The Best Valentine’s Day Activities for Senior Citizens

Valentine’s Day is an occasion to celebrate love, friendship and so much more. It gets even more magical when you have spent years with someone, loving, understanding, and cherishing them. This makes Valentine’s Day for seniors almost as special as it is for young, blooming love. As many seniors live alone or in assisted living at care centers, sometimes the charm of Valentine’s is overlooked and forgotten.

In this article, we discuss some of the best Valentine’s Day activities for seniors around you. Whether you work at a care center or want to arrange something for your parents/grandparents, these fun ideas will ensure that they enjoy a great and fun Valentine’s Day.

Make a Memorable Holiday: Fun Valentine's Day Activities for Seniors

From making wreaths to hang at the front door to baking yummy cookies and treats, there are plenty of ways to keep the senior citizens around you. Here is our list of some of the most popular Valentine’s Day activities for senior people in your care. Make their holiday just as fun as it is for you!

Nothing is Better than Handmade Cards and Decorations

A fun activity that seniors can do is making homemade cards and decorations. Whether it is your home or a care facility, decorations such as handmade wreaths of hearts, garlands, and streamers are simple things that do not take long to make and look stunning. Get the seniors around you shiny paper and other materials and let them get busy decorating the surroundings!

Making handmade cards is the perfect way for seniors to express their love to their partner in a way that is unique to their love story. It captures the essence of years of a relationship and even a new, budding romance.  Whatever the case, get your senior a bundle of crafting supplies and let them handle the rest!

A Little Treat Goes a Long Way

Nobody makes yummy treats better than grandparents do. One great idea to celebrate Valentine’s in style is to get into the spirit with a whole bundle of sweet and yummy things. From chocolate chip cookies to brownies, mince pies, and more, there are plenty of options to indulge in all sorts of treats.  Moreover, seniors − especially social butterflies − love to cook so it works out perfectly every time.

Arrange a bakeoff with sugar cookies in red icing to commemorate the event, chocolate lava cakes, brownies, and other comforting food options. Celebrate Valentine’s with just the right touch of treats, food, and more. After all, is there a better way of expressing love than food?

It Is Not Valentine's Without a Rom-com Movie

Can it be Valentine’s Day if you did not watch a movie, especially a romantic comedy? From Annie Hall, Some Kind of Wonderful, and How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days, to more recent additions to the list, the possibilities are endless. Get all the seniors under your care in one room, some top-quality entertainment with a dose of both love and laughter.

Prepare for a day of movie bingeing with low-calorie, low-sugar snacks like nuts and popcorn, and make sure everyone is comfortable in their spots. It can be a fun way to enjoy the holiday for those who don’t feel like doing much of anything.

Day Outs is The IT Trend

If you want the seniors around you to get an understanding of the latest trends, take them out. Perhaps it can be a short stroll ending with ice cream, a day out at the museum, book clubs, and even out for dinner. For couples looking to light up an old flame, dinner is one of the best options. It allows partners to reconnect in a small and quaint setting, and enjoy good food and a night out. For people looking to connect, meetings like dinners, walks, and art are great to bond over.

While staying in is relaxed and more comfortable, going out is a great way to de-stress and enjoy too. Especially for senior citizens who live in care facilities and do not get a chance to get out much.

Indulge in a Few Valentine Themed Games

Matching famous couples (fictional and non-fictional) on a whiteboard, naming popular love songs, to playing Pictionary, and Bingo are just some of the many ways you can make Valentine’s Day special. This is even better for senior residents that live in care facilities because it allows people to connect with each other, and enjoy games together so nobody is left behind.

You can even take the games up a notch by adding prizes such as chocolate, decorations, music DVDs, etc. to the game. Not only will it make the game more exciting but would also help people focus more and get into the spirit of the game!

Engage the Community in a Valentine's Day Party

Valentine’s Day is often celebrated as a couple’s thing but it really does not have to be. Valentine’s celebrates love which comes in many forms – friends, family, and other important people in our lives. For seniors living alone or even in community homes, a great way to celebrate Valentine’s is to put on the festive airs. Throw a block party for your neighborhood, call your friends and family, and celebrate the event in companionship of people you most like.

You can arrange snacks, call catering, or even choose to host a potluck if everyone is eager to get something. And there can be drinks, games, and other activities to enjoy. It does not have to be a super grand affair – just an intimate and fun one!

Open Hearts with the Magical Tree of Love

If you live in a neighborhood with senior citizens or even in an assisted care facility, the Tree of Love is a magical way to uplift moods near Valentine’s Day. Don’t throw away your Christmas tree and just let the neighbors or other residents in a community center put up little notes of who they like and why. Small compliments and cute crushes can lead to happy smiles, better moods, and who knows, perhaps even a relationship or two!

This activity allows people to open up their hearts to new emotions, ones they thought they were long past. It is a great way for seniors to find new potential partners and acts as an icebreaker for many people.

Valentine's Day Gifts for Seniors

Activities are all fun and games but what do you get your loved senior for Valentine’s Day? This is always a difficult question to answer since gift choices dwindle quite a bit for this age group. However, love is what counts the most and we actually have some effective Valentine’s day gifts for your partner or beloved senior to help you choose. Popular options include:

1. Pill Organizer: Pills and medicines make up a big part of life as a senior. You can gift a senior a pill box with daily compartments to remind them of and make it easier for them to take their medications. These pillboxes come in various designs and features to make the process even simpler.
2. Non-slip Socks: Stability and balance are often affected as one ages, and fall injuries are more common in this age group than in others. This is exactly what makes slip-proof socks such a good investment for your beloved senior. Gift them this and make them more stable – both in their lives and on their feet!
3. Body Lotion: Dry skin is a constant problem, especially during the long and harsh winter months. From Suave to Aveeno, onto the more high-end lotions on the market, choose an option to gift your senior. It will get them smooth and supple skin and help battle the dry, scaly skin that old age and prolonged winters bring.
4. Heated Blanket: Perfect for people who are always cold, the heated blanket is truly a blessing. Wrap it around your loved ones as they sit outside on the porch to watch the stars and ensure that they keep warm during the long and cold winter nights.
5. E-Reader: An E-reader is great for seniors who love to read, day and night. It eliminates the need to carry around books and can be charged as needed. Seniors can also customize the font and the brightness of the reader to fit their needs and carry it with them wherever they go.
6. A Memory Book: For seniors that you personally know, a memory book with all their fondest moments is an excellent present. Make a scrapbook of all the favorite memories of your parents, put in pictures, conversations, screenshots, and more stuff to make the book endearing and cute.
7. A Reminder of Spring: In areas where winter is long and harsh, a little reminder of spring always feels like a breath of fresh air. Gift your favorite senior an indoor houseplant that requires little tending and choose one with flowers that will make them happy.

Conclusion

Valentine’s Day is a day of love and should be celebrated as such – by all age groups alike. It is also a festival that allows family and friends to come together to enjoy the existence of love. For seniors, this time can sometimes be difficult, especially if their partner is gone or their family does not visit. So, let us hope that this year we will be able to make a senior around us happy on Valentine’s Day.

After all, what is Valentine’s Day if not a celebration of all the love we hold?