List of 50 Activities to Do with the Dementia Patient

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Here is a list of 50 activities to get you started or to give you ideas for your own projects. Don’t feel you have to do all of these. They are just ideas to stimulate your imagination.

1. Paint with water colors, complete with paint, brushes, water, and canvas
2. Finger paint, careful with this one, it can be messy! Take an old, large, button front shirt and wear it backward over your clothes to prevent accidents
3. Holiday celebrations—Christmas or Hanukkah are the obvious ones, but don’t forget Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Valentine’s Day, St. Patrick’s Day, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, the 4th of July, Halloween, and Thanksgiving. The wonderful thing about holidays is that there are so many activities you can associate with them—decorating, crafts, baking, caroling, gifts, and of course the actual celebration itself. Spread these kinds of activities out over the course of several weeks to build excitement.
4. Jigsaw puzzles, simple ones with brightly colored, larger pieces would work best.
5. Visit museums. Historical museums are especially good because your loved one may remember some of the exhibits that are depicted from their past.
6. Antique stores, the same as with museums. Your elderly relative may be able to identify objects you find there that you won’t recognize.
7. Host a tea party. Okay, maybe this one is best for just women, but Mom will enjoy getting dressed up and eating finger sandwiched like a lady. This is especially fun if you invite young girls to join you.
8. Gardening, container gardening is especially good because of the limited space and because the container can be moved to accommodate limited mobility.
9. Read or recite poetry. Just as our Mom enjoyed songs she also enjoyed the rhythm of poems. Our Dad recited poetry all the time when we were little and Paula picked up the habit. When she would spontaneously recite a poem that he had enjoyed Mom would always smile.
10. Attend a parade. Some dementia patients would really enjoy the beat of the marching bands, the fire engine sirens, the colorful floats, and all of the smiling children. Some would not. If your loved one suffers from anxiety you will want to skip this activity.
11. Attend art exhibits. If your Mom creates some good water color paintings you may want to check into having her art displayed at an exhibit.
12. Fuzzy art posters. These are fun no matter what age you are! They make nice gifts after they are colored and framed.
13. Listen to music. The tunes your Dad enjoyed in his youth are good choices. Our Mom loved to listen to old hymns and worship music.
14. Dance! This may be a natural reaction to listening to some kinds of music. It’s great exercise too!
15. Play with bubbles. Another great activity to do with young children. Whether you are blowing, popping, or catching, bubbles are fun.
16. Go for a ride in the car. If you are used to the city drive through the country, or if you spend most of your time in the country drive through a big city. Watch the cows, gaze up at the skyscrapers, and stop for a picnic or lunch at a restaurant.
17. Play with a baby or toddler. Our Mom would play with Paula’s youngest son Henry, who was 2 at the time of her death, for ours. They played cars, drew pictures, sang songs, laughed, ate snacks together. He was her favorite babysitter.
18. Celebrate birthdays. Your birthday, the dementia patient’s birthday, other family member’s and friend’s birthdays. Find a reason to celebrate! Then go all out with decorations, cake, ice cream, presents. Our Mom loved those blower whistle things that unroll when you blow on them. Great fun and precious memories.
19. Browse through catalogs, colorful ones are best, flowers, clothing, and greeting cards.
20. Browse through cookbooks, then choose a recipe to create for dinner. Be sure to let Dad help with some of the preparation.
21. Listen to audio books. This is a good evening time activity. A well-told story will help you to relax.
22. Read books about the time when they were children or teens. These can be educational for you and will give your loved one a chance to reminisce. This is a great activity for older children or teens to do with their grandparent.
23. Look at art books. Interesting, colorful pictures will capture their attention. A familiar artist like Norman Rockwell can give you lots to talk about to.
24. Read scripture. Many people find comfort in reading or listening to scripture being read.
25. Sing—Silly songs, modern songs, hymns, anything you know the words to. Our Mom could remember most of the words to a surprisingly large number of songs.
26. Make s’mores. Yummy! Enough said.
27. Look at photo albums. This could give you a chance to ask Mom about old pictures that you may not be familiar with. Record the information when you get the chance.
28. Make scrapbooks. An art project and history lesson in one. Everyone benefits.
29. Play card games. You may want to stick with simple games like Go Fish or War, but our Mom enjoyed playing Texas Hold ‘Em with us! She had no idea what she was doing, but neither did most of the rest of us.
30. Go to children’s movies at the theater (or rent them on DVD). Most children’s movies have plots that are easy to follow, perfect for the dementia patient.
31. Watch old movies. Watching movies that they remember from their teen and early adult years can bring back enjoyable memories for a dementia patient.
32. Bake cookies. Sugar cookies that you cut out with cookie cutters are fun to make. Decorate them after they cool.
33. Start or add to a collection. Our Mom had over 1000 angel figurines in her home. One of her favorite things to do was to shop yard sales and thrift stores looking for more treasures to add to her collection.
34. Talk about memories. You could interview your parent with prepared questions or just start a conversation by asking them about an event or time period in their personal history. Be sure to record these conversations (either in writing or with a digital voice recorder) so that they won’t be forgotten.
35. Color Easter eggs. Messy, but creative and a lot of fun. You can peel them and have egg salad sandwiches the next day.
36. Play with a balloon. You can bat it back and forth across the room like a soft game of volleyball.
37. Play with a Wii. This can be great exercise or just a lot of fun.
38. Visit a petting zoo. Be sure to wash everyone’s hands after you leave.
39. Pick peaches or apples. Stay off of ladders, but gathering the low hanging fruit is still a lot of fun. Bake a cobbler or pie when you get home.
40. Go fishing. This will be especially enjoyable if it is something you parent has enjoyed in the past.
41. Raise earthworms. It is fun to watch them tunnel through the dirt. If you are really ambitious you could even turn this project into a business of raising worms and selling them to gardeners or for bait.
42. Play with dominoes. Line ‘em up and knock ‘em down. Never gets old!
43. Play at a park, with or without children. Swings, the jungle gym, shooting baskets, hitting a tennis ball. . . Enjoy a picnic when you are done.
44. Play horseshoes or croquet. Simple games that many older people enjoy.
45. Make greeting cards. One dementia patient I know makes beautiful cards using colored markers to draw floral pictures. Her daughter sells these to friends and acquaintances to help raise money for her care.
46. Visit a farmer’s market. The smells, the bright colors, the delicious produce and baked goods. Fun!
47. Make a flower arrangement, use flowers from the yard or purchase flowers at a florist. This project can be relaxing.
48. Attend church or synagogue. Worship is refreshing.
49. Look through travel magazines. Dream about where you’d like to go.
50. Take a road trip. Pack for an over night stay and drive to a museum or state or national park. Explore!

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