[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 Lively Recreational Activities in Nursing Homes (1–10)
Karaoke Contest
Karaoke recreation can make you feel nostalgic as you remember songs that were popular in the past.
Also, when staff dress up in costumes and perform songs and dances, you get to see something out of the ordinary, which can lift your mood.
Enjoying the dazzling costumes and singing lets you immerse yourself in a different world from everyday life, helping to relieve stress.
And by singing together with everyone, you can create a sense of unity and spend an enjoyable time!
Word association game
Association games conducted at facilities or day service centers are easy recreational activities to try.
Their appeal lies in how they train creativity and imagination.
Give an association game a try and work out the correct answers while exercising your brain.
It’s also recommended to write things on a whiteboard to make them easier to remember.
To ensure everyone enjoys it, try using familiar, everyday topics for the questions and make other similar adjustments.
Bean-throwing season’s “Hit, Put On, Rock-Paper-Scissors, Pon!”
‘Whack-a-Helmet Rock-Paper-Scissors’ is a game everyone played as a kid.
You play rock-paper-scissors; the winner tries to whack the loser on the head, and the loser tries to block it before getting hit.
People often use a squeaky toy hammer as the striking tool, but to get into the Setsubun spirit, let’s try using an oni’s club instead.
Of course, it’s just a soft, inflatable club, so there’s no need to worry about injuries.
Even so, just in case, the loser should defend themselves with a cushion or a helmet.
The first person to land a hit on their opponent wins.
[For Seniors] Fun and Engaging Recreational Activities in Nursing Homes (11–20)
oral exercises
Oral exercises can strengthen the muscles of the lips, cheeks, around the mouth, and the tongue.
Doing them before meals helps you eat with confidence.
While saying “a-i-u-e-o,” move your mouth muscles widely.
Tongue exercises are also recommended because they strengthen the tongue.
In addition, massaging the salivary glands promotes saliva flow, making swallowing smoother.
Meals are one of life’s daily pleasures.
To keep eating safely for as long as possible, incorporate oral exercises and aim for smooth, comfortable meals.
Coloring book
Isn’t the charm of coloring books that even people who aren’t good at drawing can enjoy them? Just by adding color, you can create a piece that’s uniquely your own and feel a sense of accomplishment! How about using coloring as a recreational activity? Coloring also provides fine-motor exercise for the hands.
For the designs, it might be nice to let people choose according to their preferences from several types, such as seasonal motifs, characters, flowers, or animals.
It’s also a good idea to prepare a wide range—from simple designs to more intricate ones!
Cooking and baking
Cooking and baking activities are very popular at our facility, so we highly recommend them! When you cook while thinking about steps and efficiency, it stimulates and activates the brain.
It also helps train fine motor skills through detailed tasks.
Food and sweets you enjoy with the sense of accomplishment of having made them yourself taste exceptionally good! Breads and cakes made with seasonal ingredients are especially recommended!
movie watching
Watching entertaining movies is a popular recreation in facilities because it can be enjoyed indoors.
In places where many different people gather, choosing the right films is important.
We recommend options with relatively short run times that are easy and relaxing to watch.
Try researching films that are commonly enjoyed, such as period dramas, hits from the Showa era, musicals, or movies that evoke a sense of the season.