Key Takeaways

Quick activities such as board games can be engaging and bring social elements to the residents.
Day trips out for the residents can help boost moods and bring a change to their weekly routine.
All activities don’t have to be costly or long, there are plenty of cheaper alternatives to create fun and engaging activities for residents in care homes.

Why are Activities so Important in Care Homes?

Social interaction, hobbies and creative engagement are all things that can help improve mental and physical wellbeing, especially in care homes. Having a group of people within care homes who have a collective hobby or interest helps boost conversations and social interactions. It also gives residents something to bond over. This is why it is important to have tailored activities for senior residents in care homes, keeping them engaged and also giving them social interactions. Whilst creative activities and games can be very helpful, it is also important to look into the physical aspects of wellbeing, exercises for elderly residents is a key part of this.

Consult Spearhead Healthcare on Care Home Equipment

Talk to our experienced care home equipment staff to find the right equipment for making residents feel at home and safe within their care homes.

Contact us online

Call Our Sales Team

Quick and Simple Activities for Seniors in Care Homes

Simple activities that don’t require a lot of planning are ideal for care homes that have a large amount of residents or are on tight time restraints with routines.

Here are a few simple activities that don’t require planning in advance:

Board Games: Having board games available in care homes gives residents an instant activity to take part in, with some games taking a longer amount of time, which can give a long period of social interaction for them.
Jigsaws: Similar to board games, jigsaws are instant activities that can take a large period of time. They can be enjoyed solo too, so if any residents prefer to have alone time, they can take part in this activity.
Charades: Charades is simple and only needs a group of residents to play. This can be themed as well to specific groups if they prefer TV or sports or music.
Baking: Most care homes will have ingredients on hand to create simple bakes such as iced buns or quick cakes. This can be done as a solo activity with help from staff, or as a group activity to then share the bakes with the rest of the residents.
Quizzes: It’s easy to find fun quizzes online for residents to take part in. Staff members can be the quizmaster and depending on your home and residents, you can write answers down or use a buzzer method to answer.

Film showings: This activity does have a lower social element during the film, but it’s a simple activity that residents can relax during and discuss afterwards together. You could also begin a film club within your care home, with weekly showings and discussions, with themes and resident choices.

Having these activities available at all times means residents can also independently choose when to take part in them, giving them a sense of freedom and independence.

Activities for Seniors in Care Homes

Arts & Crafts

Painting, drawing or making crafts can be done solo or within a group, depending on how each resident is feeling. This can be done to themes or seasonal events, such as creating Christmas or Easter cards to give to one another or visiting family. Using premade images or colouring books for adults is also beneficial, as it gives residents a goal to finish these images. Scrapbooking is also a good activity for boosting memory, and creating a finished book can be given to family members as a gift or even for them to add to.

Bingo

Bingo is popular amongst most care homes, as it’s a simple activity that a large amount of residents will recognise and be able to take part in. Having prizes set aside for the winners and a staff member calling the numbers makes this a very social activity with excitement combined. Bingo is great for cognitive function and is an engaging activity to get residents involved.

Live Music

Reaching out to local musicians and bands that would perform in your care home means you can plan an evening or afternoon of entertainment for residents. Bringing new people into a care home gives more social interactions for the residents, and lets them enjoy live music from their younger days.

Day Trips

Providing your care home can take part in this, planning a day trip out for the seniors within the home will bring excitement and a change to routine for them. These day trips can be local to your care home, for instance, a trip into town or the local seaside if it’s not too far. There are plenty of places to take your residents to bring some change to their week.

Why Choose Spearhead

For over 30 years, Spearhead has supported UK care providers with dependable products, friendly expertise and responsive aftercare. See how we listen, understand and deliver on our Why Choose Spearhead page, then talk to us about the specific challenges in your care home.

Visit Our Showroom

Prefer to see equipment before you bulk buy supplies? You’re welcome to try popular products and equipment at our dedicated Showroom.

Activities for Seniors