[For Seniors] Recreational Activities at Special Nursing Homes That Everyone Can Join
In special nursing homes for the elderly, recreational activities are held frequently.
Among residents with a wide range of physical conditions living together, some staff members may be wondering, “Is there a recreation activity that everyone can enjoy?”
In this article, we introduce recreational activities that people with varying physical conditions can enjoy.
Recreation is important not only for maintaining motor functions and cognitive abilities, but also for deepening interaction with others.
We cover a wide range—from brain-training activities to those that involve physical movement.
Please use this as a reference!
- [For Seniors] Simple Recreational Activities You Can Enjoy While Seated
- [For Seniors] Easy and fun seated activities you can do in your room
- [For Seniors] Recommended! Seasonal Recreational Activities
- For Seniors: Effective Recreation for Preventing Care Needs—Have Fun While Staying Healthy
- [For Seniors] Recommended Even for People with Dementia! Simple Recreational Activities
- [For Seniors] Easy to try. Fun, crowd-pleasing recreation
- Recommended recreational activities for older adults with dementia
- Hand games that liven things up for seniors—also great brain training
- [For Seniors] Fun and Engaging Recreational Activities in Nursing Homes
- Games and recreational activities enjoyable in a wheelchair
- Recreation Activities Effective for Long-Term Care Prevention for Seniors
- Explaining interesting initiatives at nursing care facilities! We also introduce seasonal recreational activities.
- [October Health Topic] Introducing Recreational Activities for Seniors!
[For Seniors] Recreational Activities at Special Nursing Homes That Everyone Can Join (11–20)
fishing
While enjoying a game of “fishing,” let’s train the brain as well as the hands and arms.
It’s a great game for busy staff, and you can prepare it easily with paper cups, newspaper, and disposable chopsticks.
Draw fish, octopuses, and other sea creatures on several paper cups—the more cups you have, the more fun it becomes.
Steps like tearing newspaper and making a fishing rod with chopsticks use your fingertips, right? Since many nerves connected to the brain are concentrated in the hands, they’re sometimes called the “second brain.” Using your hands and fingers stimulates and activates the brain.
Reeling in catches also provides exercise for the hands and arms.
Be sure to try fishing with your non-dominant hand as well!
Intro Quiz
An intro quiz that people of all ages can enjoy.
In places where seniors gather, nostalgic stories and memories always get lively, don’t they? By listening to the songs that were popular when everyone was young, or the songs they loved, you can enjoy sharing memories associated with those tunes.
There are video sites that compile only intro quizzes and ones that feature specific eras, so using those makes it easy to have fun.
If it’s too hard or people don’t know the answer, try playing a longer portion of the intro or give verbal hints.
Coloring book
When you think of coloring books, you might assume they’re just for kids, but adult coloring books have become popular lately.
And when you try them as an adult, they can be surprisingly fun.
Adult coloring books are great, but how about enjoying simple flower designs or seasonal event themes too? Even simple illustrations can offer unexpected depth—experiment with colored pencil gradients or imaginative hues that break away from conventional colors; there are many ways to enjoy them.
Coloring while thinking is also good for your brain.
origami
Origami, a staple for craft activities, involves fine finger movements that help stimulate the brain, and it’s also a fun activity that easily incorporates seasonal themes.
With options ranging from easy to difficult, everyone can enjoy it at their own pace—another great advantage.
Try folding motifs for various seasonal events like New Year’s, Setsubun, Hinamatsuri (Girl’s Day), and Children’s Day.
You can also enjoy displaying everyone’s creations on the wall as seasonal decorations.
Letter Swap Game
Let’s play a letter rearrangement game that’s perfect for brain training and even has a quiz element! It’s a game where you scramble letters and reorder them to make words.
If you want to enjoy it with a group in a large space, you can write letters on construction paper and use a whiteboard to play.
Start simple with about three letters, then gradually increase the number of letters to raise the difficulty.
If it’s too hard, provide hints to help participants think it through.
With this kind of inspiration-based brain training activity, that rush you get when the answer clicks is truly irresistible.
Spot the differences
Spot-the-difference puzzles that you just can’t help getting absorbed in are a great recreational activity that can liven things up even in senior care facilities.
It’s important for the brain to think in order to find answers—this serves as brain training.
In that sense, spot-the-difference puzzles are perfect for stimulating brain function.
You can enjoy them with hand-drawn illustrations, use spot-the-difference books, or even take advantage of videos aimed at seniors on video sites.
Encourage participants to take their time and think carefully until they find the answers!
[For Seniors] Recreational Activities at Special Nursing Homes That Everyone Can Join (21–30)
High-five relay
@wakuwaku_idea No equipment needed! Super easy, quick, and fun! High-Five Relay#SeniorActivitiesInterestingTranslationrelay
♪ Original song – Idea Wakuwaku Rehabilitation – Idea Wakuwaku Rehabilitation
It’s a game where you pass along high-fives to the next person, aiming to reach the final teammate before the opposing team does.
After doing five high-fives with the next person, you move on to the following one, so the speed of your arm movements is put to the test.
However, even if one side is fast, it won’t count as a high-five unless the hands meet, so a sense of cooperation is also crucial.
It might be important not to focus too much on clearing the game, but to share the fun of high-fiving as well.
