[For Seniors] Enjoy September’s Autumn Fun! A Collection of Craft, Game, and Exercise Ideas
September is the season when the summer heat eases and the air turns crisp.
As it becomes more comfortable, you might find yourself wondering if there’s something fun to do.
September, with its moon-viewing, the equinoctial week, and cosmos flowers, offers plenty of activities to enjoy both indoors and outdoors.
You can hang a handmade wreath, do exercises together while singing, or get excited with fun games.
It’s also a great time to hold seasonal events like Respect-for-the-Aged gatherings and sports days.
Spend some heartwarming, enjoyable moments with your family and friends.
- [For Seniors] Enjoyable September Event Activities
- [For Seniors] Fun Autumn Activities: Recreation Games
- [For Seniors] Easy Snack Activity Perfect for September
- Liven up the Respect-for-the-Aged gathering: A roundup of recreational activities everyone can enjoy.
- September Health Topic: Introducing Recreational Activities That Capture the Feeling of Autumn’s Arrival
- [For Seniors] Recreation Games Related to October Events
- Wall decoration ideas for seniors recommended for September
- Simple, Recommended Autumn Crafts for Seniors
- [For Seniors] Recommended September Origami to Feel the Autumn Season
- [For Seniors] Simple Recreational Activities You Can Enjoy While Seated
- [For Seniors] Simple Tabletop Games: Fun and Engaging Recreational Activities
- [For Seniors] Fun Activities That Liven Up Cool Evening Festivals and Summer Festivals
- [For Seniors] Fun Small-Group Recreation
[For Seniors] Enjoy Autumn with September Activities! A Collection of Craft, Game, and Exercise Ideas (51–60)
beanbag juggling/play; otedama (traditional Japanese beanbag game)
September 20 is Otodama (beanbag juggling) Day.
Let’s enjoy the nostalgic, traditional otodama.
Familiar to everyone from children to seniors, otodama offers many ways to play.
You can toss them rhythmically while singing, or compete to see how many throws you can make without dropping them—allowing each person to choose an easy or slightly more challenging level.
Plus, using your hands helps stimulate the brain.
Simple Exercises: ‘The Apple Song’
Why not liven up your September Respect-for-the-Aged Day events and moon-viewing parties with a sing-and-exercise routine set to the Showa-era classic “Ringo no Uta” (The Apple Song)? It’s an easy workout that repeats simple movements, so anyone can join in casually! Moving your arms, legs, and core provides aerobic exercise, and the twisting motions stimulate intestinal activity, which may help relieve constipation.
Because it includes movements that mobilize the shoulder blades, it can also boost metabolism, memory, and blood circulation.
With the all-around benefits of the “Ringo no Uta” exercise, let’s stay youthful every day!
Laugh-and-Roll Game
How about trying a winding game that also exercises the fingers? Put a ball or other items in an empty box, attach a long string, and reel in the string to pull the box toward you.
It seems like it would be exciting as both an individual and a team competition.
You can also get creative with the rules: for example, stand paper tubes of various sizes on a flat tray and see how many you can bring back to yourself without knocking them over—that sounds fun, too.
You could assign points based on the size of the paper tubes and have players add up their scores themselves, which also makes for good brain training.
A Thank-You Letter for Respect for the Aged Day
The third Monday of September is Respect for the Aged Day.
It’s a day for families to say thank you to grandparents, but why not take this opportunity to write a letter of appreciation to someone who helps you in your daily life? From facility staff to residents, and from residents to their loved ones—anyone would be happy to receive a letter of thanks.
You could draw a September-themed illustration and make it into a picture postcard, or handcraft a pop-up flower message card.
Be sure to share your words of appreciation.
[For Seniors] Enjoy Autumn with September Activities! A Collection of Craft, Game, and Exercise Ideas (61–70)
Ohagi making
How about trying to make ohagi for the autumn equinox in September? The equinoctial week comes in both spring and autumn; it’s said that the sweets are called botamochi in spring, from the peony (botan), and ohagi in autumn, from bush clover (hagi), but there doesn’t seem to be any real difference between them.
Since cooking azuki beans and making anko from scratch is a lot of work, it’s fine to make good use of store-bought paste.
Make plenty to offer to your ancestors, and then enjoy them together with everyone in a lively, cheerful gathering.
Autumn Word Search Game
The autumn word search game can be enjoyed with just a whiteboard and a marker.
First, draw a large square on the whiteboard, then add lines to make an 8-to-10-square grid both vertically and horizontally.
Inside the squares, write katakana or hiragana so that connecting letters vertically, horizontally, or diagonally forms autumn-themed words.
That’s all the setup you need.
Participants then take turns finding autumn-themed words within the grid.
It’s a sit-down, brain-engaging activity, making it a great game for older adults!
In conclusion
We’ve introduced a variety of activities for September.
There are ideas that get you moving, use your hands, and engage your mind—so many different options.
Make the most of each one’s strengths and enjoy time together with your family or companions at your facility.
Find your favorite recreation and spend a delightful, heart-lifting moment in the autumn season.