As the breathtaking fall season gets underway, we’ve compiled a list of engaging and fun activities for seniors. From baking pumpkin pies to going on nature walks, our ideas provide a variety of October and November activities for seniors to enjoy this season—no matter where they live. These fun activities can help seniors feel festive whether they live in a house, apartment, or senior living community (sometimes referred to as a nursing home).
Outdoor Fall Activities
In many areas, fall provides a great relief from the heat, making it the ideal time to get outdoors and enjoy some fresh air. You can plan a fall outing on your own or with loved ones. If you live in a senior living community, you can also attend a scheduled outing or activity.
1. Go Apple Picking
As the leaves turn vibrant and the air grows crisp, apple picking at a local orchard is a classic fall activity for seniors to enjoy. Nothing tastes better than a freshly picked apple, and the experience gives older adults a chance to enjoy the outdoors while staying lightly active. You get to pick your apples, take them home, and enjoy them as-is or try a fun fall recipe.
If picking apples isn’t your thing, you can still enjoy other activities at an apple orchard. Many orchards offer other fruits to pick and sometimes even food stalls and activities. You might see animal encounters, hayrides, or a country store.
Additionally, be sure to see if your local orchard offers fresh apple goods to enjoy in person—like apple cider, apple cider doughnuts, applesauce, apple pie, or apple juice. Some places even have a small café that serves dishes made with the fresh produce.
2. Visit a Pumpkin Patch
Much like apple orchards, pumpkin patches offer the perfect opportunity to get outside, enjoy the autumn scenery, and get involved in fun fall activities for seniors.
Seniors can find pumpkins to take home or enjoy a variety of activities. Many pumpkin patches offer corn mazes, hayrides, animal enclosures, cider mills, and more. It’s a great way for families to bond as well. From grandparents to grandkids—there’s something for everyone.
Some pumpkin patches are particularly good at accommodating individuals with disabilities so be sure to inquire before your visit. Many places offer accommodations for the hayrides and may even have senior-friendly events.
3. Enjoy the Fall Foliage
To fully embrace the seasons changing, choose a nearby destination to enjoy the cooler weather. Whether it’s a favorite park, scenic hiking trail, or just a leisurely stroll in your neighborhood, vibrant fall colors are often right outside your door—waiting to be enjoyed.
You can also host a fall tailgate and enjoy watching your favorite team play. Or pack a seasonal picnic to enjoy outside while taking in the autumn scenery.
4. Find Seasonal Events to Attend
Many cities host events to welcome the season—find one near you to enjoy fun activities in October and November. Oftentimes, cities host fall festivals to bring together local vendors and businesses. This lively atmosphere offers seniors and loved ones a chance to appreciate live music, shop for rare finds, eat tasty treats, and more.
You might also come across a seasonal farmer’s market that only comes around in the fall. With seasonal produce and handcrafted goods, it’d be the perfect way to relish the season.
5. Plant Fall Vegetables
For those who find joy in gardening, tending to a fall harvest might be the ideal activity this season. Here are a few of the top picks for your vegetable garden this fall:
- Beets
- Brussels sprouts
- Carrots
- Cauliflower
- Parsnips
- Pumpkins
- Squash
- Herbs (rosemary, sage, thyme, etc.)
Creative Fall Activities
Autumn is the perfect time to tap into your creativity. Whether it’s through crafts, cooking, or seasonal decorating, there are plenty of fun fall activities for seniors to express themselves and celebrate the season.
6. Make a Seasonal Treat
The changing of seasons often brings cherished family traditions, like digging up age-old recipes. Some families have tried-and-true recipes, while others love to try a new one every season. Here are some ideas for those looking for a new delectable treat this fall:
- Apple tart or crisp
- Apple or pumpkin pie
- Candy apples
- Pumpkin bars
- Pumpkin cheesecake
- Pumpkin spice syrup
- Sugar cookies in the shape of jack-o-lanterns
In some senior living communities, activities directors will add a seasonal cooking class to the calendar to get seniors who love cooking engaged in fall festivities.
7. Make Fall Wreaths or Garlands
Seasonal decorating is a simple yet enjoyable fall activity for seniors that helps bring a festive touch to their surroundings. Gather a bunch of autumn-colored supplies, such as faux leaves, mini pumpkins, flowers, and pinecones, to get started. Get creative and find different ways to use the same supplies to create wreaths and garlands.
This can be an activity to do alone or with grandkids. It sparks up creativity and conversation. And once you’re done, you have something you can hang up and admire each day.
Sometimes, senior living communities will host a fall-themed arts and crafts session where they provide these supplies and bring seniors together to help decorate the community and their apartments.
8. Knit Something Warm
In many regions, the arrival of fall signals that colder weather is just around the corner. This makes it the perfect time to start knitting cozy scarves, hats, or blankets to stay warm while putting your creativity to the test.
You can plan a visit to your local craft store and select warm yarns in fall or winter colors. Think of designs and pattens beforehand so you know what you’re going for. Fall is a great time to start your knitting projects, especially if you’d like to gift handmade items come holiday season.
Depending on the resident population in a senior living community, activities directors may set up a knitting club or event, where they’ll provide a yarn collection to choose from. It’s a lovely opportunity for residents to bond and get creative alongside one another.
9. Paint or Carve Pumpkins
Alongside colorful leaves, pumpkins have become one of the iconic symbols of fall. What better way to celebrate the season than by painting or carving them?
