[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!
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[You Can Do It Right Away!] Simple Recreational Activities to Enjoy at Nursing Homes (21–30)
Just paper and pen! Number Bingo
It’s a simple game where you use a pencil to draw a grid and numbers on paper, then aim for bingo.
The grid is 3 squares by 3 squares, for a total of 9, and you freely choose numbers from 1 to 15 to fill them in at random.
Once everyone has finished writing their numbers, you’re ready to play: read out the numbers on the cards in order, and each player aims for bingo.
You can enjoy seeing whether a line on your own card completes, or you can turn it into a competitive game where you try to complete more lines than your opponent—either way, it’s sure to be exciting.
Paper Cup Bingo
It’s a game where players take turns placing three sizes of paper cups—large, medium, and small—on a grid, aiming to line up three cups of their color.
The grid is a 3×3 board with nine squares, and you try to complete your own line while preventing your opponent from completing theirs.
Because the rules allow you to stack your cup on top of your opponent’s cup, choosing which size to play becomes a key strategic point.
This stacking element broadens the range of tactics and makes for more advanced mind games.
Think through your opponent’s moves as well as your own approach to keep your brain fully engaged.
[Do It Right Away!] Simple Recreational Activities to Enjoy at Nursing Homes (31–40)
Balloon basket
This activity has participants gently hit a balloon and try to land it in the basket in front of them.
Encourage them to pay close attention to the direction they hit the balloon and how much force they use.
In addition to aiming to get it into the basket in a single hit, it’s also recommended to add a variation where they bounce it upward a few times before aiming for the basket to develop their sense of balance.
By thinking about the direction to bounce the balloon and moving to retrieve it, they can train not only their bodies but also their reflexes and decision-making skills.
It would also be exciting to turn it into a cooperative game where everyone stands in a large circle and targets a basket placed in the center.
Paper Cup Whack-a-Mole
Paper cup whack-a-mole is a simple, fun recreation activity.
You make a hammer out of a paper cup and play a game of covering and uncovering placed paper cups, which helps train hand movements and flexibility.
If you compete to see how many cups you can remove within a set time, it becomes even more enjoyable.
Older adults can join at their own pace, so everyone can have a friendly, sociable time together.
It also boosts concentration, making it perfect for brain training.
Preparation is easy, so it’s great for starting casually whenever you have a little spare time.
A bingo game that uses both the head and the body to have fun
This is a game where you toss beanbags into targets arranged in a grid, aiming to line up a row.
By adjusting the number and size of the squares and the distance to the targets, you can tailor the rules to the participants and make it exciting.
The key is how you throw the beanbags so they reach the targets; it helps build concentration for gauging distances to far objects and for adjusting throwing strength.
Assess your own abilities carefully and decide which targets you’re more likely to reach.
In conclusion
We introduced some easy recreational activities.
Some can be enjoyed right away without any equipment, and we also picked out classic options you’ll want to do again and again—once you make them, you can use them next time too.
If you use video sites and the like, you can enjoy a variety of quizzes and challenges, so be sure to give them a try!