Recreation Popularity Rankings for Seniors
We’ll introduce recreational activities for seniors in a ranked format.
The focus is on indoor activities that can be enjoyed even by those with weak legs or who have difficulty going out.
If you’re looking for recreation that seniors will enjoy, want games that can be done while seated, or need activities with simple rules, please use this as a reference.
These ideas can also be used during recreation time at day service centers and care facilities.
Let’s create fun moments together.
- [For Seniors] Easy and fun seated activities you can do in your room
- For Seniors: Fun and Lively Exercise Recreation
- [For Seniors] Simple Tabletop Games: Fun and Engaging Recreational Activities
- [For Seniors] Refresh Your Mood! Lively, Get-Moving Games
- Recreation Activities Effective for Long-Term Care Prevention for Seniors
- [For Seniors] Today’s Recommended Activity: Fun and Engaging
- [For Seniors] Simple Recreational Activities You Can Enjoy While Seated
- [For Seniors] Hand and finger play roundup: Finger exercises that lead to brain training
- For Seniors: Effective Recreation for Preventing Care Needs—Have Fun While Staying Healthy
- [For Seniors] Fun and Engaging Recreational Activities in Nursing Homes
- [For Seniors] Recommended Easy Strength Training
- [For Seniors] Have Fun and Relieve Stress! Introducing Dances Everyone Can Enjoy Together
- [For Seniors] Fun Autumn Activities: Recreation Games
Recreation Popularity Rankings for Seniors (21–30)
An association game using initials22rank/position
How about some brain training with a word association game? We’ll start by listing keywords for the prompt “What comes to mind in June?” Once we’ve got words like “rainy season,” “hydrangea,” and “snail,” we’ll use the five-letter word “hydrangea” (ajisai) this time.
Take the initial sounds “a,” “ji,” “sa,” and “i,” and set each to form a word of any length.
It’ll look like: “a〇〇,” “ji〇〇〇,” “sa〇〇〇〇,” “i〇〇.” Finally, think of letters to fill in the 〇’s and complete the words.
It’s that thing they do on variety shows as a comedy-improv segment.
What is the most common surname in Japan?23rank/position
Someone who fits the bill might be right nearby! Here’s a fun fact: What’s the most common surname in Japan? It’s said that there are about 300,000 different Japanese surnames.
That number is rare even by global standards, and there are interesting regional traits as well.
Among those roughly 300,000 surnames, do you know which is the most common? The answer is “Sato.” There might even be a Mr.
or Ms.
Sato close to you.
It’s a bit of trivia that makes everyone go, “Oh, really?”
What is a ____ that starts with ____?24rank/position
This is a game where you combine a given letter with a theme and come up with answers.
By setting an autumn-related theme, you can create a seasonal feel and have fun thinking of words, such as “autumn plants that start with mo” or “fruits that start with ku.” Writing the answers on a whiteboard boosts visual engagement and makes it easier to share with everyone.
It can be played individually or in teams, and the quick pace of responses creates a lively atmosphere.
When someone gets stuck, others can offer hints, and it can also prompt memories of old dining tables or scenery, naturally encouraging conversations and reminiscences among older adults as a recreational activity.
What were the unruly and immoral youths—said to be named after Shintaro Ishihara’s novel—called?25rank/position
Shintaro Ishihara, who thrived not only as an actor and writer but also as a politician, coined a term through his novel that became widely popular.
What was the group called that referred to young people who were unruly and immoral? The hint is that the term comes from Ishihara’s novel Season of the Sun.
The answer is the “Sun Tribe.” From the outside, it was used to describe a delinquent group, while for those involved, it expressed a belief in not being bound by the existing order.
It’s an episode that shows just how influential Shintaro Ishihara was.
rod soccer26rank/position
You often see soccer covered in sports news on TV and in newspapers, don’t you? Why not enjoy “soccer,” a sport familiar even to older adults? Since soccer involves running on the field and kicking a ball, it can be difficult for seniors to play in the usual way.
But if you use sticks to hit the ball into the opponent’s goal, it’s a game you can play while seated and with a large group.
Just like real soccer, you defend your own goal and attack the opponent’s—that doesn’t change.
You might end up with an exciting, heated match while having fun.
The sticks can be made from something like rolled-up newspaper tubes.
Give it a try!
Halloween Curling27rank/position
Enjoying a Halloween-themed game is also recommended in October.
How about getting everyone excited with a simple tabletop Halloween curling game? Curling’s popularity soared after the 2018 PyeongChang Olympics and captivated people all across Japan.
Put a crumpled piece of paper or another ball-shaped item inside a paper cup to mimic a curling stone, then slide it across the table and compete for points.
Add a Halloween touch by decorating the table and drawing pumpkins or other designs on the paper cups!
If you adjust the way you sleep, it becomes harder for blood clots to form. What position should you sleep in?28rank/position
Blood clots that form in the bloodstream can block the vessels that run throughout the body, potentially leading to life-threatening conditions such as heart attacks and strokes.
Older adults tend to have poorer circulation as they age, so they need to be especially careful about blood clots.
If sleeping position can help prevent them even a little, that would be great, right? So, the answer to this quiz is sleeping on your back.
Compared to lying on your side, sleeping flat on your back helps blood circulate smoothly throughout the body, making it the better position.
It also places less strain on the internal organs.
