With the winter’s chill fading away and flowers starting to bloom, April comes with great weather for seniors to indulge in productive and fun-filled activities. Covering a diverse range of dates and themes, there are lots of ways to enjoy this month.
From commemorations like National Library Week to festivals like Easter and plenty of fun calendar dates covering diverse themes, the month of April is a perfect one filled with lots of crafts, activities, and foods to try. Do you prefer indoors or outdoors? Do you like outdoor festivals or indoor parties? Worry not, for our list of Fresh April Senior Activities has something for everyone in store! So let’s get started, and you’ll never run out of ideas.
Playing Guitar
Did anyone in your group know how to play guitar? Or perhaps you do?
With April being International Guitar Month, it is a perfect opportunity for a family and friends to get-together to celebrate all types of guitar music, from country to Flamenco. If possible, throw a dinner with some guest musicians for a lovely April night. You can also learn how to play it if you have always wanted to but never could: who says it is too late?
Community Service
April in America is a lot about keeping things clean and tidy. There are no better days to see people living up to and raising awareness on the phrase, “Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle.” Hence, to not only serve your world but to gather and connect with the community, seniors can participate in community service activities. Use this month to tidy up your grounds. And if possible, venture out into the community and participate in a de-littering project. There are lots of senior centers and clubs that work to clean local areas.
Gardening
With April being a gardening month, gardening is one popular April activity for elders and seniors. Whether you have pots or porch, turfed lawns, raised garden areas, patio or balcony gardens, or even windowsill gardens, be sure to explore the possibilities of growing something this season.
Choose from flowers or herbs and learn about what works best in your area. It is a useful skill, good for the soul, getting us outdoors, and helping us exercise our hands and legs. You might as well want to craft pots and decorate your indoors with plants!
Humorous Activities
Kicking off with April fools on the 1st day, the entire month is associated with humor. Hence, find ways to add humor to your April senior activities. You could get a joke book and have a little place card on the tables, maybe even a new one every day or at least every week. Watch funny movies with your loved ones, and visit comedy shows. April 19 is humor day: hence, make sure to have something special this day.
Make Easy Frog Crafts
With the theme of National Frog Month, April is a perfect month for crafting centerpieces and foods for seniors and children. If possible, spend time with your grandchildren, making special frog-shaped treats. You can order them online as well!
You can also throw a get-together for crafting frog-shaped centerpieces and crafts. If your group can fold origami, there are relatively easy frog projects to try. You can get a crafting book from the library and try them.
Maths – Let Your Inner Geek Out!
To tease and workout your brain, have a maths bee with your friends or family. Activities to celebrate this month include number games, number crafts, and mathematical competitions. If you were a mathematical geek, what is a better way to live back the days of your high-school and college?
Reading Books
The second week in April is a perfect time to take a trip to the library as it is National Library Week. Many communities have sales or book drives at local libraries, and you may be able to participate. Seek out new book donations from your group, families, and staff, and get volunteers to help organize it.
If you have a library of your own, decorate it with crafts or make artsy bookmarks. You can also have your grandkids and friends at home for a narration of your favorite tale.
Easter Eggs and Crafts
Although the dates vary every year, Easter usually lies in April. Mark your calendars for Easter and enjoy a myriad of fun-filled Easter activities. From food projects to easter eggs and decorative crafts, there are several ways to enjoy this day. You can also play easter games with your loved ones and watch special movies.
Special Days in April
Use the following dates to find even more suitable senior activities for an amazing April below:
April 1 – April Fools’ Day.
Pull pranks on your loved ones for a lovely start filled with lots of laughter and fun. You can also prepare little surprises or have deserts with fun decor.
April 2 – International Children’s Book Day and Hans Christian Andersen’s Birthday, 1805.
Hans Christian has always been a famous fairy tale writer, with Thumbelina, The Snow Queen, The Ugly Duckling, and The Little Mermaid being his ever-famous hits. Read these fairy tales to your grandchildren and delve back into the memories of your childhood. You can also read other books for commemorating International Children’s Book Day.
April 7 – World Health Day.
