Many seniors spend a lot of time at home, especially when health issues make mobility difficult. The question is, how should this time be spent? Simply sitting at home and staring at the TV certainly isn’t good for mental health. It also gets boring fast.

That’s why we’re interested in home activities for seniors.

These are all things that seniors can do in the comfort of their own home, things that help keep them engaged and feeling good. Most items on this list are just as relevant to caregivers. Some could even be categorized as self-care.

Our Favorite Home Activities for Seniors (and Caregivers!)

Learn Something New

Having more time at home can be the perfect chance to improve your knowledge and skills.

There are plenty of online courses that you can turn to. Some of these are free, while others are inexpensive.

• Mindvalley. This is a personal growth platform. It is designed to help you grow in yourself. While the service does cost, there is a free Mindvalley Masterclass offered each week. They also have a podcast and various talks that you can view on YouTube for Free.
• Udemy. Udemy is one of many online course programs. The service has more than 100,000 courses to choose from, with varying prices and qualities. The star rating system helps you to be confident that the course you’re focusing on is decent.
• MasterClass. MasterClass sells the chance to learn from the best. You purchase an annual membership and are then able to stream classes from various teachers, including well-known examples (such as Neil DeGrasse Tyson teaching Scientific Thinking and Communication, and Neil Gaiman teaching The Art of Storytelling). While the membership isn’t cheap, there was a buy one get one free offer at the time of writing, so you could share a membership with someone else.
• Google Digital Garage offers a selection of free courses most focus on being productive online, using the internet or starting your own online business.

You could even take on a large project, such as learning a new language, learning a new piece of technology or starting your own website.

Find Interesting Things To Watch

There are countless streaming services these days, including Netflix, Hulu and Disney Plus. We’re not going to go into all of the different options here. Instead, we’re going to talk about particularly interesting ones.

• Teleparty. Teleparty (formerly Netflix Party) synchronizes video playback and provides a chat feature. It allows friends to watch a movie together in different locations, while chatting to one another. The service is now available on most main internet browsers and works with Netflix, Hulu, HBO Max, Amazon Prime, and Disney Plus.
• Prime Video. Prime Video is one of many streaming services. It is cheaper than most and has some unique originals that you won’t find elsewhere.  The service also has a large number of documentaries. Some are poorly done, but others are in-depth and amazing.
• Kanopy is another streaming option. This one is generally accessed through your local library or academic library. If you are a member of an appropriate library, then you’ll get access for free. The service offers many obscure movies, documentaries and courses, with an emphasis on quality and education.
• Marquee TV. This is a paid streaming service that offers ballet, opera, contemporary dance, documentaries and theatre. The service has a monthly or yearly fee, but sometimes has specials, including a month for just $0.99. That’s tough to beat.

Documentaries are a particularly good choice, as they keep your mind engaged (showing how some home activities for seniors can be very engaging). Some might lead you down a rabbit hole of Googling ideas and looking for related information, which isn’t a bad thing if you’re stuck for ideas on what to do.

Some documentaries could also spark long conversations between you and the senior. That’s a great way to keep them engaged.

Just be sure to avoid any fear-based or negative documentaries. These can put viewers in a negative headspace, which isn’t the goal at all.

And Things To Listen To

Audible is a subscription-audiobook program. As a member, you get one free credit each week to spend on an audiobook. You can also purchase audiobooks at discounted prices. Audible now offers other member perks, including a free Editor’s Extra book each month, original podcasts and a collection of audiobooks you can listen to for free while you’re an active member. While the monthly membership is on the expensive side, Audible does have a free trial and often provides discounts.

Of course, Audible isn’t the only audiobook program. There are many others, all with their own collections of audiobooks. You might even get audiobooks through other services, like Spotify.

Dive Into Some Books

Reading is a perfect choice when you have spare time on your hands. If you’re lucky, you may already have some good books on hand that you can dive into. You might also live in an area where you can get books shipped to you through Amazon or another service.

Don’t forget about eBooks. While these don’t feel as good as holding a physical book, they’re very accessible and it’s easy to buy more books when you’re ready for them.

