Summer is the perfect time to do fun activities under the sun. The weather is ever friendly and warm so you can explore more and do more with your loved ones. Seniors love summer as well. You should be extra careful though when choosing an activity as summer temperature can be dangerously high. Such high temperatures can put seniors’ health at risk. To help you in choosing the right activity for your senior loved ones, we’d enlist ten that you could conveniently do while keeping cool. These activities are ultra engaging, safe, and healthy. Enjoy!
Activity #1: Craftwork
Art is extremely fun to do during summer! It is highly therapeutic and stimulating to the brain. This is even the case even with adults living with Alzheimer’s Disease and Dementia. It is highly therapeutic because it will allow seniors to express their emotions while continuously maintaining and developing fine motor skills. Seniors will get a boost of confidence whenever they finish work or product. They will also get highly motivated and improve their concentration. Try working with clay this summer.
Activity #2: Cool Physical Activities
Prioritizing cool activities during summer is a must. This will ensure that your senior loved one is ever safe while being fully engaged. Cool physical activities that are ideal for summer will be swimming and water aerobics.
Water aerobics is best for seniors because it is done in water and is very low-impact. Athletes in therapy do water aerobics because it is very gentle to the body. This is why it’s perfect for seniors who may be suffering from stiff joints or arthritis. Swimming of course is also a classic fun activity during summer. If you want to try other new stuff, you can also check out chair tai chi, yoga, and balloon volleyball. Experts from Homestyle Aged Care is an aged care home provider in Geelong and they highly advise incorporating physical activities into summer routines to ensure overall wellness. They make it clear though, that activities should always be matched with a senior’s interests and current health.
Activity #3: Cooking
Fresh produce is plentiful during summer! Hence, it’s also the perfect time to cook fresh meals with your senior loved ones. Cooking with fresh ingredients is highly enjoyable and healthy for seniors. It is also very therapeutic because it gives seniors a sense of purpose. When cooking, encourage your senior loved ones to be creative and playful.
Activity #4: Reminiscing
Summer is also a perfect time to reminisce. You can join your senior loved one in remembering past summer memories. You can dedicate a day just talking about past trips abroad, summer days at the amusement park, and road trips from past years. You’d love how seniors have a massive trove of memories. Sharing and retelling memories reduce stress and help seniors in improving their communication.
Activity #5: Movies
Summer is a good time to start film therapy. Film therapy is highly relaxing and stress-reducing because it helps seniors to focus on just one thing and be relieved from whatever physical or emotional stress they are experiencing. To make it more fun for seniors, let them be the ones to choose the movies to be watched. Offer numerous options from various genres. Classic films would be perfect!
Activity #6: Games
Card games and board games are extremely fun to play during summer! They are perfect because they are highly engaging and helpful when it comes to encouraging seniors to socialize with others. Seniors that play games and those with hobbies and routine leisure activities were found to have successfully reduced risks of having dementia. If the weather is perfect, playing outside would be ideal!
Activity #7: Outdoor Activities
Summer is best for exploring and going outside. Outdoor activities should be promoted but to a limited degree. The sun is the best source of vitamin D and seniors can benefit much from it to prevent depression, anxiety, and osteoporosis. Vitamin D also improves one’s brain health. Do the following activities during cooler spots of summer days:
- Bird watching
- Watching the sunset or sunrise
- Morning walk or evening walk. Always bring a bottle of water when doing one.
Activity #8: Books
You can also go on a summer reading spree with your senior loved ones during warm sunny days. This is even something that seniors can do all year long. As the weather is bright, seniors can read outside while under the shade. Reading inside while the AC is on is also perfectly fine. If your senior loved one already has poor eyesight, you can consider audiobooks or books with large print versions.
Activity #9: Cold Treats
There’s something about summer that makes treats and desserts taste ever sweeter and yummier. Perhaps it has something to do with heightened senses and consistent sunlight supply! Make summer better by having delicious cold treats like ice cream and yogurt. Have ice cream dates! It would be a perfect time to cool off and socialize.
Activity #10: Meditation
You can also consider giving meditation a try during summer. Meditation does not have to be complicated. As the weather is sunny, you can do walking meditation or seated meditation while outside. You can have your senior loved one simply sit down under a shaded spot and meditate. Meditating can be done by simply breathing in and out and gently observing one’s thoughts. Meditation is highly beneficial to one’s physical, emotional, and mental health.