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[Easy to Start!] Simple Recreational Activities to Enjoy in Nursing Homes
The more difficult a recreation activity is, the more effective it can be for brain training and physical benefits—but for people who aren’t fond of such activities, it can become even more off-putting.
There’s also the issue that activities requiring a lot of preparation or elaborate materials can be hard to set up.
In this article, we’ll introduce easy, enjoyable recreational activities.
How about using simple, convenient activities to spark communication? And if you’re getting tired of the basics, adding just a small twist can make them much more fun!
[Quick and Easy!] Simple Recreational Activities to Enjoy at Nursing Homes (1–10)
tea party
How about hosting a tea party that even those who aren’t fond of structured recreational activities can enjoy? There don’t have to be any strict rules—just drink tea together, nibble on tasty treats, and chat about recent fun moments or little slip-ups.
It’s only chatting over tea, but you may find yourself unwinding and releasing everyday stress without even noticing.
Even if you’re not comfortable talking with others, you can still take part just by listening or simply sipping your tea.
Quiz
When it comes to classic recreational activities, quizzes are a staple! We call them “quizzes” in a single word, but there are so many variations that they’re easy to enjoy and you never get bored—perfect for group fun.
You can hold a hand-raising quiz themed around your event, use multiple-choice questions, or go with yes-or-no questions.
It’s also great to have everyone hold two colored cards and answer like a true-or-false quiz—there’s no limit on the number of participants, so it’s highly recommended.
Obscure trivia quizzes are fun too—you’ll discover lots of things you didn’t know!
Tonton Sumo
How about playing ton-ton sumo, a classic game many of you probably know? Once you make a ton-ton sumo set, you can use it over and over.
You can play on a small box, or go big by using the whole table with large paper wrestlers—spectators will get excited too! You can combine it with a craft activity to create your own original wrestlers.
Staff can also act as the referee, making a war-fan with something like a uchiwa to liven things up even more!
origami
Origami is an easy activity that also serves as finger dexterity training.
It’s great for seasonal events, of course, and it’s also recommended as a quick pastime you can enjoy in short breaks.
On the flip side, it’s equally enjoyable when you take your time to create a masterpiece, or when everyone works together on detailed pieces to make wall decorations.
You can choose to make a single item, or have everyone fold whatever they like—either way, it’s a very easy recreational activity to incorporate.
target practice
A target-throwing game that gets everyone fired up before you know it.
It’s a popular activity at events where kids gather.
There are many versions of target games—for example, during Setsubun you can make the target a demon—so it’s an easy recreation to tailor to different events.
You don’t even have to make special targets: plastic bottles, stuffed animals, or tissue boxes all work great.
You can enjoy it seated at a table, or place the targets on the floor and roll balls to hit them.
Compete by how many you knock down, or assign points to each target to make it even more exciting.
Brain training exercises
If you search for brain-training exercises on video sites, you’ll find a ton of them! There are activities that use your fingers, ones that incorporate upper-body movements, and even options that include playful elements different from typical exercises.
They come in various difficulty levels and lengths, so pick something that suits the moment.
There are plenty of funny, entertaining ones too, so it might be nice to try them when the weather is gloomy or when you want a change of pace.
Many are easy to enjoy, so they’re perfect for your free time as well.
Word association game
It’s believed that even just thinking—without knowing the correct answer—can be effective for activating the brain and doing brain training.
So why not try an association game that’s perfect for that kind of training? Starting from a single prompt, you let your mind explore and chain together different ideas—this kind of play cultivates creativity and flashes of insight.
And the great thing about association games is that there can be many answers, with lots of room to branch out.
From there, you can enjoy small talk and even spark new conversations.
Having a whiteboard makes it even more fun.