Senior health is an important issue, and as the population ages, this will impact the future of all countries. During this month, let your April senior activities reflect health issues and concerns for your particular group, with tips and recommendations for them.
April 13 – Pres. Thomas Jefferson’s Birthday, 1743.
This Founding Father and chief author of the Declaration of Independence was also the third president of the United States. His achievements as president include purchasing the Louisiana Territory and launching the Lewis and Clark Expedition.
In private life, he was a scholar and philosopher, an avid reader, and interested in science and especially agriculture. For those interested in history, his story makes one good presentation.
There is a movie about his life by director Ken Burns, and also a longer mini-series. You may be able to get them from the library. If you want to have a patriotic touch to your April senior activities, do a red-white-blue theme on this day. Check out our 4th of July Crafts for seniors to enact patriotism!
April 14 – The Titanic Hit an Iceberg, 1912.
The iceberg hit late at night, and the ship finally sank about 3 hours later, in the wee hours of the morning on April 15. The story of the Titanic is a classic one, full of drama, and has been retold many times in films. And it seems to be quite popular with seniors. So watch the movie or read more about its history!
April 15 – Artist Leonardo Da Vinci’s Birthday, 1452.
Da Vinci, as you may know, was not only one of our most famous Renaissance artists, but also a fantastic inventor, scientist, and even medical student. His sketches are well known, and he’s considered a genius. For those in your group who are interested in history or art history, do a presentation perhaps with slides of his art. You can find many images online to download to a computer and project them. You might also discuss some of his more important inventions such as the flying machine, solar power, and the adding machine.
April 16 – Wilbur Wright’s Birthday, 1867.
This famous Wright brother is known for inventing the first successful airplane, along with his brother. Celebrate flying machines today. You might have an opportunity to visit a museum or see an air show if you can include an outing in your April senior activities. You may also craft gliders of your own with Balsa Wood.
April 17 – Crossword Puzzle Day.
How about a crossword puzzle mania day for one of your April senior activities? Invite those interested for a get-together with their favorite crossword puzzles in a social setting — along with beverages and treats.
April 22 – Earth Day.
Needless to say, ecology and the green movement are always a big topic. First celebrated in 1970, this is now a worldwide event celebrated in April. Recycle household items and participate in some community projects. You can plant trees as well and de-litter some areas!
April 23 – Shakespeare’s Birthday, 1564.
If you are an avid reader of classic literature, this is your day! Read his sonnets, poems, or plays. You can watch the movie renditions of his scripts as well if you like films for your April senior activities.
April 23 – Home Run Day.
This day celebrates the first home run hit by Hank Aaron in 1954. A great day to watch a baseball game if possible. Maybe have an outing to a little league game, or even a major or minor league baseball game if you live in an area nearby.
Many seniors enjoy sports, especially baseball, so do a little something with your April senior activities involving baseball. Serving your favorite baseball park food on this day will also be a hit.
April 26 – National Pretzel Day.
You can find pretzels nowadays in many shapes and sizes, salted or not.
If you’re looking for a fun food project for your April senior activities, consider making your homemade pretzels. Pretzels are great for dipping in salsa, cheese, or chocolate.
April 26 – Naturalist John J. Audubon’s Birthday, 1785.
April is the month when birds are back in full force! It is the day to get out the binoculars and watch for birds. Also, listen to bird calls from a CD or downloaded onto your computer, and see which you can identify. Make a game of it.
Birds are also popular themes for easy craft ideas, such as a bird mobile made out of construction paper or colorful wrapping paper.
Arbor Day (varied dates)
This holiday was created to plant and care for trees, including in urban settings. And you may be able to take a field trip to an arbor or orchard. Does your area have a well-known old tree or tree with a particular history? April is a great time to visit then. Your group or campus can also sponsor a tree planting in your community or your grounds. Planting a tree in memory of a loved one or as another type of memorial makes a meaningful April senior activity.
With so much to do, choose the ones you enjoy the most and have one enthralling April! Make sure to check our Jazz July Activities for Seniors!
You may also read our article about Simple Elderly Music with Chimes for more activities for seniors.