For Seniors: Simple and Fun! November Recreation Ideas
Here are some November activities and recreations we recommend for older adults.
As November arrives, the scenery begins to shift from autumn to winter, and the temperatures drop quite a bit.
It’s a season where you can enjoy a different kind of seasonal beauty than in the height of autumn, but many older adults may find it hard to move as they’d like due to the cold and end up staying indoors.
With that in mind, this article gathers seasonal games and recreational activities that can be enjoyed indoors.
These ideas are also great for community gatherings and day service settings.
We hope everyone has fun together!
- [For Seniors] Fun Autumn Activities: Recreation Games
- [For Seniors] Recommended Trivia Quizzes & Fun Facts for November
- [For Seniors] Let’s Make It Together! Wonderful November Wall Decoration Ideas
- [November Health Topic] Indoor Recreation Ideas for Older Adults
- [For Seniors] Day-service activities also recommended! Craft ideas for November
- [For Seniors] Guaranteed to Be a Hit! Popular Day Service Recreational Activities
- For Seniors: Easy and Delicious! November Snack Activity
- [For Seniors] Liven Up November Day Services! Fun Autumn Event Ideas
- [For Seniors] Simple crafts that feel like autumn: a fun creative activity
- [For Seniors] Simple Recreational Activities You Can Enjoy While Seated
- [For Seniors] Simple Tabletop Games: Fun and Engaging Recreational Activities
- [For Seniors] Have Fun! A Collection of Group Game Recreation Ideas
- [For Seniors] Fun and Lively! Recommended Quiz Questions
For Seniors: Simple and Fun! Recreation Ideas for November (11–20)
Ping-Pong Ball Passing Game
Let’s play a fun game using ping-pong balls.
First, prepare a paper plate and a pair of disposable chopsticks.
We’re going to make something like the scoop used in goldfish scooping, with washi paper attached.
The key is to make a hole in the paper plate that’s slightly larger than a ping-pong ball.
Prepare a basket or container that can hold several ping-pong balls, and try scooping them up with the paper plate you made.
Since the paper plate has a hole, carefully transfer the balls into another basket so they don’t fall through.
You can focus and play alone, or make it a team competition with a large group for extra fun.
It’s also a great game for older adults to encourage interaction with others.
Recreation using hoops
There are many types of physical recreation activities for older adults, and one particularly exciting option involves using rings to get the body moving.
In this activity, a staff member holds a long stick, and participants throw rings aiming to hook them onto the stick.
Start at a slow pace.
As everyone gets used to it, gradually increase the speed to raise the difficulty—this is sure to liven things up.
It would also be fun to play music like the kind you hear during a relay race at a sports day while doing the activity.
Mirror-writing brain-training exercise
Did you know that November 11 is Mirror Day? To mark the occasion, here’s a brain-training exercise using mirror writing.
When letters are reflected in a mirror, they appear reversed, right? Try imagining those reversed letters and write them with one hand.
With your other hand, write the letters the correct way.
By thinking about and visualizing the reversed characters, you can stimulate your brain and expect a brain-training effect.
You might start with the Japanese syllables a-i-u-e-o and gradually increase the difficulty.
It could also be fun to write words or song lyrics.
It’s said that finding it a bit challenging boosts the brain-training benefits.
Since you can do this while seated, it’s an easy exercise for older adults as well.
Wall decoration – autumn leaves
November is when the trees turn vivid colors.
How about making a wall decoration together with older adults? When you think of maple leaves in autumn, you think of red and yellow, right? Let’s try making autumn maples using various colors of origami, such as pink and blue.
The brightly colored maples will beautifully express the transition from autumn to winter.
Origami maples are simple to make—just accordion-fold and cut—so they should be easy for seniors as well.
Moving the fingers also stimulates the brain, so you can expect a brain-training effect.
Fingerplay: Busy Work
In honor of Labor Thanksgiving Day on November 23, here’s a fingerplay song about busy jobs.
It lets everyone pretend to be different professionals and have fun together.
In addition to a mail carrier and a sushi chef, I think it will be even more enjoyable if you adapt it to include other occupations.
Autumn Foliage Mobile
When it comes to autumn, it’s all about the colorful leaves.
Let’s make a mobile perfect for fall using colored paper and string.
It’s very simple: cut the colored paper into circles, draw leaf patterns on them, and glue four pieces together to create a three-dimensional leaf.
Make several leaves, then use straws and string to assemble them into a mobile.
If you use a variety of colors—orange, red, green, and brown—it will turn out beautifully.
It could also be fun to make it into a garland or a wall decoration.
For Seniors: Simple and Fun! November Recreation Ideas (21–30)
Brain training with finger circling and foot-stomping exercises
November 21 is World Hello Day.
The idea behind it is that by greeting one another, we can create a peaceful world without conflict.
On this day, there is a message of choosing dialogue over war, promoted through an activity where you greet ten people.
While moving your fingers as if they are saying hello, let’s also add some foot exercises.
Bend the fingers of both hands and bring them closer together as if they are greeting each other.
Once your fingertips touch, rotate from the thumbs, and then add marching in place.
Adding the marching helps prevent falls.
Doing these two movements together also enhances brain activation.