For Seniors: Festive Attractions to Liven Up Festivals—Games and Recreational Activities
We’re introducing games and recreational activities recommended for festivals at senior care facilities.
There are plenty of attractions that can be enjoyed while seated so that older adults can participate comfortably.
Activities like “goldfish scooping,” “target shooting,” and “lucky string pull” may bring back memories of festivals enjoyed in childhood.
Festivals are exciting events for both adults and children.
They can also spark communication with people you don’t usually interact with.
Use this article as a guide to plan a festival that allows seniors to have fun safely.
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[For seniors] Festive attractions for livening up a festival: Games and recreational activities (21–30)
Tuna pulling
Summer festivals are lively, so the excitement really builds, doesn’t it? Tug-fishing is great even for seniors who might think they can’t enjoy it because the movements are different from when they were kids.
The version we’re introducing can be enjoyed while seated.
It’s a game where you wind a string around a stick to reel in a fish.
It gets even more exciting if two people compete.
The key to winning is quick hand movements.
Choosing fish that are in season during summer adds a nice seasonal touch and is highly recommended.
Newspaper scooping!
The “goldfish scooping” game at festival stalls is so much fun.
Just watching others scoop can be exciting, right? I bet many people ended up keeping goldfish because of that game.
Here, we’d like to introduce a similar activity called “newspaper scooping.” First, cut newspaper into strips about 2–3 cm wide; making each strip about three times as long as its width makes them easier to scoop.
Next, prepare long chopsticks or stick-like tongs.
Using those sticks, scoop up the newspaper strips as a recreation activity.
It feels great when you can pick up a lot, so be sure to prepare plenty of newspaper!
[For seniors] Performances that enliven festivals: Games and recreational activities (31–40)
Underwater Coin Drop
This is a game where you drop coins into a glass placed underwater.
The coins gently drift down through the water, and you score points if they land in the glass.
The large container holding the glass can be anything that holds water and coins, such as a bathtub or an inflatable pool.
Using foreign coins or stylish coins makes it more exciting, so it’s recommended.
Paper airplane throwing
This is a recreation activity where you make and fly paper airplanes.
It’s safe because you can launch them while seated.
Prepare several targets and assign points based on their sizes.
The person who lands their plane in the highest-scoring target wins.
There are many ways to fold paper airplanes, and the folding method affects how far they fly.
Let’s experiment with designs and create a paper airplane that flies incredibly well!
Watermelon splitting
Let’s turn the classic summer activity “suikawari” (watermelon splitting) into a summer festival event.
How about letting seniors feel like kids again and rekindle that sense of excitement? Since it might be hard to break a watermelon with seniors’ strength, try making small cuts or other adjustments so it can be split with less force.
If you just want to enjoy the atmosphere, you could use a beach ball with a watermelon pattern instead of a real watermelon!
fishing
When it comes to recreations that bring a festive atmosphere indoors, fishing is a great option.
Create a “pond” out of cardboard and scatter illustrations of various fish inside.
If there are seniors who are good at drawing, it’s a nice idea to have residents at the care facility or day service create the illustrations.
Make simple fishing gear with chopsticks and attach tape to the end of a string, and you can start enjoying fishing right away.
You can liven things up by competing in teams to see who catches the most fish, or by teaching each other the names of the fish.
It’s also recommended because it’s a game that can be enjoyed while seated, making it easy and safe for older adults to try.
Bon Odori while seated
Speaking of Bon Odori, the typical image is people dancing while circling around a yagura tower.
What I’m introducing this time is a seated Bon Odori.
Many older adults worry about their legs, and standing can raise the risk of falling and getting injured.
As the name suggests, this “Seated Bon Odori” is done while everyone remains seated, focusing on upper-body movements.
It’s also charming for everyone to hold matching uchiwa fans.