To get started, visit a pumpkin patch or any local store that sells pumpkins and pick out your favorite. Then, get ready to carve or paint. Carving is made easy these days—you can buy a ready-made pumpkin carving kit. Or buy a small acrylic paint kit if you’re planning to paint.
If you’d prefer to skip the messy aspects of pumpkin carving or want a decoration that lasts for years to come, consider purchasing a realistic craft pumpkin from your local craft store. Many even come with special carving tools, so you can still experience the nostalgia of carving without the cleanup.
In some senior living communities, activities directors plan seasonal festivities that include pumpkin carving or painting to get seniors feeling festive.
10. Make a Costume for Grandkids
While some seniors may not be drawn to fall activities for themselves, they many still find joy in celebrating the season by creating special memories with their grandkids. Making a costume for a grandchild might be the perfect fall activity for seniors.
Helping a grandchild bring their costume idea to life is a fun and meaningful way to connect. Whether they want to be a superhero, a fairy, or an animal, you can help by gathering materials, stitching pieces together, and adding creative touches.
If you think creating an entire costume feels overwhelming, try contributing to just one part. For example, make the mask for their superhero costume or help add some spooky fake blood to a vampire costume.
Brain-Stimulating Fall Activities for Seniors with Dementia
Fall can be a wonderful time to engage in gentle activities that engage the brain and spark joy, encourage connection, and support cognitive wellness—especially for seniors with dementia.
11. Do a Fall-Themed Puzzle
Doing a puzzle is a great way to engage the brain, especially for seniors with dementia. Consider choosing an autumn-themed puzzle that embraces the stunning seasonal landscape. It can be a visually rewarding and relaxing activity that’s ideal for seniors who are looking to enjoy seasonal festivities indoors.
Some senior living communities offer an activity or game room where they may offer a selection of puzzles. You may be able to talk to an activities director about getting an autumn-themed puzzle added to the shelf.
12. Play Board Games
Gathering with friends or family for a cozy board game night is a delightful way to foster connection and keep seniors mentally engaged during the fall season. As the temperature starts to drop, few things compare to the warmth and joy of spending a fun-filled day together with loved ones.
Some games that make perfect fall activities for seniors with dementia include snakes and ladders, dominos, and bingo. You can also look for specific dementia-friendly games.
For senior loved ones in general, some fun classic games include Scrabble, Monopoly, Sorry!, chess, checkers, and UNO.
13. Read Fall-Themed Stories or Books
While reading can become more difficult for seniors with dementia, it’s still a great activity to engage their brain—especially for those who find reading to be a hobby. It often becomes harder for them to comprehend and retain information, so it might be time to adapt their reading experience with large print books, audiobooks, shared reading, and topics of interest.
To help them reminisce on cherished memories in the fall, oftentimes memories of Halloween or Thanksgiving, they can try to read fall-themed books. If books are hard to keep up with, consider short stories or local news covering fall events.
If you or a senior loved one don’t have dementia, you can still buy or check out fall-themed books to feel more festive. Some senior living communities even have book clubs where residents may pick out a fall-themed book for the season.
14. Create a Fall-Themed Memory Box
To bring back favorite seasonal memories of autumn, it might help to create a themed memory box as a fall activity for seniors with dementia. You can gather photos of their favorite memories from previous Halloween and Thanksgiving celebrations, visits to pumpkin patches, or any memories of seasonal activities.
You can also add any seasonal memorabilia that might bring back memories. Engaging multiple senses can often help. Some examples include including a piece of a costume they wore on Halloween, a table setting piece from a Thanksgiving they hosted, or a family favorite recipe of theirs.
15. Engage the Senses Through Fall-Themed Activities
Autumn comes with many sights, sounds, textures, tastes, and visuals that can be turned into sensory fall activities for seniors with dementia. Here are some fun sensory ideas for you can try this fall that engages each sense:
- Sight: Gather pictures from their life throughout fall time or use fall décor to help them reminisce on seasonal memories.
- Smell: Use fall scents, like cinnamon, apples, and pinecones, to encourage reminiscence of cherished fall memories.
- Sound: Play fall sounds like rustling leaves, chirping birds, crackling fire, along with the sounds of children trick-or-treating to promote reminiscence.
- Taste: Bake fall treats or recreate family recipes to help them recall memories.
- Touch: Provide different textures like leaves, acorns, and pinecones to help seniors with dementia engage. It can help them feel calm, communicate, and tell stories.
You can even turn these fall-themed sensory activities into games. For example, guessing the scent, sound, ingredients, or object. In some senior living communities, it’s typical for memory care units to offer activities like these to encourage brain stimulation and reminiscence.
Fall Activities in Senior Living
Fall activities are thoughtfully woven into daily life in senior living communities. Residents can expect to see fun autumn touches throughout many aspects in a community. From seasonal menus in the dining rooms and festive décor in common areas to themed activities and unique fall outings, there are several ways to relish all that fall has to offer.
At Sunrise Senior Living, fall activities and offerings are personalized to each unique community, but they all prioritize helping seniors lead engaging and healthy lives.
To learn more about how Sunrise incorporates seasonal activities for seniors, find a Sunrise near you. Our team members are happy to answer any questions you may have.
References
[1] Hagen, L. (2022, August 1). 15 picks for your fall vegetable garden. Garden Design.