[For Seniors] Fun and Engaging Recreational Activities in Nursing Homes

Warabi Mochi in Anmitsu Style

Oyachube! “Anmitsu-style Warabi Mochi”

Warabi-mochi has a jiggly, gelatinous texture in your mouth.

It’s often dusted with kinako (roasted soybean flour), but topping it with matcha or drizzling it with kuromitsu (brown sugar syrup) is also delicious.

Warabi-mochi is made with warabi starch, though using warabi starch can sometimes result in a slightly firmer texture.

Try some tweaks, like using a store-bought kit that yields softer warabi-mochi, or making a soft version with potato starch (katakuriko).

You can also turn it into an anmitsu-style dessert by adding sweet red bean paste and fruit, then drizzling kuromitsu on top.

It transforms warabi-mochi into a more festive Japanese sweet than usual, and it’s likely to be enjoyed by older adults as well.

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Nakajima Junko

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Strawberry Picking Game

2021.4.16. Strawberry Picking Recreation

The bright red fruit, strawberries, are one of the foods that evoke the feeling of spring, and strawberry picking is also an event that brings a sense of the season.

This game is inspired by the scene of strawberry picking, where players compete to collect as many strawberry mascots as possible within a time limit.

A string is stretched out in front of you, and clothespins attached to it hold strawberry motifs.

You remove them and place them into a basket.

It’s a game that values the pinching motion used to remove the strawberries from the clothespins, as well as the speed and concentration needed to aim for a higher count within the time limit.

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kappamaki

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song exercise

Elderly seated sing-and-exercise [Birthday] Happy Birthday event recreation light exercise stretching song exercise for birthday parties at senior facilities day-service as a birthday present

Here are some recommended sing-along exercises for a birthday party activity.

While seated, move along with the music by clapping, bending your elbows, lifting your toes, and more.

The key is to choose a variety of songs—some with expressive dynamics, others with a good tempo.

Think of movements that can be done safely while seated, keeping participants’ safety in mind.

Doing the activity with expressive facial gestures will help liven things up! Performing it while singing also helps with relaxation and stress relief, so it’s highly recommended.

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mayumi

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Fan Beanbag Relay

Ojami Relay #Recreation #DayServiceRecreation #DayService

Let me introduce a fan-and-beanbag relay that everyone can enjoy.

Have participants sit in chairs in a single row, and use handheld fans to pass along a beanbag.

Because it’s done while seated, even people who find it difficult to stand or move their bodies can likely take part.

Since both the fan and the beanbag are light, it doesn’t require much strength.

And with fans and beanbags, there’s less risk of injury if something is dropped.

Through the relay, people will call out to one another and work together as a team.

It might even spark new interactions.

You can also make it more exciting by forming two lines and holding a head-to-head relay competition.

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Nakajima Junko

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Ojami Wobble Game

Ojami Wobble Game #dayservice #recreation #Nichinan #Miyazaki #teamwork #dayservicerecreation #rec

Many older adults have probably played otedama (beanbag juggling) before, right? Some may have even skillfully used their hands and fingers to juggle two or three beanbags in the air.

Let’s play a fun game that uses familiar otedama to work the fingertips.

Place a paper plate on top of a short piece of a cut plastic wrap or foil core.

Then, place the beanbags on the paper plate one by one.

Since the paper plate is unstable, it wobbles each time you add a beanbag, creating a thrilling, heart-pounding effect.

It seems like older adults can enjoy a bit of tension while engaging in the game.

By the way, “ojami” is what otedama is called in the Kansai region.

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Nakajima Junko

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Onigiri Kororin Game

This activity is awesome! So much fun for everyone! Everyone gets excited! The Onigiri Rolling Game 🍙 #dayservice #elderlyrecreation #senior #rehabilitation #daycare #shorts #grandma #onigiri #game

How about trying the sure-to-be-exciting “Rolling Rice Ball Game”? Attach yarn to a paper plate and make rice balls and obstacles.

Place the rice balls you made on the paper plate and start the game! Reel in the yarn, and if you can bring the rice ball all the way to you without dropping it, you succeed.

There are obstacles made from plastic wrap or construction paper along the way, so be careful not to let it fall! The winner is decided both by speed and by how many rice balls you can transport without dropping them.

It’s a recreation activity that gets not only the older adults pulling the string excited, but also everyone watching around them.

Please feel free to use this as a reference!

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moko

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Onigiri Concentration

[Senior Recreation] Onigiri Concentration (Memory Game)

This is a concentration/memory game where you flip over onigiri cards and try to match the same fillings.

Since there are many cards for each filling—like “12 umeboshi” and “6 cod roe”—you have a relatively high chance of getting a match even when drawing at random, which is part of the appeal.

While it’s important to engage your memory—such as recalling where cards were—be sure to celebrate correct matches so everyone feels good and stays enthusiastic about the game.

If matching proves difficult, it’s also recommended to reveal all the cards and give players time to memorize their locations.

In the end, compare everyone’s hands and get excited about how each set of fillings came together.

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kappamaki

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