Amazon’s Kindle is one of the most popular ways to buy eBooks.  

You don’t need a Kindle device to use the program either. There is a Kindle app for Google and Apple phones. You can even run Kindle on a computer.

There is also the Kindle Unlimited program, which allows you to rent out books for a monthly membership fee. The program only includes a fraction of all the books that are on Amazon and isn’t available everywhere. Still, if you can join it, Kindle Unlimited is perfect for giving you lots of books at your fingertips.

You can also check out the site for your local library. Many libraries now allow you to rent out eBooks, as well as physical books.

While the library’s selection isn’t likely to match Amazon’s – you don’t need to pay for books from your local library. This is reason enough to check out the approach.

Get Some Music Going

Moving your body is a fantastic way to shift your headspace. Put on some music that you like and simply boogie along to it.

You could also put music on while you’re doing housework or some other mundane task. You’ll often find that the music lifts your mood without any effort on your part.

Hone In On Personal Growth

While personal growth can mean many different things, the general idea is that you’re focusing on your mind. This could mean becoming more resilient, developing a greater appreciation of the world around you, learning mindfulness

The site Mindvalley could be a good place to begin. Mindvalley is a paid online growth platform that aims to help you develop. The service has a huge amount of content and does include a small number of free courses.

You can also check out our list of meditation and mindfulness apps.

eBooks are another angle to consider. There is a large list of personal growth eBooks that you can choose from, including The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck, The Joy of Not Thinking, It’s Not Supposed to Be This Way, and 12 Rules for Life: An Antidote to Chaos.

Of course, you don’t need to spend money to work on personal growth.

A simple step is to just start journaling. Even if you’ve never done so before, writing and thinking can be a cathartic process, one that teaches you a lot about yourself. You can also look for free resources online for guidance, such as YouTube and TED Talk videos.      

Get Creative

Here’s a chance to stretch those creative muscles. Many of us have creative outlets that we’ve never had the time or the confidence to fully pursue. Why not now?

• Writing. What could be simpler than writing? Whether you’re focused on poetry or prose, all you need is a pen and paper (or perhaps a computer).
• Drawing. You don’t need many tools for drawing either. Perhaps a variety of pencil types or some colored pencils, and some nice paper. If you don’t have these on hand, even just a biro and notepaper could work well.
• Photography. Even if you are literally stuck at home, photography can be quite fun. There is a surprising amount of subject material for you to choose from. Depending on your situation, you may well be able to get out in nature and take photographs too.
• Baking. You’ll need to have the ingredients on hand, but if you do, baking can be a therapeutic process. You also end up with comfort food that you can enjoy, which could be easily shared with family members.
• Crafts. How about getting crafty? Many craft projects can be completed just using supplies that you already have around the house. Pinterest is a great place for inspiration and you can find YouTube tutorials for any project that you’re interested in.

Some other options include learning calligraphy, gardening, upcycling furniture, playing a musical instrument, making your own cheese, fermenting food, make a photo album, or starting an adult coloring book.

Being creative has countless advantages. It can improve your ability to think and your mood, making life seem a little brighter. The importance of creativity is why art therapy is such a powerful tool.

Being creative offers you a sense of direction and purpose too. You get to create something new, which could even become a gift or something that you sell.

Don’t worry if creative hobbies seems confusing or overwhelming; there is great support out there. Many YouTube videos or blogs will provide you with a guide for getting started, including step-by-step tutorials of important techniques or processes.

Subscription boxes are also a perfect place to begin. Many of them ship you out all the materials that you need, plus instructions, for different projects every month.

Here are a few of our favorites:

• The Adults & Crafts Crate. Offers a new crafts project each month, where you are making something for your home. Previous projects have featured bowls, wall art, a bottle holder, and a clock, to name just a few.
• Paletteful Packs. The perfect gift for artists everywhere, where each month ships out a variety of art supplies.
• Craftsman Crate. This product has a manly theme, although anyone would enjoy it. The crafts are popular, with many users enjoying crafts that they didn’t expect to.
• Knit-Wise. This company provides a beginner and an intermediate/advanced box, allowing you to choose the best one for your needs.
• Bargain Bead Box. This subscription ships out a selection of jewelry supplies and beads, allowing you to make your own jewelry.

