Spring is all about new life, rain, flowers, new growth; and our mood tends to perk up too. Many activities can now be brought outdoors. Here is a list of some of the activities that we think are best suited for the elderly.
Fresh Strawberry Activities
Strawberries are one of our favorite seasonal fruits and provide plenty to do for spring senior activities. Making and eating food projects are popular! Use any type of candy, cookie, or another chocolate covered strawberry. It goes without saying to use Rhubarb, as it is delicious with strawberries.
Blueberries, honey, and lemon are also refreshing foods for spring and can be added to some of these projects. There are also young greens and sprouts in spring. See what is available in your local area. Here are some of our strawberry ideas.
Chocolate Covered Strawberries
There are so many possibilities for these, including different colors. Not just for eating! They can also be included in bouquets, as centerpieces, as gifts and give-aways, at place settings, and of course in desserts. We have examples and ideas for all of those.
Birds
For those interested in nature, use this time to learn about the birds in your area, their habits, how to attract them, and even identifying bird calls. You can get a CD with bird calls, or download them onto your computer. Anything like this that involves sound makes really good spring senior activities. If you have binoculars, bird watching is often popular with seniors. It was a favorite of my grandparents.
If you’re near a pond, one of our favorite pastimes is to watch and feed the ducks. Baby ducks are irresistible and sure to cheer up the mood. Depending on where you live, there may be gardens and public areas that have these birds. More themes for your spring senior activities and arts.
Bird Craft
This one is very easy. Just get a toilet tissue tube (you can cut it to any size you want) and cover it with a band of bright paper. Make triangles for the beak, feet, and wings, and attach with glue. Also googly eyes. Or draw some on with a black marker. An old pill bottle fits right inside. Add a tad of water and a few small flowers. I also stuck in a little Spanish moss as “hair.” You can also use this as a pencil holder, for lollipops, etc., if you cut it to size.
Parties
Your spring senior activities just must include a special party or two! Most groups have regular spring celebrations that they enjoy. But also consider having an English tea. Or a fiesta, or hosting a “prom.”
Go Fly a Kite!
And perhaps make one while you’re at it. You can do this as a group craft as well. Kite kits can be quite simple and found in hobby stores or online. Ready-made kites are also available in most stores in the spring. Kite flying is a really relaxing activity all spring long, and a great excuse to get outside. Folks who are in wheelchairs can also participate.
Edible Flowers
Speaking of parties or any special occasion, have you ever tried edible flowers? They add elegance and surprise to desserts, beverages, and salads!
Gardening Projects
This is the time to plan some spring senior activities around gardening. Most are familiar with planting seedlings, making container gardens and raised gardens, etc. Many senior residences also offer individual garden plots.
But there are other garden-related projects to do. Consider having a horticulture specialist or naturalist from your local community come and give a presentation and a little advice for your upcoming projects. They can really help get things started.
Butterfly Gardens
Depending on the stage of the larvae/butterfly development, there are different garden needs. A very interesting activity to learn about and absolute delight when accomplished.
Attracting Songbirds
They love certain elements in a garden. An added activity to go along with it is learning the bird calls after they arrive. Not to mention getting out those binoculars.
Straw Bale Gardening
Once set up, which is pretty basic, they yield the most spectacular flowers, vegetables, and herbs, with hardly any work, and they can be totally organic.
Spring Movies
Be sure to have a special movie on rainy days. Fun for spring is” Singin’ in the Rain,” “Easter Parade,” and those with biblical themes during Easter and Passover, such as “The Ten Commandments,” “The Greatest Story Ever Told,” and “Ben Hur.”
Spring Craft Ideas
Caterpillar Bead Bookmark
This can either represent a caterpillar or worm. And it’s so easy to make! Any beads can be used, whether you want something fancy with a little bling, or masculine with wood.
Creative Spring Planters
All you need is a little imagination and something to re-purpose and enhance, and you’ve got yourself a unique planter. Like a vintage purse, for instance, or old leather boots just waiting to be decorated. The fancy vintage purse shown is one of my favorites and was submitted by a reader to our Share forum. Anything vintage or having memories is a favorite with seniors.
Decorate a Clay Pot
Terra cotta pots are easy to find in spring and can be gotten inexpensively at thrift and dollar stores, plus garage sales. They’re excellent to use all year long throughout the seasons. Paint them with flower, branch, ivy and vine, bird themes, etc. And they can be used for lots of things besides flowers and plants! You’ll get more ideas for spring senior activities at the link.
Create a Centerpiece
Spring is ideal for centerpiece projects( We have a content on this: Fun, Affordable Centerpieces) since there is a variety of themes, as well as actual fruit, greenery, and flowers available to add-in. This centerpiece is very easy.
Materials you need
Some kabob skewers, decorative paper like wallpaper border, or wrapping paper. Also scissors, glue, and a vase or decanter (thrift stores or garage sales). Plus filler for the inside like pebbles, colored stones, shells, Spanish moss, etc.
Use a simple bird shape and trace it onto a piece of folded (so it will be double-sided) decorative paper, sized to your liking. We provide a basic bird template that you could use, below. Here is a close up of the birds.
Cut 2 or 3 birds. Glue both sides together around the edges, and insert the skewer into the bottom of each bird. Then put them in your vase. This technique can also be used to create mobiles, instead of putting the birds on skewers. An easy bird template is below. You can attach the wing separately, or not. And of course, there are food items that can be used in centerpieces instead.
Make Spring Greeting Cards
Try a simple watercolor “puddle paint” technique. Cut watercolor paper to size. On what will be the front, paint a creative shape first with plain water, such as a flower, bird, fish, or just a design. Load up the brush with lots of paint, and dab the brush on the edge of the shape. Watch the paint spread in unusual ways. Dab the brush on another edge. Then add in another color and watch them blend together.
You can also, add a little color to the inside of the image. When the paint is dry, you can add a few details such as basic leaves and stems or branches, even with markers if you’d like. Very colorful and spontaneous. There is no “wrong” way to paint these. They can also be cut into strips and laminated as bookmarks.
Or do a collage technique by gluing interesting images from magazines, wallpaper, wrapping paper, etc., onto a white tagboard cut to a standard greeting card size (doubled so you can fold it). You can often find boxes of blank envelopes at craft stores, or buy them online.
Coloring Sheets
Many seniors find coloring sheets to be relaxing, and it’s a project that can either be taken outside or done inside on a rainy day. Favorite themes are anything floral, birds, and anything with animals. Images with an Easter or Passover theme, as well as stained glass designs, are also ideal. You can get a variety of downloadable coloring sheets online.
Conclusion
Spring is perhaps the best time of the year. The flowers blossom, birds migrate and there are several activities that you can engage in along with the elderly and seniors to spend some relaxing time. Going on a field trip or maybe flying a kite is a good way to explore new areas with your loved ones and uplift their mood as well. Now that you have got the idea, be sure to try them the next time the Spring season arrives.