As older adults live out their golden years, it’s essential they participate in fun and exciting activities to keep them active and engaged.
Participating in indoor activities is one way to keep seniors active, whether they are aging in their own homes, assisted homes, independent living communities, or other senior care options.
Looking for activities to keep you, your loved one, or your care receiver active indoors? We have compiled 20 exciting indoor activities that seniors will enjoy. From exercise to learning a new craft, and more, keep reading to find out!
Benefits of An Active Lifestyle For Older Adults
As we grow older, several factors may limit our ability to keep up an active lifestyle. This might include physical limitations such as health problems, or loneliness from aging in place and not being surrounded by family.
However, research has found that maintaining an active lifestyle offers older adults lots of benefits. Keep in mind that an active lifestyle is not all about physical activities such as counting daily steps; it’s engaging in anything you enjoy for the well-being of your mind and body.
The following are some of the benefits of an active lifestyle:
- Feel happier and less depressed: Seniors who engage in activities they enjoy are less likely to feel lonely or depressed. As a matter of fact, these exciting activities lead to the secretion of happy hormones such as serotonin and dopamine which improves mood.
- May curb certain health problems: The risk of dementia, heart disease, and some types of cancers are lowered for seniors that are active.
- Maintain Independence: Being active can help older adults maintain their independence even as they get older. An active lifestyle helps brain functioning and physical mobility.
- Have a longer lifespan: People who have a positive outlook on life as a result of happiness and satisfaction tend to live longer. An active lifestyle can help older adults find happiness and fulfillment, and give them more golden years.
- Improve cognitive function: Certain activities may help to improve memory and stimulate the minds of seniors. There are lots of home activities for seniors that may even help those experiencing memory loss.
20 Fun Indoor Activities For Seniors
Now you know the benefits of an active lifestyle for seniors. Below is a compilation of exciting indoor activities that will help keep you or your loved one engaged and active.
Exercise
Exercises are a great physical activity to help keep seniors active, and the best part is they can be done from the comfort of home. You don’t need to go to a gym.
There are different forms of indoor exercise activities for seniors you can participate in depending on your preference and physical ability. Plus you don’t have to do this alone; make it fun by asking a family member or your caregiver to join you.
You can try out Tai Chi and Yoga, as they are mild to moderate activities, and do not require as much physical activity.
If you have reduced mobility, you can try chair exercises such as chair dance, chair yoga, and even chair Tai Chi.
Don’t know how to start? Youtube is a great resource. There are many free videos about exercises. You might even see exercise challenges with other seniors that you can follow online to make it more fun.
Play Games
Games are not only fun, but they also help to stimulate the mind and improve cognitive function.
Playing games is an excellent way to curb boredom, pass the time, or bond with your family member or caregiver.
There are different types of games you can play, including board games, cards, puzzles, and video or computer games. Some examples are:
- Chess
- Solitaire
- Crossword puzzles
- Word search
- Uno
- Pictionary
- Checkers
- Monopoly
- Jigsaw puzzles
- Scrabble
With games, it’s a great idea to try something new from time to time.
Arts and Crafts
Just like games, arts and crafts are a great way to pass time, bond, and improve cognitive function. There are different types to choose from. You can challenge yourself by learning a new craft and taking on a project for the upcoming winter months.
This could be crocheting some socks or sweaters for a new baby, making a blanket, or replicating your favorite painting.
Here are some options to get started with:
- Knitting
- Crocheting
- Painting
- Drawing/Sketching
- Quilting
- Beadmaking
- Papercraft
- Embroidery
- Scrapbooking/making collages
If you are a beginner, you can take an online class, or watch tons of free videos on Youtube.
Cook and Bake
Cooking and baking is a great way to relax, whether you’re alone, or have friends and family over for brunch.
You can start with cooking and baking your favorite food and recipes. You can also try out new recipes to spice things up.
Another way to make cooking and baking enjoyable is to invite friends or family for a cookout session. Having fun together talking and laughing is a bonus, and you’ll have something tasty to eat at the end.
Watch Movies
Movie times are fantastic! With your bowl of popcorn or something else to munch on, rewatch your favorite movies or new movies. Comedies, dramas, and even cartoons can bring much laughter and happiness to the body. Don’t forget to cry if you want to!
Make it even more interesting by inviting friends and family for a movie afternoon or night. Bake and serve treats for everyone to enjoy.
Get On Social Media
Social media is a great way to stay connected with friends and family and happenings all over the world.
If you don’t have a social media account, ask a family member, or your caregiver to help you create one. You can get started with Facebook, Instagram, or even TikTok.
Besides connecting with family and friends, you can also join interest groups and make new friends with people who share similar interests.
Learn A New Skill
No matter how old we get, learning shouldn’t stop. You can pick up a new skill to learn and challenge yourself. Learning a new skill doesn’t only give you an idea about a specific area, but the whole process of learning something new helps to stimulate your mind.
