Fun Fall Activities for Seniors

The arrival of autumn presents plenty of fun activity opportunities for you and your senior to enjoy, both indoors and outside. Make your senior’s day and give them something to smile about with these 5 festive fall activity ideas!

Fall Gardening

Gardening, in general, has many benefits for seniors. In 2012, a study from the Journal of Aging and Physical Activity found that elderly gardeners are more likely to have a steady gait and are less likely to have balance issues.

With that info in mind, the fall season is one of the best times of the year to plant perennial flower bulbs. Make sure your senior has a light jacket on if it’s chilly and encourage them to get outdoors. Work together to devise an autumn gardening plan, and when springtime rolls around, sit back and watch how excited and proud your senior is when his or her plants bloom!

If you’re using any tools or chemicals to help you along the way, be sure you’re familiar with any necessary directions needed to stay safe while having fun in the cool autumn sun.

Hand Out Candy to Trick-or-Treaters

What better way to get your senior to smile than having them hand out candy to excited trick-or-treaters?!

Getting your senior involved in neighborhood functions is not only fun, it’s a healthy exercise that can improve their mood. It’s also a great way to get your senior’s creative juices flowing, by letting them decorate their porch or front door with Halloween-themed knickknacks. Help them prepare for trick-or-treaters by letting them create goody bags for kids to take with them.

Make sure you or your in-home caregiver are present when decorating, to reduce the chances of falls or scrapes.

Go for a Walk and Enjoy the Fall Foliage

Nothing clears the mind and gets endorphins flowing like a calming walk in the crisp, cool air that fall brings. Set aside 30 minutes or an hour out of your schedule and go for a laid-back jaunt around the neighborhood or local elementary school.

Since it’s leaf season, point out the beautifully bright red and orange leaves on the trees while you’re out and about. Reminisce about good times from the past, like memories you have carving pumpkins or going to fall festivals when you lived at home with your senior loved one.

Prepare Tasty Halloween-Themed Treats

Older adults love to get in the kitchen to prepare delicious meals for friends and family, so why not let them have a hand in preparing Halloween-themed treats?

If your senior has specific recipes in mind, go with the flow and let them start the preparation process. If cooking or baking is feasible, encourage them to be in charge while you oversee the process.

Need ideas? Here are just a few:

• Baked Apples with Streusel is healthy, delicious and easy to boot. If your senior has a hard time using kitchen utensils, offer a helping hand cutting apples or wherever else you may be needed.
• Whip up a delectable No-Bake Pumpkin Cheesecake and delight friends and family of all ages during fall get-togethers.
• Add pumpkin spice to your normal sugar cookie recipe and bake these delicious Pumpkin Spiced Cookies to hand out to trick-or-treaters instead of buying candy!

Peruse a Pumpkin Patch

Get in the fall spirit by taking a quick trip to a local pumpkin patch near you. This is a great idea for the whole family, so bring along your grandkids if applicable! Pick out one or more pumpkins to take home and let your senior bond with young ones as they paint and decorate the pumpkin. It’s OK to get a little messy, too – scrape out the pumpkin’s guts, but be sure to hold onto the pumpkin seeds for roasting!

Contact Always Best Care Senior Services by calling (855) 470-2273 to schedule a free consultation and learn more about the in-home care services we provide.