[Christmas Party at the Nursing Home] Staff Take on the Challenge! Fun Performances Everyone Can Enjoy
At a nursing home’s Christmas party, the ideal performances are ones that residents and staff can enjoy together and really get excited about.
Activities everyone can join in create a sense of unity in the room and turn into wonderful memories.
In particular, performances that reveal an unexpected side of the staff—who spend time with the residents every day—are sure to be a big hit.
From music to handmade crafts to dance, we’ll introduce a variety of ideas that can liven up the event.
They can all be chosen to fit your preparation time and group size, so please use them as a reference! Let’s plan heartwarming Christmas performances that will bring smiles to everyone’s faces.
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[Christmas Party at the Nursing Home] Staff Take on the Challenge! Fun Performances to Get Everyone Excited (51–60)
Handbell ‘Yuyake Koyake’
A performance where you play music with handbells you’re holding—if it’s a familiar song, the audience will really be able to appreciate how skillful the playing is.
Here, let’s perform the children’s song “Yuyake Koyake” on handbells so the audience can experience both the quality of the performance and the beauty of the tone.
The beauty of the sound will also change depending on how many bells you ring at once and how you build the harmonies.
After presenting a model performance, it’s also recommended to have the audience join in by playing only certain notes; this format lets them feel both the fun and the difficulty of performing.
bazaar
A bazaar where staff and service users can participate together is a feature that brings lively energy to the Christmas party.
It’s fun to see the personalities of the sellers shine through, and items that someone no longer needs might delight someone else—just taking part is sure to lift your spirits.
Many people find shopping a great way to relieve stress, so it’s also perfect for giving users a change of pace.
It’s a delightful recreation that lets everyone enjoy a special feeling different from the everyday.
Magic Theater
Perfect for a Christmas party—the Magic Theater is about to begin! It starts with cutting a piece of yellow paper that’s been folded many times, which turns into a chain of connected stars like a garland.
Then, after separating the stars one by one and placing them into an envelope, they reappear linked together again! Next, you place a randomly folded white sheet of paper inside another sheet that’s been folded about three times.
With a magic spell, the white paper miraculously appears as an origami crane! It’s the kind of magic that will liven up a short segment of a Christmas party.
It’s sure to delight seniors as well!
Doppelganger Doll: Bride Samba
It’s a performance where you connect your limbs and a doll’s limbs with rods so your movements are synchronized, then showcase a dance.
Since the rods restrict your motion, think carefully about which choreography will look comical.
Your and the doll’s outfits are also important—creating a coordinated look to present yourselves as a group is key; a style that conveys unity and flair even as a solo act is recommended.
If you choose a song the audience knows, they’ll be able to focus on the dance and feel the fun more fully.
[Christmas Party at the Nursing Home] Staff Take on the Challenge! Fun Performances to Get Everyone Excited (61–70)
School Heaven
How about having the staff dance to “Gakuen Tengoku,” released by Finger Five in 1974? It’s a famous song that has been covered by many artists, including Kyoko Koizumi, so many older adults are likely to know it.
If you incorporate some simple moves here and there that seniors can do together, everyone can join in the fun! Seeing the staff giving it their all and dancing to bright, cheerful music will naturally bring smiles to everyone’s faces.
Quick-change magic
When we think of quick-change magic, we picture someone reappearing in a new outfit in an instant.
Some facilities may even showcase it as part of events or programs.
But with a bit of ingenuity, you can turn it into an even more entertaining act.
Set up a changing area on stage and tell the seniors, “I’ll change quickly now.” This cue is the key point.
You imprint the idea that you’ll change quickly, but the twist is that you actually can’t change quickly—that’s the highlight of this trick.
If the outfit you finally change into is quirky, it will draw even more laughter from the seniors.
Is it a man? Is it a woman?
At events and gatherings, we want many older adults to feel joy and have fun.
It may be best to structure performances and entertainment in a way that older adults can understand at a glance.
It could be amusing for staff to dress up in unique cross-gender costumes and put on an act.
Making it interactive by having older adults guess whether the performer is male or female will liven things up even more.
We also recommend doing a comedy routine or a quiz on stage while wearing the unique outfits.
Seeing the staff in cross-gender costumes can spark conversations among older adults and help them connect with others.