5 Festive Fall Activities for Seniors

What is it about October that brings excitement in the air and quickens our steps? Is it the cooler air, the planning for the upcoming holiday season, or moving light-weight summer clothes to the back of the closet in exchange for warm and woolly sweaters and jackets? Let's look at some fun fall activities for seniors.Enjoy the crisp, cool weather After a hot summer, crisp and cool fall weather is a refreshing change. Enjoy the season with five activities that are perfect to do with your older adult. They’re all simple, inexpensive, and fun! 5 festive fall activities for seniors

1. Create art with fall and Halloween themed coloring sheets Coloring is an activity that everyone can enjoy, from the very young to the very old, in groups or alone. As an added bonus, psychologists say that it’s has stress-busting abilities similar to meditating.We like these free, printable coloring sheets with fall or Halloween themes:

• Festive fall pumpkins
• 20 silly bats
• 24 cute Halloween designs

2. Decorate the house Making and putting up fun decorations is a nice way to mark the change of seasons and get in the mood for fall holidays. It’s also a good time to display some of those finished coloring pages!These DIY ideas are simple and fun:

• Ribboned pumpkins
• Clove-studded orange pomanders
• Fall leaf garland

3. Prepare festive (but easy!) homemade treats Baking, mixing, and assembly are fun activities that many older adults will enjoy.Mmmm! Delicious and easy-to-make treats:

• Soft glazed pumpkin sugar cookies
• No bake pumpkin cheesecake
• Baked apples with oatmeal streusel topping

4. Make Halloween trick or treat bags Get ready for trick-or-treaters by having your older adult help prepare these fun little pumpkin pouch goody bags. They’ll be excited to hand them out when kids come to your door.

5. Admire the colorful autumn leaves Fall is a wonderful time to take your senior to a nearby park, stroll through the neighborhood, or relax in the backyard. Breathe the fresh, crisp air, admire the leaves changing colors, and hear the crunch of fallen leaves as you walk.

By Connie Chow, Contributing Writer and Founder of DailyCaringImage: Teachers for Asia