The holidays are full of memories for older adults, and that cuts both ways. They can be the warmest weeks of the year, with family, food and traditions. They can also be the loneliest, or the most tiring, especially for someone who lives alone, has moved into care, or is living with memory loss.
These 25 holiday activities for seniors are grouped by setting, so you can pick what fits: at home with family, in assisted living or a care home, and for family who are far away. They work for Christmas, Hanukkah, Thanksgiving, Diwali, the New Year or any season of celebration.
Before the Day: Planning Tips
- Give them a real job. Feeling useful matters more than being entertained.
- Choose the right time. Many older adults are at their best late morning and early afternoon. A holiday lunch can work better than a late dinner.
- Plan a quiet corner. A calm room with a comfortable chair to retreat to when it gets noisy.
- Keep the old and add the new. Familiar traditions comfort, and small new ones keep things fresh.
Activities at Home With Family
- Bake a family recipe together. Let them lead: "How did your mother make this?" Measuring and stirring are easy jobs to share.
- Decorate together. Unpacking old ornaments is a natural way into stories. Ask where each one came from.
- Write and send cards. Write names in big letters on a list, and let them dictate messages if writing is hard.
- Sing or listen to seasonal music. Familiar songs from childhood often bring the whole room together. See music for seniors.
- Watch a favorite holiday film with snacks and blankets.
- Look through holiday photos from past decades, and label them as you go.
- Play a family game. Easy card games, dominoes, charades or trivia work across generations. See games for grandparents and grandchildren.
- Do a holiday puzzle. A festive jigsaw left out on a side table invites everyone to add a piece.
- Tell the story of a tradition. Ask them to explain why the family does something the way it does, and record the answer.
- Take a short outing to see lights, a market or a nativity play, timed for when they have the most energy.
Activities in Assisted Living or a Care Home
- Join the home's events together: concerts, parties and services are easier to enjoy with family alongside.
- Decorate their room with a small tree, lights (check the rules first) and cards on a string.
- Bring a holiday treat to share with them and their neighbors, if diets allow.
- Bring the grandchildren to sing a song or two in the lounge. Short and cheerful is best.
- Make a memory box of holiday objects: a favorite ornament, a recipe card, an old card from a loved one.
- Read a holiday story aloud, or a letter from a relative who can't visit.
For more ideas for care home visits any time of year, see what to do when visiting a parent in a care home.
Activities When Family Is Far Away
- A video call with a plan. The Alzheimer's Association suggests adding structure to holiday video calls, such as a trivia game, singing seasonal songs or sharing old photos, because open-ended group calls can be hard to follow.
- Open presents together on video, so they see the reactions.
- Cook the same recipe in two kitchens and compare results.
- Send a "12 days" parcel: small envelopes to open one a day, with photos, drawings or a puzzle.
- Play the same game in two places. Each person plays a short daily puzzle and you compare notes on the phone. SilverMind, our own app for older adults, picks three calm exercises a day. It runs in any web browser at silvermind.app/play as well as on iPhone and iPad, so family on different devices can join in, and eight of its exercises are free.
Our guide to long-distance caregiving has more ways to stay close all year.
For Seniors Spending the Holidays Alone
- Plan the calls in advance, so the days have fixed points to look forward to.
- Join a community meal or event. Places of worship, libraries, senior centers and community groups often hold holiday lunches.
- Volunteer, if they're able. Helping at a food bank or a community meal gives the day purpose.
- Make a holiday activity list: a film, a puzzle book, a favorite treat, a phone call, a walk. Our list of games for seniors to play alone has plenty of ideas.
Holidays and Dementia
For someone living with dementia, the holidays can be confusing: more noise, more people and broken routines. The Alzheimer's Association's holiday tips and NIA's guide to adapting activities for people with Alzheimer's suggest:
- Keep gatherings smaller and calmer.
- Stick to the normal routine as much as possible.
- Celebrate earlier in the day to avoid late-afternoon confusion.
- Involve them in simple, familiar tasks like setting the table or folding napkins.
- Prepare visitors for any changes in memory or behavior.
- Set up a quiet space with calming music for breaks.
Our guide to activities for seniors with dementia at home has more gentle ideas.
Gifts to Go With the Activities
If you're also looking for presents, see our gifts for grandparents who have everything and gifts for elderly parents. The best ones usually come with time attached.
Look After the Caregiver Too
If you're the one hosting, cooking and caring, give yourself permission to do less. Shorter visits, simpler meals and fewer traditions still make a good holiday. Accept offers of help, and say yes to someone else hosting. Our article on caregiver burnout and self-care has more ideas.
Research & References
- The Holidays and Alzheimer's - Alzheimer's Association
- Adapting Activities for People With Alzheimer's Disease - National Institute on Aging
- Participating in Activities You Enjoy As You Age - National Institute on Aging
