For Seniors: Festive Attractions to Liven Up Festivals—Games and Recreational Activities
We’re introducing games and recreational activities recommended for festivals at senior care facilities.
There are plenty of attractions that can be enjoyed while seated so that older adults can participate comfortably.
Activities like “goldfish scooping,” “target shooting,” and “lucky string pull” may bring back memories of festivals enjoyed in childhood.
Festivals are exciting events for both adults and children.
They can also spark communication with people you don’t usually interact with.
Use this article as a guide to plan a festival that allows seniors to have fun safely.
- [For Seniors] Fun Activities That Liven Up Cool Evening Festivals and Summer Festivals
- [For Seniors] Simple Recreational Activities You Can Enjoy While Seated
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- [Let's Enjoy Japanese Festival Songs!] Songs about festivals. Famous songs related to festivals.
- [For Seniors] Simple Tabletop Games: Fun and Engaging Recreational Activities
- [For Seniors] Recreational Activities Enjoyable in Large Groups
- Entertainment and Performances That Delight at Day Services for the Elderly
- [For Seniors] Recommended Dances You Can Move To and Enjoy
- [For Seniors] Fun Brain Training! Lively Whiteboard Activities
- [For Seniors] Introducing recommended songs to give on Respect for the Aged Day
- [For Seniors] Crowd-Pleasers! Recommended Songs Everyone Can Enjoy Together in October
- [Today's Recommendation] Gentle Health Exercises for Seniors
- Recommended Songs for Nursing Home Recreation [Fun Exercise, Soothing Songs]
[For seniors] Festive attractions for livening up a festival: Games and recreational activities (21–30)
Treasure Hunt
Let’s all have fun with a treasure hunt game! There are slips of paper inside paper cups placed upside down.
If you draw a winning slip, you’ll get a prize.
If you don’t, you’ll have to answer the question written on your slip.
Most questions are easy enough for anyone to answer, but there might be a few that are a bit tricky.
Ghost-busting game with an air cannon
It’s a game where you knock down targets decorated with ghosts using an air cannon.
Draw ghosts on cylindrical objects to make the targets.
For the air cannon, cut off the bottom of a plastic bottle and firmly attach a rubber balloon over the opening with vinyl tape.
When you pull and release the balloon, the air inside is shot out through the bottle’s mouth.
It’s designed with safety in mind, so you can play with peace of mind.
You can also make it more exciting by increasing the number of targets and turning it into a time trial.
Karaoke Contest
Karaoke is loved by both adults and children.
It’s a classic group activity that everyone can enjoy together.
Let’s hold a karaoke contest! Choosing your favorite songs and singing your heart out is a great way to feel refreshed.
Those listening can liven up the room with fun items like tambourines and maracas.
Pom-poms add a festive touch, too.
Super Ball scooping
Super Ball scooping is a big hit with kids! It’s done the same way as goldfish scooping.
Since goldfish move, they’re tricky to catch, but Super Balls have some weight, so if you try to scoop them from the center, the paper tears right away.
The trick is to scoop slowly from the edge.
Super Ball scooping kits are sold as ready-made sets, so preparation is easy, and once you buy one, you can enjoy it year after year! Older adults will also be delighted if they can scoop one, and they might surprisingly get hooked on it!
Underwater Coin Drop
This is a game where you drop coins into a glass placed underwater.
The coins gently drift down through the water, and you score points if they land in the glass.
The large container holding the glass can be anything that holds water and coins, such as a bathtub or an inflatable pool.
Using foreign coins or stylish coins makes it more exciting, so it’s recommended.
Watermelon splitting
Let’s turn the classic summer activity “suikawari” (watermelon splitting) into a summer festival event.
How about letting seniors feel like kids again and rekindle that sense of excitement? Since it might be hard to break a watermelon with seniors’ strength, try making small cuts or other adjustments so it can be split with less force.
If you just want to enjoy the atmosphere, you could use a beach ball with a watermelon pattern instead of a real watermelon!
Bon Odori while seated
Speaking of Bon Odori, the typical image is people dancing while circling around a yagura tower.
What I’m introducing this time is a seated Bon Odori.
Many older adults worry about their legs, and standing can raise the risk of falling and getting injured.
As the name suggests, this “Seated Bon Odori” is done while everyone remains seated, focusing on upper-body movements.
It’s also charming for everyone to hold matching uchiwa fans.