Finding activities to do with older people at Christmas can be tricky due to their physical and mental capabilities.

But the elderly don’t need to miss out on all the fun of the season just because they’re not as active as they used to be.

Christmas is all about inclusion and togetherness and this is all still possible, you just need to think differently and adapt what you do.

9 Fun Christmas Activities to do with the Elderly.

Below are our top nine suggestions for Christmas activities that you can do with the elderly to help them enjoy the festive season.

• Put up festive decorations around the house. You can use pre-made decorations or, if you’re feeling creative, why not make some decorations together. Paper chains are a super simple activity that almost anyone can do.
• Make pomanders using oranges and cloves. These not only look good but smell good too!
• Make Christmas shaped biscuits and gingerbread people together. If this is too hard, you can make the dough and get the older person to cut out the shapes and decorate them. Or if making the biscuits is tricky just get them to decorate some pre-made biscuits or gingerbreads.
• Help them write Christmas cards or buy gifts to give to family, friends and neighbours.
• Listen to Christmas songs together and encourage them to sing along.
• Watch Christmas movies together. The classic Christmas movies are often the best. Make it special by making their favourite hot drink and popping some popcorn.
• Provided it will not upset the person, ask them about Christmas when they were younger. How did they celebrate Christmas when they were children? What are their favourite memories of Christmas?
• Create a holiday scrapbook. This is a great way to capture their memories and is something they can continue to enjoy after it is created. Write down or type up their memories and if possible find old photos to add to the book.
• Check out the local Christmas lights. Depending on the person’s mobility this can be done by walking, via wheelchair or in the car.

Christmas Activities for those with Dementia

Dementia shouldn’t be a barrier to enjoying the festive season either. You’ll just need to respect that person’s particular needs and adapt your activities accordingly.

A few things to keep in mind when organising Christmas activities for someone with dementia:

• Space out the activities and don’t try to do too much as this can be overwhelming.
• Keep the activity in familiar surroundings.
• Keep the numbers involved in the activity to a minimum.
• Try to stick to the dementia person’s routines as much as possible. For example, try to keep meal times and bedtimes the same.
• Ensure they have a quiet place that they can retreat to should the festivities become too much.