Cooking

Cooking isn’t just a way to keep you fed. It can also be an enjoyable activity and another way to be creative. Cooking isn’t restricted to preparing your favorite meal either. There are many other cooking activities to try out.

Cooking can also be a fun way to connect with family, regardless of whether you live together or family members come to visit from time-to-time. Grandparents often enjoy sharing the kitchen with their grandkids, whether they’re teaching the grandkids new recipes, baking with them, or something else entirely.

Being social with cooking might be difficult during the coronavirus pandemic. Still, there are always options, if you’re willing to be creative. The senior might try to teach a family member a new recipe via video chat or bake some cookies and ship them to family members.  

For something new, why not try Mix Box from Cratejoy? This box ships out ingredients and instructions for a new baking project every month.

Focus On Group Activities

There are endless types of activities that you can try at home – from the simple to the complex, the serious to the absurd. While there are far too many of these to cover in a single post, hopefully the list below will give you some ideas.

• Build a fort outside or in the living room.
• Host quiz nights or play around with party games. You could even use a service like Zoom or Skype to get friends or family members involved remotely.
• Have a movie night. Go all out with popcorn and a darkened room to make it a treat. You can even digitally rent movies, including those that weren’t released all that long ago. YouTube is a good place to look for these.
• Set up some karaoke and get everyone to sing along. You could do this simply to YouTube videos that have lyrics or you might look for karaoke apps.
• Play multiplayer games. There are many of these too choose from, including physical games in your living room and online options. For example, a couple could have endless fun racing against each other on a driving game.
• Try outdoor activities with your family. There’s no shortage of these, including giant outdoor games, BBQs, and more.

Puzzles

While puzzles are played widely by people of all ages, they have many advantages for old age people. For example, some studies show that jigsaw puzzles can help keep seniors’ brains strong and help develop problem-solving skills.

Puzzles are also cheap and can often be ordered online. This makes them convenient choices for entertainment, especially for housebound seniors.

There’s another advantage too – puzzles don’t have any complicated rules. Seniors don’t need to figure out how to do a puzzle.

If the senior struggles cognitively, you could try a simpler puzzle. Some are designed with seniors in mind. Puzzles for children could work as well.

Puzzle Books and Apps

Jigsaw puzzles are just one type of puzzle. Puzzle books and puzzle games may be even more appealing, as these can be more challenging and engaging than a jigsaw puzzle.

You’ll often find puzzle books at local stores. They come in all different difficulty levels and include things like word searches, crossword puzzles, logic puzzles, sudoku, cryptic puzzles, word puzzles, kakuro, and much more.

The same games can be found in puzzle apps too, many of which are free to play. Puzzle apps offer different types of games too, including ones that are more complex and rely heavily on graphics.

You can find memory game apps too, along with many other app types that help stimulate the brain.

Board and Card Games

Like puzzles, board games such as chess and checkers also enhance senior citizens’ cognitive abilities, improving their memory and strengthening their brain function. Studies show that elders who often engage in playing a card game, checkers, or table games had higher brain volumes than those who played fewer or no games.

This activity also has social benefits. It helps you spend quality time with your family, diminishing loneliness, something ubiquitous among senior citizens. It is also a perfect opportunity to pass all your tricks and tips in card games down to the younger generation.

Here’s a fun idea to try. Cratejoy has an incredibly popular subscription called Finders Seekers – Mystery Game. It’s an escape room game where you are solving mysteries as a group.

Indoor Activities for Seniors

February 1, 2021 By Angelica Herrera Venson, DrPH, MPH 1 Comment (Edit)

With the onset of COVID-19, many people have been locked inside their homes. While adults may be able to entertain themselves easily enough, especially those working from home, finding good indoor activities for seniors can be trickier.

After all, it’s easy to get stuck in a rut, doing the same things over and over again. That situation isn’t just boring; it’s also unhealthy, as the best way to improve cognition is to keep the brain stimulated. Doing so involves pushing the brain and focusing on different tasks.  

