[For Seniors] Fun and Engaging Recreational Activities in Nursing Homes
In this article, we introduce lively recreational activities for seniors to enjoy at day service centers and other care facilities!
Facilities offer many different types of activities every day.
We’ve gathered a wide variety—from ones that are great for lively group fun to those enjoyable for individuals or small groups—so please use this as a reference when you’re wondering, “What should we do today?”
Many activities can be enjoyed while seated, so everyone can participate and have fun together.
It can also be interesting to change the rules or add your own twists depending on the facility!
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[For Seniors] Fun and Engaging Recreational Activities at Nursing Homes (91–100)
Finger exercises with rock, scissors, paper
When deciding something, people sometimes use rock-paper-scissors, right? Older adults, too, have probably made decisions that way at some point.
In rock-paper-scissors, you make rock, scissors, and paper with your hands.
These rock, scissors, and paper shapes are actually effective for hand and finger training.
What’s more, moving your fingers can also provide brain-training benefits.
Many senior and welfare facilities likely include finger exercises in their daily routines.
Once you get used to it, try gradually increasing the speed or doing rock-paper-scissors to the tune of a nursery rhyme.
Presentation of gifts and interview
The gift presentation and interview will become a special, memorable time for the birthday honoree.
When giving the present, let’s play some music to liven up the atmosphere.
During the interview with the participant, take your time asking about their hobbies and happy memories, and create a fun, relaxed environment so they can enjoy a truly special moment.
For the gift, it would be great to choose something they’ll enjoy—check their hobbies and whether they have any allergies, and pick a present within your means that will make them happy!
[For Seniors] Fun, Lively Recreational Activities in Nursing Homes (101–110)
Mountain Cup
Some of you may have played golf back when you were working at a company.
Let us introduce the Mountain Cup, an activity that can bring back those memories.
As the name suggests, the course is shaped like a mountain.
Place a basket in the center, and lay plastic or cardboard boards—on which a ball can roll—over the top.
Make a hole in the center of the board, and roll the ball as you would in golf to get it into the central hole.
It’s easier to enjoy indoors than ground golf or gateball.
It’s likely to be fun for many older adults.
makeup
Creating time for makeup during a birthday recreation activity seems likely to bring smiles to the residents’ faces.
I think many residents feel especially strong emotions on their birthday, a day when they’re the star.
It’s wonderful to receive makeup on such a special day.
Having someone do the makeup that they can’t easily do themselves can be a nice change of pace and lift their spirits in many ways.
When doing makeup, be sure to ask about the resident’s preferences and use clean makeup tools.
Flag-raising game
This is a game where you move red and white flags in your hands up and down according to given instructions.
Your ability to listen carefully and then move—distinguishing between commands like “raise” vs.
“don’t raise” and “lower” vs.
“don’t lower”—is put to the test.
Once you get used to it, it’s recommended to gradually increase the speed of the instructions.
By requiring quicker decisions, you can further stimulate the brain.
To help players focus on listening and moving, it’s also a good idea to make the flags easier to hold—for example, by forming them into rings.
Everyday Birthday Rec
Let me introduce some go-to, everyday birthday activities for when you’re not sure what to do.
Using tissue paper, have the participants make flowers and stems and present them to the birthday person.
When everyone has given theirs, it turns into a beautiful bouquet! For the Flappy Game, make a big candle and use a cardboard box as a pretend cake.
Cut small circles in the centers of pieces of tissue paper and fit them onto the candle.
When you fan them with a uchiwa (hand fan), the tissue paper floats upward like the candle has been lit—great fun to watch.
In the “Roll to Get a Present” game, you roll two golf balls into holes; getting the strength just right is the key.
All of these are seated, safe, and exciting games that everyone can enjoy.
Bomb Game
It’s a game where players take turns answering with words that fit the given theme, while passing a ball that contains a timer to the next person.
It tests both your creativity to quickly come up with words from the theme and your reflexes to swiftly pass the ball.
Although the time limit is announced, the timer is inside the ball and can’t be seen, so you don’t know exactly when it will go off, which adds a sense of tension to the game.
The act of retrieving words from memory while moving your body also helps stimulate the brain.