For Seniors: Festive Attractions to Liven Up Festivals—Games and Recreational Activities

Newspaper ball rolling relay

Two-person teamwork, everyone teamwork: 'Newspaper Ball Rolling Relay'

This is a recreation activity where you compete to see how fast you can roll a ball placed on a sheet of newspaper.

It’s suitable for small to large groups, so it’s also recommended for situations where you want to promote interaction among older adults.

Arrange chairs facing each other in alternating rows, and have two people hold the ends of a sheet of newspaper.

Roll the ball you’re given onto the next person’s newspaper, and if it makes it into the basket, that’s a goal.

You can enjoy variety by rolling different types of balls, such as a regular ball, beanbags, or a beach ball.

Give this event a try to experience the fun and sense of unity that comes from doing an activity together.

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mutō

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Ring Relay

Spring Sports Day 3: Ring Relay

Festivals are events best enjoyed with a crowd.

Let’s liven things up with a “Ring Relay.” For preparation, make rings of large, medium, and small sizes using paper or toilet paper rolls, and pass them along to the next person by threading them onto chopsticks.

It works well as a game for small groups, and it’s also fun as a team competition for larger groups.

Through the relay, you’ll create opportunities to interact with those around you, helping to promote communication.

Since it can be done while seated, it should be easy for older adults to participate too.

Enjoy your time!

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Nakajima Junko

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portable Shinto shrine (mikoshi)

Summer Festival Week at Day Service Tamagawa Gakuen Begins

The mikoshi is an essential mood booster for summer festivals! It’s so much fun to carry the mikoshi together to the festival music.

If staff at a facility are going to carry it, why not make a flashy, high-energy one? And if older adults will be carrying it, consider making a lightweight version.

It may be just an event where you carry the mikoshi, but it really gets lively, so it’s highly recommended! You could also have people join the festival music by playing simple rhythms on drums and the like—it would make for a great memory.

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sasashina

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smart ball

Recreation day service smart-ball style elderly care

“Smart Ball” is a game where you roll balls on a board set at a slant, kind of like a pachinko machine laid on its side.

You used to see it a lot at festival stalls.

This version shows you how to make a DIY Smart Ball game.

It’s an easy craft: just take a table with one leg folded to create an incline and stick on halved styrofoam bowls.

If a table won’t work, you can build an inclined surface with a large cardboard box instead.

Then compete to see how many balls you can land—or tally points and play for a high score!

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utatane

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Bingo game

A bingo game you can play with paper and pencil

A familiar sight at events: Bingo with fabulous prizes! While bingo usually uses a dedicated bingo machine, this version is played with paper and pencil.

First, draw two lines vertically and two lines horizontally on a sheet of plain copier paper to create nine squares.

Then choose nine numbers from 1 to 15 and write them randomly in the squares.

Once everyone is ready, decide the order, and have each participant call out one number at a time so they can aim to get bingo.

It’s also recommended for seniors, as it helps with finger exercises and mental stimulation.

Prepare some delightful prizes and have fun!

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sasashina

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