Thankfully, there are plenty of varied indoor activities for seniors. It’s just a matter of finding them, which is where this post comes in. We’re highlighting a variety of activities. Some of these may inspire you, helping you to discover entirely new activities.

Writing a complete list of activities would be almost impossible, but we’ve given it our best shot. Please leave a comment if we’ve missed one of your favorite activities.

Indoor Activities for Seniors

• Get Creative
• Find New Entertainment
• Get Physical
• Think About the Past
• Other Indoor Activities for Seniors

Get Creative

Being creative has countless advantages. It can improve your ability to think and your mood, making life seem a little brighter. The importance of creativity is why art therapy is such a powerful tool.

Being creative offers you a sense of direction and purpose too. You get to create something new, which could even become a gift or something that you sell.

Pick Up a New Hobby

Hobbies are one of the best places to begin. There’s plenty of debate about what is and isn’t a hobby but, in general, you’re looking at an active task that you do for leisure.  

Hobbies are often creative in some sense or another – and there are countless examples out there.

Being retired is the perfect time to pick up a new hobby, even one that seems better suited to a young person. It’s never too late to learn. Some seniors even find an entirely new lease on life in their later years.

A small selection of possible hobbies includes:

• Painting
• Calligraphy
• Crochet or knitting
• Scrapbooking
• Making your own soaps or candles
• Learning a musical instrument
• Photography and/or image editing
• Sewing
• Woodworking
• Furniture restoration

There are countless other examples too.

Don’t worry if a hobby seems confusing or overwhelming; there is great support out there. Many YouTube videos or blogs will provide you with a guide for getting started, including step-by-step tutorials of important techniques or processes.

Subscription boxes are also a perfect place to begin. Many of them ship you out all the materials that you need, plus instructions, for different projects every month.

Here are a few of our favorites:

• The Adults & Crafts Crate. Offers a new crafts project each month, where you are making something for your home. Previous projects have featured bowls, wall art, a bottle holder, and a clock, to name just a few.
• Paletteful Packs. The perfect gift for artists everywhere, where each month ships out a variety of art supplies.
• Craftsman Crate. This product has a manly theme, although anyone would enjoy it. The crafts are popular, with many users enjoying crafts that they didn’t expect to.
• Knit-Wise. This company provides a beginner and an intermediate/advanced box, allowing you to choose the best one for your needs.
• Bargain Bead Box. This subscription ships out a selection of jewelry supplies and beads, allowing you to make your own jewelry.

Cooking

Cooking isn’t just a way to keep you fed. It can also be an enjoyable activity and another way to be creative. Cooking isn’t restricted to preparing your favorite meal either. There are many other cooking activities to try out.

Cooking can also be a fun way to connect with family, regardless of whether you live together or family members come to visit from time-to-time. Grandparents often enjoy sharing the kitchen with their grandkids, whether they’re teaching the grandkids new recipes, baking with them, or something else entirely.

Being social with cooking might be difficult during the coronavirus pandemic. Still, there are always options, if you’re willing to be creative. The senior might try to teach a family member a new recipe via video chat or bake some cookies and ship them to family members.  

For something new, why not try Mix Box from Cratejoy? This box ships out ingredients and instructions for a new baking project every month.

Do Some Gardening

Gardening isn’t just an outdoor activity. You can do indoor gardening too.

This could be as simple as having a pot plant or two, or you could go much more complex. You can even grow vegetables indoors. Be sure to research carefully, as some plants are better suited to being indoors than others.

Gardening has advantages too. It’s a fantastic way to de-stress and it can feel good to care for another living thing. Again, there are some fantastic subscriptions that can help you along, like the House Plant Box and this Plant of the Month Club.

Turn Up The Music

You don’t need to be a musician to get creative with music. Even just dancing around to your favorite song can do wonders for your mental health, while also getting you moving.

Why not try out karaoke? Indoor activities for seniors don’t get more fun than this. Try playing old favorites on the television for everyone to sing along to. Or, take it one step further and look for a music-based game to get them hooked on.

There are other stimulating music activities for seniors too.

Find New Entertainment

Being entertained isn’t just something to do. It’s also a way to keep the mind active, while offering mental benefits, making people feel more positive, and reducing stress levels.

