If you’re looking for some June senior activities that go beyond the ordinary, you’ve come to the right page. Whether crafts, recipes and food, games, outdoor fun, outings, we’ve got all sorts of ideas. And some are quite unique. They’re suitable for, or can be modified for any abilities, and individuals or groups. Perhaps you have favorites planned already, but there’s always room for something new! So make your planning easy by giving this article a read.
The article includes both the commemorations for the month and also actual calendar dates (for which we give things to do so you don’t have to come up with it all yourself. Unless you want to.)
June Senior Activities
Commemorations for June
National Ice Tea Month – Be sure to see wonderful alternative ice tea recipe ideas with a surprise splash, contributed by one of our readers!
Dairy Month – Dairy is all about ice cream, cheese, milkshakes, butter, whipped cream, and such. There are loads of ways to work dairy food, nutrition, into your June senior activities throughout this month. It’s fascinating how dairy farming has changed over the decades. This can make a fascinating learning experience for kids too.
National Candy Month – This can include sugarless candy for those with restrictions, as well as some of my favorites – those made with honey and maple syrup. It’s an opportunity for folks to share special recipes and even do some candy making. Although popular at Christmas, it’s also perfect to add to your June senior activities. It’s especially fun since marzipan can be molded like clay into shapes like fruit, animals, and characters.
Black Music Month – Music is always a hit for June senior activities. And this is a great chance to study the rich contributions of African Americans to the music scene. Play your favorite music old and new, and/or have local musicians come in and perform, including students. This is also a good time to watch a movie or documentary about the music and life of well-known.
Women’s Golf Month – Just for the ladies. Activities can range from a trip to a local golf course for those who are more serious golfers, to a nearby miniature golf range, to setting up a little putting game outside in your own area, complete with treats and beverages party style.
Craft – For a golf-related craft, get an old picture frame with wide edges (check thrift shops and dollar stores). You can sand and paint it with acrylics, or clean it well and use it as is. Then get a bunch of old golf tees and glue them around the edges of the frame. Options: Colored tees look fun, or spray paint them first.
Great Outdoors Month – Pres. Barak Obama proclaimed June to be Great Outdoors Month, in 2015. Throughout the month we can be mindful of, and enjoy the fresh air of the great outdoors during June senior activities. So take a field trip to a local area, even if it is a park. If your group is unable to do an outing, you can still have something special going on outdoors wherever you are this month.
You might also have a slide show of images of our national parks and forests. Members can contribute photos that they may have. It is easy to turn them into a digital slide presentation against a wall or screen. Show it at a special lunch or dinner.
International Men’s Month – What are the favorite things that the men in your group like to do? Be sure to emphasize these during this month, and also the contributions the men have made throughout their lives. Showing photos or doing write-ups in a newsletter are other approaches to celebrate.
National Accordion Awareness Month – Many seniors are familiar with the energetic sound of the accordion. And it is quite probably someone who knows how to or used to, play one. Now is the time to pull it out and celebrate! Put a little music into your June senior activities. Or you may be able to find a local band to visit, and even host a dance. In the least, find some music on a CD or online, and be sure to play it at a special lunch or dinner.
National Fresh Fruit and Vegetables Month – This one is easy! Serve something a little bit different a few times at your meals. An unexpected fruit or vegetable is easy to include in your June senior activities, parties, and any meals. You can also give information about it and its benefits at a card at each table. If it’s a really fabulous recipe, share it too!
National Soul Food Month – Just the phrase, “soul food,” sounds wonderful. This is a popular type of cuisine famous in the southern U.S. Some favorites include fried chicken, cornbread, okra, hush puppies, collards, and of course grits. These are but a few. It depends where in the south one is visiting or living. If you’re living in the area, celebrate it this month! If not, venture into a new culinary adventure and try something unusual.
Dates For June
June 1 – Say Something Nice Day. Perfect to build any June senior activities around – maybe a party, special luncheon, or dinner; or perhaps a favorite game modified to include saying nice things. You might also consider giving awards to those who especially deserve it.
June 3 – National Banana Split Day. Time for a special dessert!
June 5 – World Environment Day. This is a global awareness celebration to remind us to take care of our planet earth, established by the U.N. in 1972. In 2013 a lovely poem was written by Abhay K, to commemorate this day. It may be of interest to copy onto tent cards and place them at each table.
