The month of February may be the shortest in the calendar year, but there are still plenty of opportunities for exciting events to be held for the older population. Here, we have put together some great ideas for February activities for elders, and we cannot wait to share them with you!
Importance of Staying Active in Old Age
As we advance in years, it is important to maintain not just our physical mobility, but also to stay mentally active. By participating in various senior activities, the elderly can keep their minds sharp and their bodies healthy while getting to socialize with others and making new friends.
February 2 – Groundhog Day
- Gather your neighbors for a doughnut and coffee viewing party before breakfast to see if Punxsutawney Phil notices his shadow.
- Treat the local squirrels with pine cones, seeds, and peanut butter.
- Make it a point to hold a spelling bee that includes puzzling American places like Punxsutawney.
- Draw, color, and cut out your own Punxsutawney Phil-inspired scenes to display around the community. Those skilled in the art of crafting should be good at guessing what our pal Phil would see.
- Create some animal puppets and give them to a nearby kindergarten.
February 12 – Abraham Lincoln’s Birthday
- Throw an Abe Lincoln-themed party and get participants to recite memorable quotes from the man himself.
- Share interesting stories about Abraham Lincoln and hold trivia or quizzes, asking questions relating to his history.
February 13 – World Radio Day
- Plan quizzes, conduct word searches, and share interesting facts and trivia about international radio.
- Encourage participation by letting attendees pretend they are a radio DJ for a day. Prepare speeches, news excerpts, and other short dialogs to be read and recorded.
February 14 – Valentine’s Day
- Organize a chocolate-tasting event where people can try different kinds of chocolate treats for fun.
- Organize a Valentine’s Day ball where people dress up and listen to a live band or DJ just like the old times.
- Let participants make homemade Valentine’s Day cards by giving out paper, stencils, stencil brushes, and paint.
February 18 – Drink Wine Day
- Organize a wine-tasting party where participants get to savor the decadent flavors and sniff the aromas of the different wines from all around the world.
- Those with experience can share their expertise with the attendees or hire an expert to provide an educational talk about the different wines.
February 21 – Presidents Day
- Bake Nutella log and pretzel rod cabins.
- Put your residents to the test and teach them some interesting stuff about the United States by hosting a patriotic quiz night.
- Hold a vote to determine who will represent the residents of your building as president for the day.
- To honor President Theodore Roosevelt’s dedication to national parks, have locals put together jigsaw puzzles featuring animals found in these areas.
February 21 – International Mother Language Day
- Organize various activities in different languages from around the world.
- Get participants to translate short phrases and guess which language they are in.
- Bilingual attendees can help with the event’s planning, sharing a little about their background like where they learned the different languages from.
