Fall Activities for Senior Citizens
Parents and kids spending quality time together isn’t just for young kids and young parents. Older kids and their senior parents can get just as much enjoyment out of quality time together. As the summer and the heat winds down, the crispness of the fall air makes it a perfect time to find opportunities to do some activities with your senior parents. Here are some ideas for some fun activities to spend some time together and keep your parents active.
Take time to enjoy the beauty of fall.
Fall is such a beautiful time of year! Consider a drive from Texarkana to Hot Springs toPetit Jean State Park to look at the beautiful fall colors. The drive is beautiful, the stops along the way great, and the time together will be priceless. If something like that is a little to ambitious or not possible with your aging parent, consider a shorter trip to the city park or nearby state park. If your loved one is homebound and cannot get out, take some pictures of local spots where the foliage is beautiful and share those. Maybe it will bring back some great memories. Or perhaps go outside and bring some leaves to them to share the joy of the season.
Pumpkin Carving
A great family tradition is pumpkin carving! If your parent can get out, go to a pumpkin patch or store to pick out the perfect pumpkin. Breaking out the knives to start carving up pumpkins and getting all of the seeds out may be more than our parents can handle in some circumstances. If so, decorating with paint, ribbon, beads, and other things from a craft store might be the perfect solution – and the pumpkin will last longer as well. The main thing is to find a way for your parent to participate!
Cooking up some fun
Who doesn’t love sweets and yummy food? Getting in the kitchen to bake some cookies, brownies, or cupcakes might be just the right thing. Mixing up ingredients can get your parents moving. Decorating those treats can be fun too! Who cares what the final result looks like. None of my cookies ever turn out looking the way I envisioned. Other fall recipes are great as well if sweets are not your thing. Seasonal fruits and vegetables can be used to make some great meals. Maybe it tastes great, or maybe the recipe needs to be tweaked for the next time.
No matter what you decide to do, the goal is time together! A fun activity is always an added bonus that will bring a smile to everyone’s face! These types of small things certainly help keep our parents active and engaged. Physical, mental, and emotional health are so important to keep at the forefront of our minds for our parents.
By Ben King