Reading

Seniors get more from reading than just a decent story to enjoy. Reading can also help decrease stress, which could also reduce the risk of dementia. Reading has cognitive benefits too, helping to inspire the imagination and promote critical thinking.

And finally, reading provides a chance to escape into another world. This can be appealing when reality is tedious or overwhelming. 

The number of books out there is simply staggering, so it shouldn’t be difficult to find ones that the senior enjoys. You can even turn to services like Amazon to get the books delivered straight to the senior’s door.

Don’t forget about libraries either or borrowing books from other people. These are both great ways to get books without needing to buy new ones each time.

eBooks are another option. These can be read on most devices, including phones, tablets, a Kindle, or even laptops. eBooks are often cheaper than physical books. It’s also easy to change the font size. That’s perfect for seniors who struggle with their eyesight.

Audiobooks

Audiobooks are a fantastic alternative for seniors with failing eyesight. With an audiobook, they still get to enjoy the story, without struggling to read the text.

An audiobook also means that the senior can do something else at the same time. Many indoor activities for seniors pair well with listening to an audiobook, like working on an adult coloring book, doing a jigsaw puzzle, knitting, or drawing.

Audible is one of the most well-known sources of audiobooks. It’s a powerful service, with many amazing audiobooks to choose from. Check it out here.

While Audible can be expensive, they do have a free trial. The service also regularly has discounts, where your membership fee is lower.

There are other paid services too, including Kobo, and Audiobooks.com.

Take a look at your local library too. Many libraries allow members to borrow eBooks in a similar way to physical books.

Movies, TV, and Documentaries

Watching TV all the time isn’t a good plan, as it is a relatively passive activity that doesn’t engage one’s brain much at all. Even so, watching TV and movies every so often can be a useful practice.

After all, sometimes it’s nice to simply get lost in a fantasy world without needing to put any effort in at all.

Seniors might particularly enjoy nostalgic movies and TV shows. These can be perfect for seniors facing cognitive challenges, as it’s always easier to connect with something that’s already familiar.

You can also look for more challenging media, like documentaries, lessons, or even TV shows with convoluted plots. Such types of media provide some mental stimulation rather than entertainment alone.

Puzzles

While puzzles are played widely by people of all ages, they have many advantages for old age people. For example, some studies show that jigsaw puzzles can help keep seniors’ brains strong and help develop problem-solving skills.

Puzzles are also cheap and can often be ordered online. This makes them convenient choices for entertainment, especially for housebound seniors.

There’s another advantage too – puzzles don’t have any complicated rules. Seniors don’t need to figure out how to do a puzzle.

If the senior struggles cognitively, you could try a simpler puzzle. Some are designed with seniors in mind. Puzzles for children could work as well.

Puzzle Books and Apps

Jigsaw puzzles are just one type of puzzle. Puzzle books and puzzle games may be even more appealing, as these can be more challenging and engaging than a jigsaw puzzle.

You’ll often find puzzle books at local stores. They come in all different difficulty levels and include things like word searches, crossword puzzles, logic puzzles, sudoku, cryptic puzzles, word puzzles, kakuro, and much more.

The same games can be found in puzzle apps too, many of which are free to play. Puzzle apps offer different types of games too, including ones that are more complex and rely heavily on graphics.

You can find memory game apps too, along with many other app types that help stimulate the brain.

Board and Card Games

Like puzzles, board games such as chess and checkers also enhance senior citizens’ cognitive abilities, improving their memory and strengthening their brain function. Studies show that elders who often engage in playing a card game, checkers, or table games had higher brain volumes than those who played fewer or no games.

This activity also has social benefits. It helps you spend quality time with your family, diminishing loneliness, something ubiquitous among senior citizens. It is also a perfect opportunity to pass all your tricks and tips in card games down to the younger generation.

Here’s a fun idea to try. Cratejoy has an incredibly popular subscription called Finders Seekers – Mystery Game. It’s an escape room game where you are solving mysteries as a group.

Video Games (yes, really!)

