David Goldstein deleted answer April 20, 2018
Social interaction and entertainment are very important elements for residents to thrive in an Assisted Living Facility. Here are 20 ideas of games, activities, and party ideas that would be good for a group of seniors:
1. Bingo: The obvious classic favorite of many seniors. Bingo has also been shown to help fight some of the mental effects of aging by exercising the mind. Seniors who play bingo are often able to concentrate better. Make sure to purchase or make bingo cards with larger square, numbers, and letters.
2. Simon Says: This game is not only great for the mind, but also for getting seniors moving.
3. Horseshoes or Washers Tournament: Set up a bracket and have the seniors participate in a horseshoes or washers tournament. This will get the seniors outside and will also provide some exercise.
4. Charades or Pictionary: Divide the seniors into 2 or more groups and have them act out or draw movies, books, or phrases that were popular in their younger years.
5. Trivia Night: Do this in teams or individually. Come up with questions that range in difficulty and variety. You could have a theme to the trivia such as “The 1950’s.”
6. An Auction: You can use play money and have items that the seniors can bid on such as stuffed animals, jewelry, toiletries, candy, fruit, etc.
7. Family Fun Fair: Have foods like hot dogs, funnel cakes, popcorn, etc. You could set up easy carnival games, face painting, and even a pie toss. Give out tickets for winning games and have prizes that the tickets can be redeemed for. You can even let seniors invite their families.
8. Kentucky Derby: Make a track and let residents roll dice to move their horses forward. Let the seniors name the horses prior to the race, paint them, and paint the track. You can even let them help make trophies.
9. Balloon Badminton: Use plastic picnic plates and paint stirrers to make paddles. You can even let the seniors paint the sticks and help glue them to the plates. Use balloons as the ball and set up something for a net. This is great to get seniors moving.
10. Name That Tune: Divide the seniors into teams or let them play individually. You can say song lyrics, play a song, or sing part of a song. Let the seniors guess the name of the song and award points for correct answers.
11.Beach Ball Bowling: Use cups or something that will easily fall over when hit will a beach ball. Set up a beach ball bowling tournament.
12. Board Games Tournament: Set up a tournament with any traditional board game such as Checkers, Sorry, Parcheesi, Scrabble, Yahtzee, etc. Find out the most popular games among the seniors and use those.
13. Stories in a Bag: Put down different categories on a piece of paper such as “favorite color,” “best job you had,” and “first car you drove.” Put all these pieces of paper in a bag and allow a senior to draw one out. Let them answer and then allow everyone else to tell their story as well.
14. Memory Game: Take 4 paper bags and put about 4 different items in each bag. Let the seniors take the items out of the bag for a few minutes and then put them back. Test their memories by asking them what is in each of the bags.
15. Hot Potato: Use a potato or anything that the residents can pass around. Let them pass it till the music stops. The one holding the “potato” when the music stops is out.
16. Secret Stocking: Fill a stocking with items that would be difficult to tell what they are if felt through the outside of the stocking. Pass the stocking around to everyone and let them feel through the stocking and try to guess what is inside.
17. Who Are You: Prepare name tags of characters or famous people. Stick one to the back of every senior. Let them go around and ask questions about their character to find out who they are. Each question must be a yes or no question.
18. Minute to Win It: Look up some of the challenges used by NBC’s Minute to Win It show. These are 60 second challenges that use objects commonly found around the house. Give out prizes for each successfully complete task.
19. Casino Night: Give the seniors fake money or chips. Set up a few casino games like black jack, poker, and craps. At the end of the night let the seniors use their chips or play money to buy or bid on certain prizes.
20. Two Truths and A Lie: Have each senior come up with two truths about themselves and make up one lie about their life. Let each senior share his or her truths and lie. Allow all the others to vote for which statement is a lie.
