[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 (271–280)
Cup stacking (with paper cups)
This is a “knock down the paper cups” game you can play with one hand.
Use a stick and a ball made from newspaper to knock over paper cups.
Attach a string to the newspaper stick and tie the newspaper ball to the string.
Aim at the paper cups placed on the floor and swing the hanging ball to knock them down.
Recreational games also help relieve stress.
With this game, you can have fun while blowing off steam and refreshing your mind.
Since you use your arm, it’s an easy way to try some light training.
Because it can be enjoyed with one hand, it’s also recommended for people with hemiparesis.
Paper cup drop
Here’s a game using paper cups.
Line up the paper cups in a row.
Use the lined-up cups as targets and have older adults throw a ball at them from a short distance away.
Depending on where you set up the cups, the goal is to throw the ball so that the cups tip over or fall to the floor.
Even if they don’t hit the cups perfectly, it’s likely to spark laughter and provide a nice change of pace.
It can also encourage conversation with others and help expand social interaction among older adults.
Paper cups are sold at 100-yen shops, so preparation is easy.
Matching game
This is a game where you look at the pictures drawn on the bottoms of arranged paper cups and find and match the ones with the same picture.
By searching for matching pictures, you can train concentration, and by quickly stacking the paper cups, you can also encourage awareness of hand movements.
It’s also important to decide what kind of pictures to draw; for example, limiting them to a spring theme lets players enjoy the game visually as well.
Adding trick elements, such as pictures that look similar but are slightly different, is recommended, as it helps players focus even more on their hands.
Brain training! Towel rock-paper-scissors
Like the game “Hit-and-Cover Rock-Paper-Scissors,” this towel rock-paper-scissors trains your reflexes and your brain.
Spread a towel on the table and sit facing your opponent.
Play rock-paper-scissors; if you win, pull the towel toward yourself.
If you lose, hold the towel down firmly so it can’t be taken.
As the game heats up, people often mix up what to do with the towel when they win or lose, which in turn stimulates the brain even more.
Since it’s an exercise you do with someone else, it also encourages communication and lifts your mood!
Color Card Matching Game
This is a game where you collect the specified colors from among cards painted on cardboard or construction paper and stack them in front of you.
The key point is that only the backs of the cards are colored, so encourage players to focus on the finger movements used to check colors and on remembering the placement of the cards.
The more color types and cards there are, the higher the difficulty, so once everyone gets used to it, gradually increasing the number should make it even more exciting.
It sounds fun not only with rules where individuals compete on speed, but also with cooperative rules where two people facing each other complete two sets together.
Dropping Colored Balls
We would like to introduce a color ball drop activity for pairs.
Have two older adults sit facing each other, each holding two sticks by their tips.
Place baskets labeled with colors between them.
Roll balls along the sticks and drop each ball into the basket with the matching color label.
This game emphasizes cooperation between the two participants.
Encourage them to communicate and synchronize their movements.
It’s a fun activity that can spark conversation and help expand social connections.
Don’t drop it! Ball Drop Game
Here’s an idea for a ball drop game that’s thrilling and exciting.
You’ll need a wire net, a large number of colored balls, and some clothes-drying poles.
First, set up the wire net in a triangular shape and insert the poles across the middle area.
Once that’s done, place the balls on top, and you’re ready to play.
Then, take turns removing one pole at a time.
Be careful not to let the balls fall.
It could be fun to discuss together which pole might be safe to pull out before making your move.
