Fall is here… It’s refreshing to feel the crisp fall air and watch the leaves change color. You can celebrate the fall season with your older adult by enjoying some simple, inexpensive, and fun activities.
Make decorations
Making and putting up fun decorations is a nice way to mark the change of seasons and get in the mood for fall holidays.
It’s also a good opportunity to display some of those finished coloring pages!
Simple and fun DIY ideas:
- Fall leaf garland – bring some gorgeous autumn color inside with these leaf templates or go outside to collect fallen leaves
- Autumn gratitude tree – use this free printable to create a decorative tree that reminds you of things you’re grateful for
- Clove-studded orange pomanders – delicious-smelling and beautiful
- Ribboned pumpkins – a few ribbons transform pumpkins into lovely decor
Enjoy fall-themed coloring pages
Coloring is an activity that everyone can enjoy, from the very young to the very old, as a solo activity or with others.
As an added bonus, psychologists say that coloring has stress-busting abilities similar to meditating.
There are hundreds of free, printable, fall-themed coloring pages available online.
Here are some of our favorites:
- 68 cozy fall coloring pages with foliage, harvests, animals, pumpkins, pies, mandalas, cozy scenes, and even scarecrows.
- 25 fun and engaging coloring pages celebrating the fall season with forest scenes, pumpkins, pies, turkeys, and more.
- 30 festive fall images with autumn leaves, pumpkins, apples, sweaters, owls, scarecrows, and more.
- A variety of fun fall scenes including fall scenes and animals, trees/leaves, pumpkins/squash, and Halloween-themed pages.
- 24 fun Halloween designs including a few classic Disney characters.
Work on a fall-themed jigsaw puzzle
Sitting at the table with a warm beverage and a festive puzzle is a great way to celebrate the season.
- Birdhouse – 35-piece sequenced puzzle with color coded pieces, brightly colored birds around a birdhouse, designed for people with Alzheimer’s disease or dementia
- Mystic Hour – 100-piece puzzle, a cozy cabin in the woods at sunrise
- Happy Hollow – 300 large-piece puzzle, festive fall scene with friendly jack o’lanterns, a hayride tractor, scarecrow, black cat, and more
Prepare festive and easy homemade treats
Baking, mixing, and assembly are fun activities that many older adults will enjoy.
Try these delicious and easy-to-make treats:
- Baked apple roses – easy to make and they truly look like gorgeous roses
- Baked apples with oatmeal streusel topping – simple, healthy, and delicious
- No bake pumpkin cheesecake – cheesecake, pumpkin, no baking…what could be better?
- Soft glazed pumpkin sugar cookies – add some pumpkin spice to a classic cookie
Prepare for Halloween trick-or-treaters
If you’re planning to hand out treats to children in the family or neighborhood kids, your older adult might enjoy helping with the preparations.
For a low-contact Halloween, prepare individual treat bags in advance and place them on the porch so trick-or-treaters can help themselves.
Some ideas:
- Prepare fun little pumpkin pouch goody bags
- Use the completed coloring sheets and other decorations to make the front door more festive
- Someone with dementia might enjoy sorting a mixed bag of candy into different containers. It’s a great no-fail activity that helps them feel included – even if you don’t really need the candy to be sorted.
Enjoy the natural scenery and fresh air
Fall is a wonderful time to enjoy nature with your older adult.
Bundle up and breathe the fresh air, admire the beautiful colors on display, and hear the crunch of fallen leaves as you walk.
Adapt activities to suit different mobility levels:
- Open a window to smell the fresh air and take in the scenery
- Relax in the backyard or on the porch
- Walk to the mailbox and back
- Stroll a block or two in the neighborhood
- Walk through a local park
