Lovely senior life

[For Seniors] Fun Winter Activities: Recreation and Games

Work experience in a hospital as a physical therapistNakamū
I worked as a physical therapist at a general hospital for about four years. I’ve supported a wide range of patients, from those needing emergency rehabilitation to those doing rehabilitation at home at a comfortable pace. As a writer, I’d be happy to share health-related information with many people. Thank you, and I look forward to working with you!
Care Worker Initial Training Certification ObtainedNakajima Junko
Leveraging my experience working as a care worker at a day service, I am currently active as a writer in the caregiving and welfare fields. Beyond writing, I hope to expand my work into web design and illustration. I am a mother of three who has begun studying to become a certified social worker.

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] Fun Winter Activities: Recreations and Games (91–100)

Fukuwarai (a traditional Japanese “lucky laugh” face-making game)

Today's activity at Day Service Asumiru

Fukuwarai (a traditional Japanese “lucky laugh” face-making game)

Fukuwarai is a game where you’re blindfolded and assemble the parts of a face.

Since winter is cold, how about playing it while sitting under the kotatsu with your grandchild, or getting together with friends for some lively fun? Depending on who’s making it, the face can turn out funny or cute, so fukuwarai is a classic game you can enjoy over and over! It’s also great to try handcrafting the original face from scratch.

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Ema making

Let’s write our wishes for the year on an ema, the wooden plaques that many people write on during New Year’s! But to write on an ema, you’d normally have to go to a shrine.

In the cold winter, some people don’t want to go outside, and for many seniors who have difficulty walking, it’s not so easy to visit a shrine.

For those people, here’s an ema you can make with origami.

You can easily make an ema using just one sheet of origami paper! It’s also a great idea to write your wish on the finished origami ema, and to decorate it by attaching an origami daruma or camellia flower.

Let’s offer our prayers from home or at a day service center!

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[For Seniors] Fun Winter Activities: Recreations and Games (101–110)

Giant Menko

Today's activity at Day Service Asumiru

Giant Menko

Giant Menko is a one-on-one game you can play while seated.

Prepare oversized menko (bigger than a palm) out of cardboard or similar material, and color-code them—red on the front and blue on the back.

You can choose any colors you like! Create a scoring area in the center between the two players, and take turns throwing your menko into that marked zone.

Add up the points where each menko lands; the player with the higher total wins.

It’s a nostalgic, exciting game that brings back memories of playing menko as a child.

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Christmas wreath making

[How to Easily Make a Handmade Christmas Wreath] Dollar Store DIY

Christmas wreath making

Christmas is one of the most important events of winter.

It arrives just when our spirits are starting to rise toward the end of the year.

Speaking of Christmas, there are many striking motifs, and wreaths are one of the essential decorations.

You can buy a wreath base woven from plant vines at 100-yen shops and the like, so it’s easy to make one by simply attaching ornaments—that’s another plus.

The standard approach is to add plants like fir and holly, along with festive decorations such as bells and ribbons.

By keeping classic Christmas colors like green and red in mind, you can create a vibrant wreath that also evokes the season.

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In conclusion

We’ve introduced winter activities, recreation, and games for seniors—what did you think? Some activities may seem difficult at first glance, but with a bit of creativity, they can be made simple and fun. Many games that seniors can do are also suitable for young children, so please try playing them together with your grandchildren!