[For Seniors] Recommended Events for May: A Roundup of Ideas That Get Everyone Engaged
May is a refreshing season that makes your heart feel light.
As the weather warms up, it becomes easier to hold events at facilities and similar venues.
It’s also a time when older adults may feel like trying new things, isn’t it?
With that in mind, we’re introducing recommended May events for seniors.
We selected activities designed so that even those who find it difficult to move around can still enjoy themselves.
May features many events and observances, such as Golden Week, Children’s Day (Tango no Sekku), and Mother’s Day.
There are also interesting commemorative days that make event planning fun, like “Makeup Day” and “Hyakunin Isshu Day.”
Through these events, seniors within the same facility can communicate more and deepen their connections.
We hope everyone enjoys them together.
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[For Seniors] Recommended May Events: A Roundup of Fun, Crowd-Pleasing Ideas (21–30)
Recommended Exercises for May
Many senior and welfare facilities probably do daily exercises, don’t they? Here are some exercises perfect for May events and recreational activities.
Have the seniors share things that evoke May, and do exercises while singing May-related songs like “Koinobori.” You can incorporate these not only into special events and recreation, but also into your regular exercise routines.
By doing movements inspired by May, some seniors may feel a sense of the season.
It might even spark lively conversations about their memories of May.
Caregiving Exercise: The Apple Song
May is the season when we feel warmth and a refreshing breeze, isn’t it? The pleasant weather may inspire some older adults to get moving.
So let’s do some seated exercises suitable for elder care.
We’ll move along to the lyrics of “Ringo no Uta,” the first big hit song after the war.
If it’s a familiar song for older adults, it should make it easier to engage in the exercises.
Be sure to enjoy exercising while singing together.
Some older adults may find themselves humming the nostalgic lyrics and recalling fond memories.
May calendar
Let’s make an exciting May calendar full of holidays! Try drawing carp streamers for Children’s Day on the calendar, or flowers that bloom in May like roses and irises…
Instead of just drawing, you could also make these with origami! Sensing the seasons in this way is very important for older adults.
It’s easy to print the dates from the internet, but you might also have them write the numbers themselves as a form of brain training.
Add some color to the holidays and create a bright, cheerful calendar!
Nail and hand treatment
Have you taken a close look at your mother’s hands lately? She’s worked and done housework every day while raising you with all her heart.
The life she’s built up shows in her hands.
In honor of Mother’s Day, let’s show our everyday gratitude by giving her hands some care.
Use oil to massage her hands and boost circulation.
Then apply cream to moisturize, and finish with a nail buffer to care for her nails.
They’ll shine so much it may surprise her.
It’s nothing elaborate, but through the touch of hand to hand, your feelings will be conveyed.
She’ll surely be delighted.
Mother’s Day 3-choice Quiz
Mother’s Day is a familiar occasion for expressing gratitude to our mothers.
This time, we’re introducing a three-choice quiz themed around Mother’s Day.
When is Mother’s Day? Which country did Mother’s Day originate in? What was the original color of the carnations given on Mother’s Day? You may find there are things you’re not sure about when you think them through.
You can also change the questions, or increase or decrease the number of choices, to encourage more people to take part.
With just simple preparations, anyone can enjoy participating—even in senior care facilities.
Give it a try!
Rice Planting Game
Around May, it’s the season when rice planting becomes more common.
If you live near rice paddies, you can enjoy the sight of fields turning green with newly planted rice.
Let’s bring that scenery to life with a rice-planting game designed for seniors.
These days, rice planting is usually done with machines.
However, in this game, players “plant” felt pieces instead of rice seedlings by hand.
Prepare a cardboard board with round holes cut out to represent the rice field.
The person who plants the most felt “rice” into the holes wins.
Playing this rice-planting game may help some seniors recall their memories of planting rice in the past.
Let’s sing the May song.
The warm season of May puts you in a buoyant mood, doesn’t it? At times like that, be sure to sing some May songs to feel even brighter.
In May, there are classic Children’s Day songs like “Koinobori” and “Sekurabe.” Many older adults know these children’s songs, so open your mouth wide, sing out loud, and boost your energy! By the way, did you know there’s also a song that uses the kanji for koi, titled “Koi-nobori” (鯉のぼり)? It’s another cheerful tune that’s perfect for the season, so please give it a try! In fact, seniors might be even more familiar with it.