Balloons, Bingo, and Big Laughs at Golau Caredig

There’s something special about a room filled with laughter, movement, and a little friendly competition—and that’s exactly what we had today at Golau Caredig.

We kicked off with a balloon-batting warm-up, which had everyone reaching, stretching, and sharing smiles. This simple activity is more than just fun—it gets the heart rate up, wakes up the body, and helps coordination in a playful way.

Then it was time for the main event: traditional bingo. Our caller today was one of the participants, who delighted us with the classic bingo rhymes (“88 – two fat ladies!” and “22 – quack quack!”) and kept the energy high. We played for a line first, then a full house, with chocolates for the winners. The mix of concentration, anticipation, and humour made for an atmosphere that was warm and inclusive.

From an Occupational Therapy point of view, bingo isn’t just a pastime—it supports attention, processing speed, visual scanning, and even social confidence, while balloon activities boost circulation and motor coordination (Hall et al., 2011; Lee et al., 2018). But beyond the science, the smiles said it all.

By the end, the group had set the agenda for next time: a quiz day featuring a smelling quiz, finish-the-lyrics, and some general knowledge. We can’t wait!

References

Hall, C.D., Echt, K.V., Wolf, S.L. and Rogers, W.A. (2011) ‘Cognitive and motor mechanisms underlying older adults’ ability to play a video game’, Journal of Gerontology: Psychological Sciences, 66B(1), pp. 46–53.

Lee, H., Lee, J. and Park, M. (2018) ‘Effects of group recreational activities on quality of life, cognition, and depression in the elderly: a meta-analysis’, Journal of Physical Therapy Science, 30(4), pp. 593–599.