[For Seniors] Enjoy May! Recommended Recreational Activities and Games
May is full of events, isn’t it?
Did you know that in addition to Children’s Day and Mother’s Day, there are also days like Makeup Day and Hyakunin Isshu Day?
In this article, we’ll introduce May-themed recreational activities and games for seniors.
It’s perfect for those thinking, “What should we do for May activities?”
With the warm weather, why not enjoy recreation not only indoors but also outdoors?
These activities will enrich the minds and bodies of older adults.
Let’s savor the feeling of the season in May through these recreational ideas.
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[For Seniors] Enjoy May! Recommended Recreations and Games (41–50)
Strikeout
Strikeout is a game where you throw balls at numbered targets.
Besides being expected to benefit arm exercise, strikeout is also said to help strengthen your core.
By training your core, you improve body balance, which can help prevent falls.
It’s a game where you can enjoy yourself while getting a workout by knocking down the numbered targets.
A key attraction is that you can play it indoors and have a lively time with a large group.
How about making targets not with numbers, but with illustrations or photos related to May events?
A game where you make parody versions of the song Tulips
This activity involves taking the lyrics of Tulips, a classic spring children’s song, dividing them into blocks by character count, and then changing the words in each block.
Which part each person is responsible for is determined by a game using a target marked with numbers, and from there, participants come up with words that match the specified character count.
As long as the number matches, any words are acceptable; however, if you have everyone think of words with a spring theme, it should help them focus more deeply on the language.
Once all the blocks are filled, everyone sings the new lyrics together and checks whether the sound and flow feel pleasant.
Gift-stuffing game
It’s a game where players compete to see how many presents they can stuff into their bags within a time limit, using the gifts laid out on a table.
When pushing the presents in, they should apply force—while also easing up enough not to tear the bag—so it encourages mindful control of strength.
To keep the focus from being only on the simple act of stuffing, make the presents colorful so the visuals are fun too.
It’s also a good idea to randomize the sizes and shapes of the presents, adding an element of judgment about which ones to put in the bag.
ball toss (traditional Japanese beanbag/ball-throwing game)
Tamaire, the ball-toss game often seen at school sports days.
Some older adults may have participated in sports days in the past and played tamaire, too.
Here’s a perfect recreation activity for moving the body in warm May: tamaire.
With this familiar game, older adults can enjoy a change of pace and relieve stress.
Have participants sit in chairs and place a basket in the center.
Prepare red, white, and other colored balls, and have them toss the balls into the basket.
The person who gets the most balls into the basket wins.
Throwing with the arms and shoulders also provides an upper-body workout.
Paper cup drop
Here’s a game using paper cups.
Line up the paper cups in a row.
Use the lined-up cups as targets, and have older adults throw a ball at them from a short distance.
Depending on where you set the cups, the idea is to throw the ball so the cups fall over or drop to the floor.
Even if the ball doesn’t hit the cups well, it can spark laughter and provide a nice change of pace.
It also encourages conversation with others and can help expand social interaction among older adults.
Paper cups are sold at 100-yen shops, so preparation is easy.
Mugwort picking
In China, yomogi (mugwort) is called aiye and has long been used as a traditional medicine.
In Japan, it’s also considered beneficial for the digestive system, circulatory system, and allergies, so it’s added to baths on Children’s Day along with iris leaves.
With that in mind, how about a yomogi-picking outing for a May recreation activity? Since it only involves picking, I think even seniors can do it without strain.
You could dry it to make yomogi powder and then use it to make kusa mochi, too!
Wishing Koinobori
This is a recreation activity where you draw a large carp streamer (koinobori) on paper and then paste round, cut-out message cards onto it like scales.
It takes a bit of effort, but you’ll enjoy not only looking at the koinobori, but also reading everyone’s messages.
If you’re doing this at a facility, it might be nice to ask visiting family members of residents to write messages as well.
The more participants there are, the more magnificent the koinobori will be.