This could be:
- Photography
- Website design
- Graphics design
- Coding
- How to make an Origami Crane
- Playing the piano
- Folding towels into animals
Read
Reading is one exciting activity for seniors at home. This can be late morning or afternoon activities for seniors, or any time of their choosing.
With reading, you can gain a new perspective, learn new things, or just have a good time. From fiction to nonfiction, or religious scriptures, you can read alone, or read with others.
Technology has made it even better to read without leaving the house to buy a book, or visit a library. Amazon kindle devices and ebooks that can be found online make reading fun. You can even change the font sizes to make the text more legible.
To spice things up, set up an online book club for you and your friends, or join one. Share books, read together, and have fun!
Journal
Journaling is an expressive art. It can be used to reflect and reminisce and helps to alleviate feelings of stress and anxiety.
You can journal by writing with a pen on paper, writing on a computer, or using a voice recorder.
Color
Coloring is a beautiful indoor activity for seniors that can help them relax and even meditate. You can download free printable coloring sheets for seniors online. Order your senior a themed coloring book as a gift.
Learn A New Language
This is one in-home activity for seniors that you’ll enjoy. Think about learning to say hello and thank you in over 100 languages, or talking to a new friend in a new language across the globe. This can provide so much fun and excitement.
To get started, think of a language or languages you would love to learn. Find online classes, free apps such as Duolingo, or paid apps such as Rosetta Stone, and begin the learning process.
Don’t forget to wow friends and family by speaking in your new language. It would even help you learn faster.
Grow An Indoor Herb Garden
It’s never too late to have a green thumb. Gardening helps one relax, eliminates boredom, and makes you more in tune with nature. You can grow different herbs and include them in your recipes.
To get started, find a location in your home that gets at least 4 hours of sunlight, then plant your herbs in small to medium size pots. Tend to them and water them regularly.
If you have never owned a garden, you can watch videos on “How to grow an indoor garden”. You’ll be amazed at the information you’d come across.
Some herbs you can grow include:
- Thyme
- Lemongrass
- Mint
- Oregano
- Parsley
- Basil
- Chives
Organize Photographs
Organizing photographs can be a delightful indoor activity for older adults and family members. If you have photographs in boxes that aren’t organized or labeled, organize and label them properly.
You can make this intriguing by organizing photographs based on events, or a specific year. You could even arrange them to show your family history. This can also be a good time to make a scrapbook or scan the photographs to have digital copies.
Explore Genealogy And Make A Family Tree
Ever wondered where you really came from? This at-home activity might just help you find out! You can fill in gaps in your family history by searching online.
Sites like Ancestry.com, or Myheritage.com can provide you with valuable insight into your family history for free if you sign up for their free trial. Although to access a higher level of information, you may need to sign up for the paid versions.
Another good place to start is the National Archives which provides military records, census records, immigration, and naturalization methods. They even offer a video workshop to help you get started.
You never know, you may be related to someone famous.
Listen To A Podcast
Podcasts are a great way to relax and learn more about your interests and hobbies. There are lots of free ways to find podcasts of your interests and listen to them. You can look up free apps in your App Store or Playstore.
Dance
Put on some music, turn on the light, and bust some moves! Dancing is an awesome indoor activity that is guaranteed to leave you feeling happy and excited. Plus it can also double as an indoor exercise activity for seniors.
If mobility is an issue, chair dances are great too. Don’t forget to pull your caregiver or family member into the fun.
Create A Playlist
Create a playlist of your favorite music so you can listen to them again and again. Apps like Spotify offer a free version that you can get started with. Although, this may have some limitations. However, you can choose to go with a paid service from similar apps.
Get A Fish Tank
If you want a low-maintenance pet that is easy to care for, getting a fish is a good idea. Set up your own aquarium, and soak up the tranquility. Simply watching your fish can be relaxing and help improve your mood.
Skype Or Facetime With Loved Ones
If you have family members or grandkids that don’t live close, Facetime them or Skype with them to chat, laugh together, and stay connected. These are memories you’ll both cherish forever.
Teach A Class On Something You Know
If you don’t mind sharing your knowledge on a specific skill, you can volunteer to teach an online class about it. This can be a charity project for your community. This can be a class on baking and cooking for kids in summer, dancing, sewing, quilting, or anything you have some expertise in.
We Provide Activities For Seniors In Their Homes Or Wherever They Call Home
At Amy’s Eden, keeping seniors engaged and active is one of our priorities. We do this by coming up with indoor activities that seniors want or will enjoy.
We don’t have a drawn-up calendar for activities that seniors have to be stuck with even if they don’t enjoy them. Our caregivers organize and create fun activities your loved one will find exciting.
This could be anything from signing with them, dancing, playing card games, coloring, playing an instrument, and much more.
Let us help your loved one live out their twilight years in laughter, happiness, and tranquility. Contact us today to learn more about our in-home and assisted home care services.
