For Seniors: Festive Attractions to Liven Up Festivals—Games and Recreational Activities

Handmade watermelon-splitting

Back again this year! “Watermelon Splitting”

When you think of watermelon splitting, you imagine a fun activity where you blindfold yourself, rely on the voices around you to approach the watermelon, and swing a stick down at the spot you think is right.

However, having older adults do the same can pose a risk of falling, so this time we’re introducing a seated version of watermelon splitting.

Place a watermelon made of two hemispheres fastened together with hook-and-loop tape in the center of a circle of participants.

At the start signal, have them throw beanbags to split it open.

The watermelon is made by halving a papier-mâché ball formed from newspaper, attaching circular-cut cardboard pieces, and then layering copy paper over the top and coloring it.

Yo-yo fishing

Ochiai, Asakita Ward, Hiroshima City — Nagomi-no-Sato Day Service Center — Reliable Medical Collaboration — Summer Evening Festival, Day 1

Yo-yo fishing is a common sight at stalls during summer festivals.

Water balloons are fitted with rubber loops and floated in water, and you hook the rubber with a tool that has a paper twist (koyori) and a needle to lift them out.

Because the koyori is paper, it tears easily when it gets wet.

A recommended alternative is to use a string with a needle attached to the end.

Set a time limit and see how many you can catch within that time.

A game where you use a fan to get a balloon out of a basket

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Here’s a balloon game that’s perfect for a lively festival atmosphere.

Place several inflated balloons in a basket, and have older adults sit around it holding paper fans.

At the call of “Start,” they fan the air to blow the balloons out of the basket within a set time.

It’s a simple game, but it really gets everyone excited.

Participants can enjoy cooperating with one another and calling out encouragement.

Whether the balloons make it out of the basket or not within the time limit, it’s a game that’s likely to bring smiles to the faces of the older adults.

Let's play frisbee

[Senior Recreation] Let’s Play with a Frisbee: Plastic Bottle Edition

Here’s a game using a frisbee.

Stand empty plastic bottles on the floor, and have the seniors throw a frisbee to knock them down.

Frisbees had a bit of a boom in Japan from the 1970s to the early 1980s, so some seniors may have played with them back then.

The game might also bring back fond memories.

Forming teams and competing for points can make it more exciting, but of course, it’s plenty of fun to play solo as well.

Fireworks game

“Fireworks game” to close out the summer. If you’ve had fewer chances to set off or go see fireworks, let’s make a grand display to end the season!

This is a target-throwing game themed around fireworks, an essential summer event, where you colorfully decorate the target.

The target is a hula hoop covered with tape, and you throw colored balls at it to decorate the adhesive side of the tape.

Since you need to throw with enough force for the balls to stick to the tape, the game tests not only your focus on aiming but also your ability to control strength.

You can freely choose the colors of the balls, so think about how you want to create your firework as you throw.

Capsule Korokoro

This gets everyone super hyped ⬆️ The capsule rolls around~ 🤣 #seniorActivities #brainTraining #miniGame #shorts #dayService

You’ve probably seen capsule toy machines filled with toys and merchandise at arcades or supermarkets.

Let’s use those round capsules to play a lively game.

Attach a stick to an empty tissue box and use it to roll a capsule across a table.

The goal is to land the capsule in a target without letting it fall off the table.

To make the game even more fun, create gaps between the targets.

Placing the capsule without dropping it into the gaps is a great way for older adults to show their skill.

Cheering on the players and calling out to them can spark interaction with the people around them, too.

Grab-and-win game

Grab-and-Pick Game: Perfect for indoor activities in childcare! (For ages 3–5)

A grab-and-go game gives you that great bargain feeling and gets your heart racing, doesn’t it? Let’s enjoy that excitement at a festival as a game! Put your hand into a box filled with small treats and compete to see how many you can take in one go.

You can’t try again, and anything that falls before it’s bagged or brought to the designated spot doesn’t count.

Prizes can be anything, so prepare items that are easy to grab.

If using your hands is difficult, it’s fine to scoop with a ladle or similar utensil instead!