Winter Activities for Care Home Residents

Many care homes and nursing homes take pride in providing a varied activities programme that caters to an array of interests and hobbies for older adults within a senior living community. The activities team at assisted living facilities goes above and beyond to come up with fun activity ideas to enhance residents’ quality of life and help improve cognitive skills.

With winter quickly approaching, it is common for care homes and nursing homes to integrate more appropriate winter activities for seniors during the winter months that residents will enjoy and that are also beneficial for their skill development, which encourages residents to socialise with like-minded people thus creating meaningful connections with new friends.

So if you’re looking for some easy ideas on what engaging activities you can offer your residents, or are just interested in what winter activities you can expect your loved one to take part in, we have compiled some of the most popular senior activities for nursing home residents that can be carried out during winter days below. 

Arts and Crafts

There are endless benefits to utilising arts and crafts within a care home and this is no different during the winter. You could use the season to your advantage, by having a workshop of making Christmas/winter themed decorations which will get the whole home involved ready for the festive season. Some examples of winter themed arts & crafts can include paper chains, paper snowflakes, seasonal paintings and creations of different animals, the list is endless!

Residents could even make bird feeders for the care home's garden, to encourage birds to visit frequently where they can bird watch from the comfort of their home. No matter what you end up creating, everybody is bound to have a great time using their artistic skills.

Baking and Decorating

Baking and Decorating is a great way of getting everybody involved, whilst potentially having a bit of friendly competition within the home. From winter cookies/cupcakes to decorating a gingerbread house, you can incorporate this Christmas theme with ease. It allows senior residents to express themselves and decorate their baked treats however they wish, also allowing their creativity to flourish and develop strong friendships with both the staff and other residents. All the participants end up with a delicious treat to eat afterward. 

In the lead-up to Christmas, what better way to get residents excited than to get them to help decorate the home with Christmas trees and ornaments? Helping to put baubles, candy canes and fake snow on the tree will encourage residents to use their motor skills and bring them back to their childhoods with all the wonderful memories and sensory smells of fresh pine and candy canes.

Winter Walks

During the winter months, it can be common for many people of any age to get cabin fever and to help an elderly person avoid getting cabin fever, it is important to offer outdoor winter activities for seniors. Ensure residents are wrapped up warm, it’s important they get fresh air and exercise often, which has proven benefits for helping with an individual’s mental health and physical health. You could travel to a nearby location that you know has lovely views, a potential picnic space or area to bird watch, and even have family and friends join. This way, everybody can find something worthwhile whilst reaping the rewards of being outside. 

Despite the cold weather, residents should still get out regularly to maintain their mental and physical well-being. Whether it's a shopping trip, a winter picnic or even creating a DIY snowman with fake snow or real snow, these are fun activity ideas that can be enjoyed by residents of all ages and abilities with the support of care staff. Loved ones can also join in on any trips offered to care home residents, creating meaningful memories with their family members year round.

Winter Movie Marathon

With winter approaching quickly, the temperature outside will quickly decline, meaning that it is the perfect time to hibernate under the blankets! A simple and effective activity to do during the winter period is to put on a movie marathon. It will bring all of the residents together in one place and allow them to watch their favourite Christmas movies either in the communal living areas or dedicated cinema room depending on what the care home provides.

Once the Christmas festivities are over, care home residents can look forward to watching the Winter Olympics from January to February. The Winer Olympics brings people together in what is considered a dull and depressing part of winter. Residents can sit in a dedicated cinema room or in one of the communal lounges in front of the television and watch hours of impressive athletics and discuss with one another their thoughts.

Winter Themed Quiz

Another way of getting residents together is by hosting a winter-themed quiz night. It can let the residents form groups, or they can take part individually to test their knowledge in regard to a chosen theme. It can be carried out at any time of the day and can be a space for residents to socialise and bond, something that is extremely important throughout their stay to satisfy overall well-being.

Winter Puzzles

Getting the residents’ brains working whilst they receive high-quality care is extremely beneficial for their development, which can help to slow down the progression of certain health conditions. By giving residents puzzles of all types of difficulty either in groups or individually based on preference, they can partake in several fun games and puzzles that get them fully engaged. All the participants can also take pride in the puzzles they’ve completed! Card games are also similar to puzzles in that they can be played by two or more people and provide health benefits such as cognitive stimulation. Many older people can familiarise themselves with fun games from their youth, and they can be played from practically any room in the home.

Music Themed Evenings

With music themed evenings, it means that all of the residents can look forward to an evening of singing, dancing and socialising. According to SCIE, dancing improves mood and can strengthen the bond of trust between staff and residents. This sort of occasion is ideal to do in the month of December in the lead up to Christmas. Singing well-known hymns and songs can also help residents improve cognitive skills and helps residents reminisce on songs from their past and it’s fantastic to see residents singing along. It is the perfect way to bring everybody together during the most special time of the year.

Receive Warm & Compassionate Care at Boclair This Winter

Winter is a difficult time for some people, especially when considering care options for a loved one. At Boclair Care Home in Glasgow, we provide only the highest standards of 24-hour care including Residential, Nursing, Dementia and Respite Care for older people in Glasgow, committed to providing a quality of life for all who reside at our care home. 

Our purpose-built care home comes with a variety of all-inclusive activities, facilities and services, including fine dining, activities programme, library and landscaped gardens for residents to enjoy on a regular basis. If residents want to play board games with fellow residents or would like to sit in a comfortable chair reading a good book, we can cater to all interests. We are proud to provide a fulfilling lifestyle by combining person-centred care with a range of engaging activities designed to cater to the many interests and passions of our residents.

If you are interested in finding out more about the care services we offer, please contact us at 0141 484 5050, or feel free to email us at info@boclaircare.co.uk today, and a member of our team will be delighted to assist you.