[For Seniors] Fun Winter Activities: Recreation and Games
We’d like to introduce recreational activities and games that older adults can enjoy during the still-chilly winter season.
Winter is full of occasions like New Year’s and Valentine’s Day.
Many senior and care facilities may be planning events that match these occasions.
With our “Recreation and Games for Older Adults to Enjoy in Winter,” your events might become even more enjoyable.
We also have ideas for activities that are usually played outdoors but can be done in a warm indoor setting.
From activities you can focus on and enjoy alone to ones that a small group can tackle together and get excited about, we’ve prepared a wide variety.
We hope everyone can fully enjoy winter indoors while still feeling the season.
- [For Seniors] Recommended in December! Safe and Fun Indoor Recreation
- [For Seniors] Enjoy the Cold Winter! Seated Activities You Can Do
- [For Seniors] January Activities and Recreation Games
- [For Seniors] Simple Tabletop Games: Fun and Engaging Recreational Activities
- [For Seniors] Simple Recreational Activities You Can Enjoy While Seated
- [For Seniors] Fun Recreational Activities Without Equipment
- [For Seniors] Easy and fun seated activities you can do in your room
- [For Seniors] Recreational Activities Enjoyable in Large Groups
- [For Seniors] Enjoyable Indoor Activities! Recreations and Games That Engage the Mind and Body
- [For Seniors] Enjoyable Day Service: A Collection of Fun Event Ideas
- [For Seniors] Enjoy safely even during the COVID-19 pandemic: Seated activities
- [For Seniors] Winter Haiku: Introducing Beautiful Masterpieces by Famous Haiku Poets
- For Seniors: Fun Activities in February — Celebrate Setsubun, Valentine’s Day, and Snow
[For Seniors] Fun Winter Activities: Recreations and Games (71–80)
Christmas tree curling
Christmas tree curling is a winter recreation you can enjoy indoors.
Since you use your fingers to play, it also serves as exercise for your hands.
Because controlling your strength is important, it can help build concentration.
Keeping score seems like a good mental workout, too.
It’s a game you can enjoy together with older adults.
With everyone getting excited, you might even forget the winter chill.
You can also feel the Christmas atmosphere and have a lovely time.
Why not give it a try with older adults?
Christmas Association Brain Training
Colorful decorations adorn the facility during the Christmas season.
Some older adults may be feeling their spirits lift.
Here’s a recommendation for a warm and festive activity: “Christmas Association Brain Training.” In the “Association Brain Training,” invite older adults to think of “things that come to mind when they think of Christmas.” Write the words they come up with on a whiteboard.
In the “Color Brain Training,” have them think of colors that evoke Christmas and write those on the whiteboard as well.
Both games help with cognitive training.
Crossword puzzle
How about enjoying crossword puzzles with older adults in a warm indoor setting during the cold winter season? In fact, December 21 is Crossword Puzzle Day, and the United States is said to be the origin of this commemorative day.
Many senior care facilities incorporate crosswords as a recreational activity.
Solving the puzzles engages brain functions such as reasoning and memory, which is said to help stimulate the brain.
For those comfortable with the internet, using a tablet to try new puzzles online is another option.
On Crossword Puzzle Day and similar occasions, try explaining the significance of the day and giving it a go.
For Seniors: Fun Winter Activities — Recreations and Games (81–90)
Create this year’s Kanji of the Year as a collage
Creating this year’s kanji through collage is a perfect, enjoyable activity for older adults.
By cutting out letters and photos from magazines and newspapers, they can craft an entirely new worldview.
Using 100-yen shop stickers and stamps makes preparation easy, too.
The appeal lies in the freedom to create with any design they like.
Tweezers allow for precise placement, and using the fingertips also serves as brain training.
It’s also fascinating how different combinations of materials can produce new meanings.
This seems like a wonderful winter recreation that will stimulate seniors’ sensibility and imagination.
Making Valentine’s chocolates
Why not try making chocolate for Valentine’s Day on February 14? I especially recommend “cheesecake-in-chocolate.” Melting store-bought chocolate and shaping it into an original form is a classic method, but it can sometimes set too hard.
That makes it harder to eat, so the key is to find ways to keep the texture on the softer side.
There are several methods, so try looking some up.
By the way, adding cheese gives a pleasant tang and a light, refreshing taste.
Winter wall decoration
Winter-themed wall decorations are so festive with all kinds of motifs! Snowmen are easy to make—just cut two circles out of white construction paper and put them together.
If you use different colors and patterns for accessories like buttons and scarves, each decoration will have its own personality.
For those who can handle fine cutting, have them cut origami into snowflakes, too.
The wall will instantly feel wintery!
Cold-weather prevention exercises
For the cold winter months, we recommend “cold-weather prevention exercises” that let you have fun while keeping your body warm.
By incorporating movements that raise and lower your toes, you can improve circulation to every corner of your body and prevent chills.
The movements are simple, so even older adults can do them without strain.
Moving your body also boosts your metabolism, warming you up from head to toe.
Because this is a season when we feel the cold more easily, doing these exercises can also help maintain your health.
If everyone moves together, it can become a fun time to socialize as well.
Be sure to enjoy winter in a warm indoor space and stay active and energetic.