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

Beanbag Catch

Beanbag catch with a sushi tub 😁 Such an easy activity 😆 #dayservice #senioractivities #shorts #easy #recreation

Let’s have fun with a beanbag-catching game.

Toss beanbags to older adults seated in chairs, and have them catch the beanbags using a container.

Everyday items like a colander, bowl, or sushi tub work just fine.

It’s enjoyable with both large and small groups.

A team competition to see who can catch the most beanbags is also recommended.

The lively atmosphere will likely encourage interaction among participants, and it’s a refreshing activity for everyone.

Beanbag Catch Relay

Beanbag Catch with a Bucket [Senior Recreation]

Using beanbags and a bucket, here’s a beanbag catch relay.

Have the older adults sit in chairs in a single line.

Give the bucket to the person at one end, and have each person catch the beanbag that comes their way using the bucket.

After catching the beanbag, pass the bucket to the next person.

Catching the beanbag that flies toward you is said to help train reflexes.

Even while seated, you’ll be moving your body, so you can do brain training and exercise at the same time.

Once everyone gets used to it, gradually adjust the difficulty by increasing the throwing speed of the beanbags.

It really livens things up, and attempting tasks that feel a bit challenging is also said to help activate the brain.

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Nakajima Junko

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Beanbag Block

Senior recreation: Seria—Foot exercise with 100-yen shop goods, beanbag blocks #RecreationForSeniors #Seria #Fun #Interesting

Let’s train our legs while having fun with a beanbag game.

Pair up and sit facing each other.

One person throws a beanbag so that it reaches the other person’s feet.

The other person blocks the incoming beanbag with their feet.

Each chair has a designated territory around it, and the person who gets more beanbags into the opponent’s territory wins.

Because you use your feet to block the beanbags, you can train your legs while seated.

Successfully blocking will make older adults feel happy, too.

It also creates opportunities to chat with those around you, which can lead to more social interaction.

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Nakajima Junko

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Otedama Hoi

Senior Recreation: Seria 100-Yen Shop Goods – Guaranteed Laughs! Sit-Down Friendly “Beanbag Toss” | #RecreationForSeniors #Seria #Towel

Here’s a simple recreation activity using a large bath towel and beanbags.

Two people sit facing each other on chairs and each holds an end of the bath towel.

Place several beanbags in the center of the towel.

Working together, the two people shake the towel to build momentum and toss the beanbags toward a target.

It gets exciting when many beanbags land in the target.

Another key point of this activity is cooperation between the two participants.

Older adults can naturally create opportunities for interaction by calling out to each other and working together.

Through this recreation, it’s likely to bring more smiles to older adults.

Pinball Catcher

[Mini-Game] Pinball Catcher #dayservice #olderadults #recreation #rehabilitation #caregiving #carefacility

It’s a game where you attach a net to your toes and try to catch rolling ping-pong balls with that net.

Since you have to lift your feet and move them left and right, your legs get a solid workout as the number of balls increases and the sessions get longer.

Another key point is that there are obstacles along the path the balls roll, which change their trajectories and help improve your focus as you read their movement.

Using a table with some height makes it harder because the balls’ trajectories change more upon falling, so that setup is also recommended.

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kappamaki

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Tossing beanbags toward the swaying basket

[Elderly Recreation] Throw beanbags aiming at a swinging basket #dayservice #recreation #rehabilitation

Here’s a fun game using beanbags.

You throw beanbags into a hanging basket—much like the ball-toss game often played at school sports days.

Many older adults are familiar with this type of game, so it should be easy to get into.

Like the traditional ball toss, the rules are simple, but this version gets progressively more difficult.

The more beanbags you throw, the more the hanging basket swings, making it harder to land your throws.

You’ll also need to watch the basket and time your throws, so it engages the brain as well.

When the basket fills up with beanbags, older participants are likely to feel a real sense of accomplishment.

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Nakajima Junko

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Foot Beanbag Bingo

Beanbag Toss Bingo #Recreation #DayService #Seniors

One activity option for events and parties is a bingo game.

Many older adults are already familiar with bingo, aren’t they? While bingo is usually played on paper, this time we’ll introduce a version that uses the feet and beanbags.

Prepare nine paper plates or cups, and have the older adults use their feet to toss beanbags into them.

Use colored tape to group the plates or cups by color, and change the score based on where the beanbag lands.

For example, award 20 points if the beanbag lands in a plate or cup of the same color, and 10 points if it’s a different color.

Because they lift their legs to toss the beanbags, older adults can enjoy the game while also training their legs.