[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 (51–60)
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.
Shishamo Game
In May, carp streamers swim pleasantly through the sky, don’t they? As you might expect, it’s hard to grab a swimming carp streamer with a quick “gotcha!”, but tiny smelt—especially ones made of paper—should be easy to catch! Shishamo are in season in autumn, but since they can be frozen, we can enjoy them all year round now.
Here’s a shishamo game that uses that theme! Make little shishamo by rolling small pieces of paper into tubes and drawing eyes and fins.
Insert a straw or similar, and compete to see how quickly you can transfer them to the neighboring plate.
Since you use your hands and fingers, it’s great for rehabilitation too! Savor an autumn delicacy in May—try grabbing it fast!
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!
[For Seniors] Enjoy May! Recommended Recreations and Games (61–70)
Gardening
Speaking of spring, lots of colorful flowers bloom and it really brightens your mood, doesn’t it? Why not try gardening—planting and growing those flowers yourself! Of course, not every home has a large yard.
Lately, balcony gardening that you can enjoy even in small spaces has become popular.
Enjoy flowers and greenery in a way that suits your home’s style!
Picnic
How about going on a picnic together? People often think picnics are mainly for families with small children, but they can be enjoyed by anyone, anywhere.
The only thing to worry about is the weather, right? Let’s pack some lunch boxes, snacks, and drinks and head out.
Store-bought is perfectly fine—food tastes amazing when you eat it outdoors! And don’t forget a picnic blanket!
Cooking with fruit
How about trying an easy recipe using fruit? In this video, we introduce “Fruit Spring Rolls” made with fruit, sweet red bean paste (anko), and rice paper wrappers.
Since many people have allergies these days, this recipe doesn’t use eggs, milk, or wheat.
It’s really simple, so everyone—from small children to the elderly—can have fun making it together.
Using a variety of colorful fruits makes it look vibrant and festive!