You may have recently been paired up with a senior, or you have been visiting them for a while, and possibly exhausted all the fun activities you had initially planned to do together. Now you are not quite sure what more you could do together
during your visits.
Why Fun and Play Is Important
Scientific studies continue to show that enjoyable activities can have several major benefits. For example, they have the power to help:
- Maintain your memory and optimize your ability to learn new things. Engaging in play on a regular basis can enhance your creativity and mental sharpness.
- Things like laughter and friendly competition are known to increase harmony, trust, empathy, and intimacy among people who experience them together.
- Engaging in activities you enjoy can give you a brighter outlook on life, surrender your sense of time, multiply your moments of joy, and help you to relax. It can even help prevent depression.
- Creating plenty of fun moments in your life can be a good way to boost your immune system, reduce your risk of illness, and minimize your perception of any pain you might already have.
Play should be a major part of life for everyone. We can all probably use many more joyful experiences. It’s who we are, no matter our age.
Activities to consider
Here are 25 ideas that could be perfect if you are both looking to learn, grow and have fun at the same time.
- Get crafty and make something
Consider some things you can make together by pooling your skills or learning some new skills. It’s never too late to learn how to follow your curiosity and impulses. Ideas like these
can reignite a person’s vitality and sense of what’s possible: painting, sketching/drawing, mosaics, papercraft, beading, knitting, crocheting, embroidery, quilting, or card making. - Get into board and card games
There’s a reason board and card games still exist. They provide great ways to socialize and benefit from the joyful challenges of friendly competition. Puzzles can sharpen your mind and
give you a sense of progress and accomplishment. - Cook together
You don’t have to go all MasterChef and compete against each other – but you could. Rather, just making a batch of muffins or a slice is a nice way to spend time together on a weekend. You could
batch cook a few recipes to up the variety. - Take a beach trip
Easier to do if you actually live near the beach, of course; but worth doing even if you don’t. - Visit a gallery
There are many museums and art galleries out there, often with free or discounted entry. - Join or start a book club
If you start your own book club, you get to decide which books you’re going to read. There are tons of resources online that can help you with questions and conversation starters around the
books you are reading. Just google the book title plus ‘book club’ and you can’t go wrong. - Go bush walking
Hopefully you’ve got a parcel of bush near your place that’s good for a hike. Getting together in advance to plan your walk is part of the fun. Remember to check the fire warnings and the weather
forecast before you set out. Always carry your phone and plenty of water with you. - Explore the city
Challenge yourselves to discover as much about your nearest city as possible. You can do it in A-Z fashion by suburb, dedicate yourselves to visiting every park in every suburb, or even explore one area in full before moving onto another. Either way, getting out and about in areas that you wouldn’t ordinarily visit is a really rewarding way to have fun with friends. - Take your dogs for a walk
You bring your dog, they bring their dogs, you meet up at the dog off-leash park. The dogs have a great time together and so do you! - Teach each other a skill
So, one of you can play ukulele, or knows magic tricks, or you’re awesome at to-do lists, and time management. Maybe it’s time you swapped some of those skills to share the love? This is great when both of you are getting to contribute what they know, making the learning process so much more enjoyable. - Go to the pool
You can’t beat the public pool on a hot day. - Start a herb or succulent garden
Great for adding flavour to your dinner and sustainable too! - Go to the movies
Do you both like watching movies? How about a day at the movies together and while you are at it, have a cuppa and chat before or after the movie? You can also look into getting your senior client a Companion
Card and accompany them for free. For more, check out the National Companion Card resources. - Have a friendly bake-off
And best of all, you can feast on the finished products when it’s all said and done! - Visit a free or reduced admission museum
Many museums offer certain days with free or reduced admission—perfect for taking in a little art and history when you’re on a budget. - Declutter a space
Watching too much home improvement TV got you inspired to switch up your home’s layout? Ask your friends for their design suggestions as you move things around. - Try birdwatching
All you need is as follows: a park, a notebook and pen (or your phone’s notes app), and an observant eye. - Get arty and channel your inner painter
Host your own paint-and-sip party at home with a bottle of non-alcoholic bubbly, blank canvases, and paint supplies. - Send postcards to loved ones
Remember postcards? Yeah, those were fun. Bring them back with an evening of postcard writing. - Attend a book signing or reading event
Check out the schedules at local bookstores and libraries to get a sense of who’s coming to read. It’s a great opportunity to connect with a favourite author and get a personalised autograph, or simply connect with a new author you didn’t know about. - Make care packages
Is someone in your friend group far away? Get together to make them a thoughtful care package filled with all their favorite snacks and treats. - Spend time at the local library
Libraries are basically heaven on earth—pick a few books you can read together and exchange when you’re done. - Go bargain hunting online
From Facebook Marketplace to Poshmark, you never know what gems you’ll uncover. - Flip through magazines for an afternoon
When was the last time you read an actual physical magazine? Make it a whole experience with throwback tunes and tasty snacks. - Go fishing
What could be better than relaxing time with a fishing rod and the great outdoors!
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