Looking for ways to keep residents in aged care active and engaged? Look no further than Memory Lane’s Seated Balloon Volleyball! This fun and inclusive activity is a fantastic way to get those upper bodies moving safely and enjoyably.
Whether your residents are young at heart or require gentle exercise options, Seated Balloon Volleyball is a perfect fit. It promotes gentle upper-body movement, encourages hand-eye coordination, and sparks social interaction.
Best of all, it’s incredibly simple to set up! This blog post will guide you through everything you need to know.
Activity Essentials
- Volleyball Net
- A very large space
- Refreshments (to keep them hydrated)
- Chairs
- Balloons
This is a guideline for a fun social game of volleyball and can be modified to your taste.
How to Play the Seated Balloon Volleyball:
- Firstly, set the net up across the room, at least one meter off the floor.
- Secondly, place two rows of chairs on each side, spaced across the width of the net.
- Then, have a whiteboard to write down the score for each team.
- When done setting the whiteboard, sit residents on the chairs and start by having an umpire serve one of the balloons over the net. Players will hit the balloon over the net with their hands toward the other team.
- If the balloon fails to go over the net, the opposite team scores one point. Then they have a turn at hitting the ball over the net. It can be served by an umpire at the side of the net.
- Have a time limit for each game and the top scorers win that game.
Benefits of Balloon Volleyball
In addition to being a fun activity, balloon volleyball has several benefits for seniors in aged care. These include:
- Improving hand-eye coordination: Balloon volleyball requires players to track the movement of the balloon and coordinate their hand movements to hit it.
- Encouraging socialization: Playing balloon volleyball in a group setting promotes socialization and can help seniors feel more connected to others in their community.
- Boosting mood and morale: Balloon volleyball is a low-pressure, low-stakes game that can be enjoyed by players of all skill levels. This can help boost the mood and morale of seniors, promoting a sense of happiness and well-being.
Final Thoughts
Overall, balloon volleyball is a simple and enjoyable activity that can be a great addition to any aged care facility’s activity schedule. Give it a try with your residents and see how much fun they have hitting balloons back and forth over a makeshift net!
