[For Seniors] Enjoy Summer to the Fullest! Fun Summer-Only Activities Introduced
Here are some recreational activities and games for older adults to enjoy the hot summer.
When the heat is intense, going out can be difficult, right? Many seniors probably think, “I still want to make the most of summer!” In this article, we’ve gathered games you can enjoy indoors as well as recreational activities that incorporate classic summer traditions.
If you’re looking for summer recreation ideas for senior facilities such as day-service centers, please use this as a reference!
- [For Seniors] Fun Activities That Liven Up Cool Evening Festivals and Summer Festivals
- [For Seniors] Exciting! A Collection of Game Ideas Using Uchiwa (Japanese Hand Fans)
- [For Seniors] Recreations to Experience in August
- [For Seniors] Simple Recreational Activities You Can Enjoy While Seated
- Activities perfect for July for seniors: Introducing games and recreational options
- [For Seniors] Recreational activities and games that let you have fun while strengthening your legs
- [For Seniors] Fun Even Without Sight! Recreation Ideas
- Entertainment and Performances That Delight at Day Services for the Elderly
- [For Seniors] Simple Tabletop Games: Fun and Engaging Recreational Activities
- For Seniors: Festive Attractions to Liven Up Festivals—Games and Recreational Activities
- [For Seniors] August Health Tips: How to Enjoy and Stay Comfortable During the Hot Summer
- [For Seniors] Highlights of Fun Events at Day-Service Centers
- [For Seniors] Enjoyment at Day Care: A Roundup of Games and Recreational Activities
[For Seniors] Enjoy Summer to the Fullest! Fun Summer-Only Activities (61–70)
target practice
Speaking of summer, many people look forward to festivals.
Festival stalls often have shooting games, and it’s also fun to try that target-shooting game indoors.
These days, toy guns that are perfect for shooting games are sold, so you can easily enjoy a realistic recreation.
It’s also a good idea to prepare prizes, just like the actual festival stalls.
Festival stall games
Speaking of summer, how about hosting a festival-themed fair? That bustling atmosphere with lots of people and rows of food stalls is exciting no matter how old you are.
Set up booths like a shooting gallery, shaved ice stand, and cotton candy stand! The more stalls you have, the more ways there are to enjoy the fair.
If you do it indoors, it’s much easier to beat the heat.
Ring toss gets the body moving, and goldfish scooping stimulates fine motor skills.
With a bit of creativity, the possibilities are endless!
ring toss
Ring toss is a classic game at summer festival stalls, making it perfect for summer recreation.
The rings are easy to prepare—just roll newspaper into long loops and secure them with duct tape.
You can toss the rings onto sheets of paper marked with points, which works great, or set up prizes and have players toss the rings onto those for extra excitement.
Issun-bōshi Game
This is a game where, instead of Issun-boshi, you use a plush toy, and instead of a bowl-boat, you use a washbasin.
The goal is to get Issun-boshi, who has fallen into the sea of sheets, back onto the boat.
You must not use your hands to hold the washbasin or the plush toy.
Everyone holds the sheet together and moves the plush toy solely through the motion of waves made in the sheet.
Using plush toys of sea creatures like fish or turtles can make it feel even more summery.
Making chopstick rests
Here is an introduction to making chopstick rests using resin, a popular and easy-to-work-with material that has become a staple in DIY crafts.
Simply take a mold from a chopstick rest you use at home or from an object that could serve as one, arrange various stones or shells inside, and pour in the resin.
Since chopstick rests are used at every meal, using them each time brings the joy and confidence of thinking, “I made this.” It’s also a highly recommended project because you can make them for your children, grandchildren, or friends, adding even more fun.
Eel Fishing Game
Let’s enjoy an eel-fishing game inspired by the Day of the Ox in midsummer! Fill a bucket with plenty of long, thin strips of newspaper to stand in for eels, then use a long stick to “fish” the strips out of the bucket.
At first you can pull them up smoothly, but as the bucket gets emptier it becomes harder, and the difficulty goes up.
You can sit in a chair with the bucket on the floor, or try putting the strips in a box on a table.
Awa Odori Exercise
Awa Odori, the traditional performing art of Tokushima Prefecture.
It’s known as one of Japan’s three major Bon dances, and every August a large festival is held in Tokushima City.
Let’s try a set of exercises inspired by Awa Odori! The actual dance moves the hands and feet in quick, intricate ways and has quite a fast pace, but the exercises introduced here are more relaxed—and you can even do them while seated, so no worries.
Move your whole body with big motions and stretch freely as you exercise.
Let’s power through the summer with energy!