Video gaming isn’t just for young people. Many older adults are getting involved too – and giving youth a run for their money. An AARP survey found that around 51 million seniors actively play games. That’s an impressive amount.

Those seniors will run the gambit from casual gamers to more hardcore dedicated seniors.

For many, gaming provides a social connection. It might be a way to spend time with grandkids or to connect with other players online.

Video games have surprising benefits too. For one thing, they help to challenge the mind. Many require problem solving skills, fast reflexes, and the ability to think on one’s feet.

Some games, like those for the Wii, are even physical. These get seniors up and moving around.

You might also enjoy this hidden gem, Solitaire. This is the free online version of the classic game of the same name. An ad-free one is available for $5. 

Swapping Stories

The past can often be a way to connect and bond. It’s also a very relevant topic for seniors, as they have a lifetime of experience. Some of their childhood memories are fascinating and highly relevant to their children and grandchildren, so there are plenty of stories to share.

Swapping stories with our elders can be a fantastic way to give them a sense of purpose. You’re allowing them to share their life experiences and showing them that they still matter, no matter what else is going on.

There’s another advantage too.

Learning more about the senior’s life can help you to provide better care to them. You end up with a stronger sense of who they are, their values, and what they’re looking for in life. This is much more powerful than making assumptions based on your own perspectives.

To get started, think about some things you’d like to know about your family member. Stories from their lives. Events that you know little about.

You could ask them to share a favorite memory. Or, get more specific again. Why not ask them how they met a particular person or what they thought of a given band when they were young?

Many people love talking about themselves. So, it often just takes a little prodding to get them to open up.  

Sharing stories like this is most appealing in person when you get to sit with the senior and see their expressions. Still, you can do something similar over a longer distance too. Video calls are easier than ever these days and

Genealogy Research

Genealogy research is another approach – one that many seniors could do on their own. There are many powerful websites that can help with genealogy research. Some of them are even free.

Looking into family history can be a fantastic way to help seniors feel connected to the past and the present. There’s a sense of purpose to the process too, as any information found would be relevant to other family members and even future generations.    

Make Photo Albums

Photo albums and scrapbooks are a fun way to revisit old memories while being creative at the same time. You can buy comprehensive scrapbooking kits that offer many tools, embellishments, plenty of paper, and a book. Or, you can start off with something simpler.

Even just a basic art book with blank white pages could work well, giving seniors plenty of space to add photos, along with writing, drawings, and whatever else they wanted.

This type of project could be something for the senior to work on independently or a shared task for the family.

Keep Exercising

You don’t need to go to a gym or have special equipment to exercise regularly.

If you’re exercising at home, YouTube can be a great place to find exercise videos to follow. There are also plenty of online exercise classes. These provide a sense of connection and community, even though participants might be located in different parts of the world.

Do Some Gardening

Gardening isn’t just an outdoor activity. You can do indoor gardening too.

This could be as simple as having a pot plant or two, or you could go much more complex. You can even grow vegetables indoors. Be sure to research carefully, as some plants are better suited to being indoors than others.

Gardening has advantages too. It’s a fantastic way to de-stress and it can feel good to care for another living thing. Again, there are some fantastic subscriptions that can help you along, like the House Plant Box and this Plant of the Month Club.

Get Creative About Staying In Touch

Social connection is an important human need. Seniors who are mostly homebound may find connection difficult, but there are still plenty of options, including using technology for video calling.

You may be able to get family members and friends to come visit too.

Don’t Go It Alone

One important approach is to find someone to talk to, someone who you can be honest. Doing so is particularly important for caregivers, but is relevant for seniors as well.

A close friend might be ideal, especially if you can chat through Facebook or something similar.

You could also look into therapists. Talking to a therapist doesn’t necessarily mean that there is something wrong. Therapists are useful as a preventative measure. Plus, you can be certain that what you share will stay confidential. The same certainly isn’t true when talking to a friend.

As one therapist has mentioned – it’s okay to not be okay. This is very relevant for caregivers, as the caregiving role can be overwhelming and emotionally draining.

Online forums and caregiver support groups are powerful as well. There are many to choose from nowadays. Such places offer a place to vent. They can also be the source of many creative solutions and approaches.