Finding enjoyable things to do is important for any age group. Activities and games for seniors is an especially important area of focus, as not only can activities be enjoyable but they can also help seniors to keep their minds sharp.
In many cases, activities are also an opportunity for social connection either within the family or outside of it.
Of course, individuals will vary considerably in which activities and games actually work for them. Likewise, some options may simply be unsuitable. Nevertheless, there are many different alternatives out there. So, with a little digging, you’re bound to find some that will work perfectly.
In this post, we’re highlighting a range of different ideas, some simple and some complex. These are all possible activities that a senior might enjoy. Many of them are good for either physical or mental health as well, which is an added bonus.
Types of Games and Activities
- Board Games
- Playing Cards
- Puzzles
- Old TV Shows and Movies
- Tablet and Phone Games
- Physical Exercise Groups
- Household Chores
- Cooking
- Reading Time with the Grandkids
Board Games
Board games are an extremely social endeavor and they can be great for building relationships. There is also growing recognition that board games may offer health benefits. Such benefits are associated with the enjoyment that comes from the games, along with the cognitive challenge that a board game can provide.
When choosing a board game for seniors, it’s important to find one that they can understand. Otherwise, the entire process can easily become stressful for everybody involved.
One way of doing so is to simply look for board games for kids, as these are often simple to understand. At the same time, this type of game can be surprisingly fun for adults.
Additionally, your family member probably grew up on a number of board games and may know those rules inside out. Classics like Monopoly and Checkers are examples of this, along with games like Scrabble.
Playing Cards
Like with board games, playing cards can be another fun activity and one that gets the entire family involved. Again, the idea would be to find games that the senior understands, enjoys and feels comfortable while playing it, for example like Solitaire for Seniors.
In some cases, you may even need the senior to teach the rest of the family how to play. Doing so can be a fun experience in its own right.
Just be warned, you may end up with an entirely new version of the game by the time you’re done.
Puzzles
Puzzles are also a great way to challenge the mind and this is something that many seniors enjoy immensely. This could include doing jigsaw puzzles or other types of puzzles, such as crosswords or word searches.
An additional advantage is that puzzles are activities that the senior can do on their own. This is great if family members aren’t around – and you will certainly need things like this.
Of course, a jigsaw puzzle is something that can be both solitary and social, depending on the situation. So, you might end up with the senior working on the puzzle most of the time, but family members joining in from time-to-time. If this is the case, make sure everybody is on the same page about what to expect, so that there are no fights.
Old TV Shows and Movies
This one isn’t as engaging for the mind but watching old TV shows and movies can be great for nostalgia and is a fantastic way to entertain seniors. In many cases, they may have seen the show in their past but re-watching it can still be extremely enjoyable.
After all, there are many shows that a senior may have enjoyed when they were young but haven’t seen since.
In many cases, this can also be more practical than watching new shows with a senior family member. After all, the older ones never got as violent as some of the shows that are on today.
Plus, seniors already have a degree of familiarity with what you’re watching and this makes it easy for them to follow along.
Finally, you’ll typically end up with shows that are entertaining for the old and the young alike, so this is another good activity for the family.
Tablet and Phone Games
Tablets and phones offer a range of different apps, including many games that are suitable for seniors. I’m not going to go into specifics here because I have two posts that list many games and types of games that you can choose from.
So, you can check those out in the links below:
But, as a general rule, both phones and tablets are great tools for games and activities. After all, you have access to app stores and these contain games of every type imaginable. This means that you’re likely to find at least a few games that are suitable.
Physical Exercise Groups
Getting exercise is important at any age and can help promote good health both physically and mentally.
One particularly good choice for seniors is exercise groups, which will often be held at local rec or senior centers. This type of group provides a great chance to connect with like-minded people and can end up having social advantages, as well as physical ones.
This idea may not sound appealing to seniors at first but you can also think outside the box with this one.
For example, there are many classes that are slightly unusual, such as Tai Chi or Yoga for seniors. You could also consider walking groups or similar options, which also have a social component.
Household Chores
Chores aren’t normally considered an entertaining activity. But, they can still be beneficial in some cases. For seniors, doing chores can help them to feel like a contributing member of the household and of society in general.
So, if you can find something that they somewhat enjoy, this can be a win for everybody concerned.
Going shopping can even become an enjoyable activity if you plan your approach well.
Cooking
Cooking can be considered a chore or not, depending on the person. But, either way, getting seniors involved in cooking often works well, even if it’s just them helping out in the kitchen.
Like with chores, this can be a way to make them feel valuable as a member of the household.
Additionally, cooking can be a great bonding experience. For example, you could ask the senior to teach you a recipe from their past, perhaps something you grew up with.
Reading
This may be an obvious one but reading is a great activity for any age group and can be a good way to keep the imagination active.
At the same time, the process of finding and choosing new books can be fun. This could include visiting the library or a bookstore. Alternatively, you could see what new treasures you can find at thrift stores and garage sales.
Because many seniors struggle with eyesight, it may be important to focus on large print books. Many books are printed this way because of the demand, so it shouldn’t be too difficult to find some.
If eyesight is an issue, you could also consider digital books or audiobooks.
Digital books (or eBooks) are ones that you can read on a tablet or a phone – and there are multiple apps out there that support this process (like Kindle). There is an extensive library of books to choose from, along with programs like Kindle Unlimited, where you have access to a range of eBooks and associated audiobooks for a monthly fee.
A major advantage of eBooks is that you can change the font size as needed. This is particularly powerful on a tablet, where you have a large amount of space to work with.
For many seniors, this aspect alone makes eBooks worth considering. After all, you can get the font on these much larger than most traditional books.
Audiobooks are also powerful, especially for seniors who struggle with eyesight. These allow people to listen along to the book and they can be incredibly easy to use.
Time with the Grandkids
Social isolation can be a major issue for seniors, especially ones that have few social connections. There are various activities that can help to combat this challenge and one important one is scheduling time for the senior to spend with their grandkids.
Doing so could be as simple as a walk in the park or even just playing games at home.
A useful trick is also to have some activity to center the time around. For example, if the senior and grandchildren are at home, the senior may be able to get them involved with a craft or something similar.
This doesn’t have to be anything elaborate and simple activities work well.
Having this type of focus often makes it easier for everybody to enjoy themselves and can considerably reduce any stress that the senior experiences.
Finding Other Activities
In many ways, the ideas provided here just scratch the surface when it comes to activities and games for seniors.
After all, there are countless different approaches that you can take, especially as many options for adults would work just as well for seniors. You can also take inspiration from things that you enjoy and think about how to adapt the activity for seniors.
Likewise, the senior’s own passions may help you figure out new activities. For example, if they are a reader, what about a book club?
However, when doing so, it’s important to keep the senior in mind – along with any limitations that they may have.
For example, many seniors are not as mentally sharp as they were earlier in their life. As a result, they may struggle with any activity that requires a large amount of mental focus. But, that isn’t always the case, so you need to pick options that align with the abilities of the senior.
Likewise, some seniors may have issues with hearing and/or eyesight. Both of those areas will also limit what activities they can enjoy. After all, you want an activity to be fun and that may not happen if the senior is struggling to be involved in it.
If you’re looking for additional ideas, here are some lists to check out:
- Game Activities for Senior Citizens (from LovetoKnow)
- 101 Activities (from the Alzheimer’s Association)
- Social Activities for Seniors who Live Alone (from Sunny Days In-Home Care)
- Keep Your Brain Buzzing With These Free Brain Games For Seniors (from Sixty and Me)
What other activities should have been included on this list? Please let us know in the comments section below.
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