike the fan against the table to send air from below.
Also, be careful: if you don’t send air continuously, the bags will fall back down.
For Seniors: Activities to Enjoy March — Games, Crafts, Music, and Snack Recreation (21–30)
Spring letteringNEW!
Wrap beanbags with flower tissue paper to make balls that look like hina-arare, and write one hiragana character on each.
Prepare a five-letter target word and a box that holds five letters.
Using chopsticks, pick up the balls and move them to another box to complete the word.
The time spent deciding which letters to choose is fun, and natural conversation flows—“Huh? Is that wrong?” “That’s a good one!” Unexpected words can appear and spark big laughs, creating a warm, relaxed atmosphere.
It engages both the mind and the fingertips, promoting brain activation and fine motor movement.
It’s a perfect Hinamatsuri game you can enjoy while playing.