June 6 – National Family Day. Great time to have a family picnic, party, and games with your June senior activities. A favorite is having a gone fishing party. Lots of ideas here with a fish theme. And remember, “family” can also mean the community around you.
June 9 — Home Sweet Home Day. A nice time for group members to share memories about their homes, whether that be where they were born and grew up, or where they raised their own families. But just as important, where home is right now. And if your group lives in a senior community, have a special party to celebrate that, and the friends and companionship that go along with it.
June 11 – Jacques Cousteau was born, 1910. Cousteau was probably one of the most famous oceanographers (plus an explorer, conservationist, scientist, and author), even having his own TV show. Have an ocean, fish, or sea creature theme for this day. Shells, the octopus, turtles, and seahorses are just a few themes. And seafood or fish for a meal. You may even be able to get hold of a Jacques Cousteau film or video from the library or online.
June 14 – U.S. Flag Day. In 1777 the Second Continental Congress adopted the flag of the United States. See lots of red, white, and blue ideas on our page at 4th of July Crafts – you’ll get activities you can use not just in June senior activities, but also for many patriotic days.
June 15 – Nature Photography Day. A good excuse to get outside! For anyone interested in photography, whether with a traditional camera, digital or even on a cell phone. It couldn’t get easier. Photography is so easy these days and lends itself to a variety of June senior activities, and throughout the year too.
Photograph something special from the gardens, or have a field trip to a popular nature destination. Then transfer those photos to a computer, print them out, and use them for a variety of projects. For 8×11.5 or larger paper size, laminate them and use them as placemats.
Or do special picture frame crafts for your photos. (What you decorate the frame with can be related to what’s in the photo – find out what we mean). Or use your photos in a collage. There are lots of possibilities.
June 15 – Smile Day. Anything that makes people smile will work for this day. Serve foods and desserts with smiley themes, smiley balloons, and games.
Crafts — You can easily make your own smiley-face crafts. Use markers to draw them on yellow paper plates and cups. Stickers can be purchased to put on napkins. Small plates or circles can also be glued to a craft stick to put in plants or centerpieces. Make your own smiley balloons – simply black marker on yellow balloons.
Try the Smile Toss Game – Sit in a circle and toss a light-weight ball or even balloon with a smile painted on it (marker works too). Everyone in the circle smiles, except the person who is “IT” with the ball. If he/she forgets to wipe their smile off when they get the ball, they get points. The person with the least points wins. Or another version is, they must drop out. There are many versions of this game. It usually erupts in lots of laughs, so it’s very challenging to not smile!
June 16 – Fudge Day. Use this day to add a little sweetness to your June senior activities – make fudge. Or have it as a fudge-tasting day. Serve several kinds, from chocolate to vanilla, to butterscotch, even strawberry. Members of your group may also like to make their own fudge themselves and then bring it to share potluck style. And also share the recipe.
June 17 – Chocolate Chip Cookie Day. What could be easier? Serve them for dessert after a meal, or at snack time. And if you’re making them as a project, remember chocolate chips now come in lots of colors and flavors! So try something new too.
June 17 – The Statue of Liberty arrived in New York Harbor. This is a fascinating story, and there are a couple of documentaries available to see. We like to include movies into our June senior activities (to be seen outdoors or in). You may find them at your local library. Folks in your group may have memories about visiting the landmark or even an immigration experience to share.
June 18 – International Picnic Day. Picnics are standard June senior activities, so be sure to have one on this day. And if the weather is bad, move the picnic inside. But do have one, with all the summertime bells and whistles.
June 19 – Garfield the Cat Day. Everyone is familiar with comical Garfield. Let him be the whimsical center of attention today.
Craft — Go online and find a cartoon of the character. He can be traced to many different arts and crafts projects. Perhaps a small 2 or 3 inch Garfield – make a whole sheet of paper with many Garfields, which you can then laminate and cut out individually. Or even easier, draw a simple oval around his shape and cut out the oval.
Then glue it to the middle of a length of wide ribbon, at least 12 inches long. When dry, tie the ribbon around a napkin, and you have an instant and simple napkin ring. You can also enlarge an image to an 8×11.5 paper size, and laminate it for placemats.
