For more information regarding the Coronavirus and visitor guidelines, click here.
Visitation is currently open, please call 518-869-2231 for for more information.

10 Great Indoor Activities for Seniors This Winter

Indoor activities for seniors

Wintertime Activities for Seniors

Winter can be a dreary season, especially for seniors whose range of physical activity is limited due to either age or illness. The weather outside can make it feel like it’s time to hibernate, but there are many indoor activities that you can do this winter to stay busy and have fun. Here are 10 great indoor activities for seniors to enjoy throughout the winter.

Join or Start an Online Book Club

Joining an online book club is a great option to engage in a group while staying at home. You can join an existing book club online or create one with your friends or family. Video chatting tools like Google Meet, Zoom, and Facebook Messenger make it easy to connect with others online with just a few clicks. These tools make it easy to find opportunities to read interesting new books and discuss them with others who share the same interests.

Try a New Cuisine

Wintertime is perfect for a warm meal. If you enjoy trying new foods, consider checking out a new restaurant in town and ordering delivery or use a food ordering app like Grubhub or Door Dash to have a meal safely delivered to your door.

Make Time to Call Family and Friends

Staying socially connected is especially important for seniors who may feel lonely or isolated from their families. Since winter weather can limit the ability of loved ones to travel and visit, make time for frequent calls with family and friends. Schedule a time and date for everyone to join a video call. Seeing everyone’s smiles and laughter through video can make you feel closer. You could even plan a family dinner to enjoy with everyone remotely.

Try New Movies and TV Shows

If it’s been a while since you’ve watched something new, consider immersing yourself in a movie or TV series you haven’t seen yet. Streaming apps like Roku, PlutoTV, Peacock, and Crackle make the search for excitement easy. Whether you’re a fan of action, drama, comedy, or documentaries – the possibilities are endless!

Stay Active

Exercising is a wonderful way to spend free time and help your body restore or maintain its highest level of functioning. If you reside in a nursing home or assisted living facility, exercise or rehabilitative therapies should be part of your daily regimen. Whether it’s a simple walk outside or down the hallway, a planned group activity or one on one therapy sessions, exercise and functional skills training will help retain or regain strength and mobility.

Try a New Podcast

Podcasts are today’s on-demand alternative to talk radio. There are countless free podcasts available to stream online covering almost every topic imaginable. You can find a new program by browsing podcast apps such as Spotify, Pandora, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, and more. Just plug in your headphones to begin listening wherever and whenever.

Stimulate Your Brain

By stimulating your brain, you can keep your mind sharp and reduce your chances of developing conditions such as dementia. Games and puzzles such as Sudoku, crosswords, or word searches are designed to strengthen your cognitive function and are fun to play. You can find brain games and puzzles in magazines, books, and newspapers, or online with your phone, computer, or tablet.

Have a Personal Spa Day

Consider planning a personal spa day to help you feel your best, especially when it’s exceptionally dreary outside. Get cozy and comfortable and treat yourself to a personal spa day by mindfully soothing yourself with relaxing activities. Bring the fun of the salon home by trying different hairstyles, or give yourself a simple manicure, listen to your favorite musician, or meditate.

Start Writing

If you’ve always wanted to write a story or begin a journal, winter is the perfect time to begin. Maybe you’ve always wanted to create your own family cookbook with your family’s favorite recipes or detail your family history in a journal. Whether you’re interested in becoming a self-published story writer or just keeping notes and thoughts for self-reflection, you can begin by typing a document on the computer or writing with pen and paper.

Organize Your Belongings

A clean and organized space can help to ease stress in your mind. If it feels overwhelming to tackle a whole room at once, put aside some time to declutter and reorganize your belongings starting with a small space like a drawer. If you’re no longer in need of something, consider donating the gently used item to a local community thrift shop or throwing it away so it doesn’t continue taking up space. If you live alone, avoid lifting objects that are heavy or high up; otherwise, you may risk falling or injuring yourself.

At Shaker Place, we realize that the winter months can be a difficult time of the year for seniors to stay active. With a full-time Activities Director on staff, each day at our facility is full of fun events and activities to keep your brain and your body active, prevent boredom, create new and lasting memories, and foster a sense of community and belonging. See our events calendar or learn more about our daily activities here.

As you head into the winter months, make sure to keep your physical and cognitive health in check. If you or a loved one require services such as long-term care, skilled nursing, or memory care, please contact us today to learn more.