Halloween isn’t just for kids. Whether it’s at home, in a living community, or hosting a range of ages at your party, older adults don’t have to miss out on Halloween activities.
Here are four activities that you or your senior loved ones can enjoy this spooky season:
- Easy-to-make Halloween treats. Making snacks for everyone to enjoy, whether it’s sweet or something more healthy, is a great way to be involved in Halloween celebrations. For a senior-friendly take on candy apples, decorate sliced apples with caramel and a variety garnishes (candy, sprinkles, or other edibles). Make a sweet and salty snack by mixing popcorn with your choice of candies, nuts, or other toppings.
- Senior-friendly Halloween crafts. Carving pumpkins may not be the best option for those with mobility and hand dexterity issues. Instead, opt for painting gourds with monsters and witches and other spooky scenes. Incorporate your loved ones in costume festivities by creating a rhinestone masquerade mask. Use craft supplies like feathers, rhinestones, and glitter. These crafts can be enjoyed with the grandkids, too!
- Spooky sensory stories. Sensory stories can be especially beneficial for those with dementia or other conditions that respond well to tactile sensory input. A sensory story is a narrative with an accompanying sensory experience that supports each line of the story. For example, when telling a ghost story that involves “brains” or “eyeballs”, have your loved one close their eyes and feel a bowl of cooked spaghetti and peeled grapes. Once the story is over, have the participant guess what they really felt.
- Halloween trivia. Have fun with your family while educating them with fun facts about Halloween. You can incorporate facts about Halloween history, scary movies, songs, or urban legends and other superstitions. For more interactive fun, create your own spooky charades game and try to guess which Halloween character or costume your loved one is acting out.
- Classic horror movie marathon. What better way to end a Halloween night than with a scary movie? Ask your loved one what their favorite classic horror movie was from their youth. If they’re not in the mood for something scary, opt for something the whole family would enjoy, such as Hocus Pocus, Casper, or Nightmare Before Christmas.
Enjoy Halloween with the whole family, no matter what age, with these activities. Our Happier at Home caregivers can help your loved engage in these activities and embrace their inner ghost, ghoul, or goblin!