June 19 – Baseball Day. For sports enthusiasts, the first organized baseball game was played in Hoboken, New Jersey, in 1846, under Alexander Joy Cartwright’s new official rules. The New York Base Ball Club defeated the Knickerbockers. Bring out the baseball memorabilia, put on a cap, and watch a game, either live or on TV. And don’t forget the hot dogs, peanuts, and beer (or ice tea or lemonade). Little League is really fun, and so is swinging a Wiffle bat and ball. Or tossing a softball or Wiffle ball into a hoola hoop or at a target. Baseball is a standard for June senior activities.
Father’s Day – We all know about this one. It is celebrated at different times around the world, but in the U.S. it’s the third Sunday of June.
June 20 or 21 – Summer Solstice. (Can vary). This commemorates the beginning of summer and the longest day of the year. Many ancient monuments around the world, including Egypt, Babylon, China, Greece, Central, and South America, and the British Isles such as Stonehenge, measured the sun and the seasons. You can always include a bit of history into June senior activities. It’s a chance to learn about the sundial and ancient calendars, their history, and perhaps make a sundial yourself. If you have a garden, setting up a nice sundial can be a fascinating feature to watch.
June 20 – Bald Eagle Day. Bald (meaning, with a white head) eagles are usually found near water and lots of tall trees. Do you have any in your area? If so, perhaps a field trip could happen on this day. It’s the national bird and animal of the United States and is found on the official seal. It is also very important to Native American culture. There was a time when the bald eagle was endangered, but now it is no longer on the list.
An eagle image would provide a nice theme for arts and crafts projects. And for those interested in nature, a presentation may be of interest, especially if you can have an expert come out and visit. There are several documentaries about the bald eagle, including “American Eagle” from PBS, See if you can find something in your local library.
June 24 – Henry VIII was crowned King of England. For those history buffs, Henry was one of the most famous and notorious kings in history. There are a variety of movies and documentaries available about Henry VIII and his wives. And why not have tea and crumpets (similar to an English muffin) with jam. Or at least fancy pastries.
Have your own Renaissance Fair as one of your June senior activities. These are famous fairs that travel around the country in summer and fall, so why not have a party of your own. At least a mini version.
It could consist of drinking and eating (turkey legs, corn on the cob, cheese curds, old fashioned pretzels, pickles, hearty bread and rolls, soups including in a bread bowl, bratwurst, fish n’ chips, kettle chips, fudge, candies, pastries, ale, even pizza), music (get music online or from the library), juggling, magic shows, short plays, comedy, and a few animals also would be a welcome addition.
Make it as simple as you’d like. Or if you can swing it, even have a few people come in costume. With some planning, it can also serve as a fundraiser, open to the public. If you ever have a craft fair, it can easily be incorporated into the Renaissance theme too.
June 27 – Helen Keller’s Birthday (1880). What an amazing role model. “The Miracle Worker” is a much-loved movie to remember her amazing life.
June 28 – Artist Peter Paul Rubens was born, 1577. For those who enjoy art and history, Rubens was a painter in the Flemish Baroque tradition, a style with much movement, drama, and extravagance. He did many portraits and paintings with religious and mythological themes. He lived during times of great turmoil in Europe, a challenging time for artists as well.
His life and work are quite interesting as a presentation. And certainly, books of his art can be found in the library. With art presentations, lots of images can be found online as well, and a slide show given. Perhaps members of your group would like to lead a presentation as one of your June senior activities.
June 30 – Meteor Day. Meteors are also called shooting stars and are sometimes seen throughout summer. You can use the shooting star theme for your June senior activities (and perhaps even see some in the evening – so keep your eyes on the weather report).
Have an evening party with shooting star décor, which can be made during a craft activity. Stars (and moons too) can readily be found on stickers, which can be adhered to napkins, cups, tablecloths, etc. For those interested in science, a presentation could be given about the meteor, meteor showers, meteorites, comets, etc., and their significance throughout history.
We have tried to include subjects and themes of many different types in these June senior activities, as your group may have varied interests. So hopefully some of them will appeal to you!
hile seniors are out enjoying activities, it is also important to keep them safe. In case of small injuries like wounds, you may check out our list of the Best Creams and Salves for Wound Care that you may use or keep in your first aid kit.
For more ideas when it comes to senior activities, you may also read our article about Simple Elderly Music with Chimes.