The senior citizens have taught us the true meaning of culture and tradition. Without them, we probably would have lost touch with our festivals.
Holidays can be a lot of fun for senior citizens, even if they have physical limitations. It all comes down to feeling included and loved.
Holiday activities for seniors need to be exciting but should be meaningful and special. Just being able to join everyone else makes them feel loved.
In this article, we will discuss a few fun-filled activities that they will surely enjoy.
However, make sure that the activity is light and does not take a toll on their health. You can also modify the activity to suit the energy levels of the seniors. If they show any sign of fatigue, ask them to retire for the rest of the day. Also, ensure that the seniors are having fun.
A list of fun-filled holiday activities for seniors are as follows-
Bonding Over Beverage
You can have an evening session on the balcony talking about the good old days over a cup of tea. Also, the family members can join in singing a song, or they may enact any play.
Cook Dishes
Seniors know plenty of recipes. However, their old age may not allow them to cook. It would help if the entire family came to their help. The seniors may narrate the steps of the recipe while the others cook.
This is a good way for younger family members to learn many new recipes. Baking with the entire family is always a fun-filled activity.
A Family Movie Night
Many seniors love watching movies. You can play their favorite movie on television. Join them with a large bowl of popcorn and enjoy the film together.
Make a Holiday Wreath
Seniors generally have a creative streak. They love creating beautiful holiday wreaths. However, they can tire themselves quickly, and hence, they may not be able to make the whole wreath alone.
You can join them and help them to prepare these wreaths. Also, it will provide you an excellent opportunity to bond with them.
Organize a Gift-Wrapping Party
Gifts are a vital part of any holiday. However, gift wrapping is a tiring task. You can easily ask the seniors to help you out. They love feeling included, and they also know how to wrap gifts uniquely and attractively. You can learn numerous gift wrapping techniques from them.
Fill up Stockings
This traditional Christmas activity of filling up a stocking with the gifts is everyone’s favorite. The seniors can fill up the stockings of their grandchildren. It will make them feel happy. They can also help to prepare pomanders with cloves and oranges.
Play Games
Playing board games with grandparents is everyone’s favorite childhood memory. Even the entire family can join in to play some board game or even a game of cards.
Decorate the House
Parties mean cleaning and decorating the entire house. Seniors may not be able to help you with cleaning or dusting. However, they may help out with the decorating. Please leave it to them to decorate the house creatively. However, keep checking up on them regularly to make sure that they don’t tire themselves out.
Show Curiosity
Encourage the children to ask their grandparents about the “good old days.” Seniors love to speak about their golden years. This way, the kids will also be able to learn a lot from the seniors. Also, it will give the kids a good opportunity to bond with them.
Spend Time Together
Seniors love spending time in the company of others. All they want is someone who would listen to them and cherish their presence. You can ask them for suggestions while buying online gifts for relatives. Make sure to give extra importance to their suggestions.
Decorate Holiday Cards
Senior citizens love being creative and decorating holiday cards. It’s a good idea to help them to prepare beautiful Christmas cards for their loved ones. It would also help if you encouraged them to compile a scrapbook that contains a collage of their old and new photos. They will surely enjoy this type of activity, and looking back at memories will make them feel happy.
Take a Holiday Lights Tour
Most seniors are not fit enough to go out. If their health permits them to move, take them on a drive to see how the city has been decorated during the holiday season. However, it is essential to consider their immunity level before taking them out of the house. Even a minor cold may result in something fatal.
Sing Carols
Seniors love singing Christmas carols. So, the family members may gather together and sing carols along with the seniors. The seniors may know a few carols that the younger generations aren’t aware of.
Outdoor Activities
The outdoor activities that seniors can participate in are limited in number. Their immunity may be too low to even go outside for a walk. You can consider taking them out on a short stroll to the neighborhood park during the day time. Long walks may not be good for them. Such short strolls will help them breathe in the cool air and feel refreshed. After all, sitting inside while everyone else is celebrating outdoors may feel suffocating.
Conclusion
Seniors are the backbone of any family. So, they deserve to feel loved and cherished. Make them a part of each of the holiday activities. They have worked all their lives to provide you with a comfortable life, and now it is your turn to do the same.
Love and a feeling of involvement work better than any medicine. So, these fun-filled activities help them rejuvenate their soul. However, it is not a good idea to let them do the entire activity by themselves. It would be too stressful for them.
So, the younger family members need to divide the tasks among themselves too. After all, the purpose of these fun-filled holiday activities is to entertain and involve them and not to tire them out.