There are many activities someone living with dementia can do from home and many of which are free. Activities may be more or less appropriate for ‘early’ or ‘advanced’ stages of dementia but everyone with dementia has different capabilities, and it’s worth having a go at anything you think you might enjoy.
Arts and crafts
A lot of people with dementia can benefit from art therapy of some kind. Arts-based activities can be cognitively simulating, provide a means of relaxation or simply allow the person with dementia to express themselves, particularly if it’s hard to do so verbally. Get stuck in with an art project and the time will fly by!
- Card-making has grown into a huge hobby in recent years, and these days you can buy a range of pre-made materials to produce professional-looking designs. You can buy stamps, paper shape cutters and stick-on words from hobby shops online to make the process easier – while still leaving room to be creative.
- This is an activity you can do together using odd materials from around the house and some glue. Sometimes it can be good to make use of old newspapers or photos to turn this into a reminiscence-based activity.
- Whether it’s a standard colouring book or “paint-by-number”, all you need is a set of coloured pencils.
- Jigsaw puzzles and virtual art galleries could all be fun and stimulating activities.
- Explore the arts and crafts section of our directory for more ideas and resources.
The Age of Creativity is a network that champions the arts, culture, and creativity for older people. They produce fantastic resources that reduce barriers and make art accessible for all ages.
Music, film, radio, and newspapers
Music
It’s well known that music is a brilliant way to communicate with someone with dementia and tap into distant memories. We’ve got more information on the benefits of music for dementia on our dedicated music page.
- Find music to listen to
- Sing with others
- Watch live music events
- Watch a musical
Film, Radio and Newspapers
It’s easier than ever to access newspapers, TV, film and radio online, and the range of publications is wider than ever. Many of these work well as reminiscence activities.
Search through our music, film, radio and newspaper listings in our directory for resources and inspiration.
Social groups
There are social groups you can access online such as The Zoomettes – a virtual social group for women with dementia.
Exercise
Age UK Oxfordshire’s physical activity service provide exercise class and videos to help you stay active at home. Including an exercise video called ‘Move More at Home – For Memory’, specifically for those living with dementia.
We have a whole page dedicated to all of the wonderful exercise opportunities within Oxfordshire.
Games
Looking for games to play on the tablet that would be suitable for dementia? In the past it was a matter of downloading something and seeing what works, but now the organisation AcToDementia has produced a guide to recommended apps, based on evidence-based reviews.
Some of the games they recommend include:
- Board games – Draughts, Othello, Backgammon, Dominoes, Connect 4, Tic Tac Toe, Battleships
- Card games – Rummy (ipad), Rummy (Android tablet), Solitaire
- Puzzles & word games – Wordsearch, Hangman, Sudoku, Scrabble. Read more great suggestions in our ‘best daily word games’ article.
Other games:
- A Better Visit – an app featuring a range of two-player games that are suitable for someone with dementia
- My Reef 3D – a game where you can interact with several types of fish in a virtual aquarium.
Other
There are plenty of other activities someone living with dementia may enjoy.
- Tracing your family tree – This is a much more involved activity but it can be highly rewarding. The challenge is knowing where to start – so here is a guide from Age UK that can help.
- The StoryBox Project – this organisation is offering is programme of activities for free to families during the COVID-19 quarantine. The programme contains hundreds of creative activity plans laid out clearly in a “recipe” format. You can sign up to receive the resources here.
- The Best Seat in the House – a twice-weekly variety show that is available for free on Youtube, by The Not Forgotten. See all episodes here.
- Stay Connected – this is a comprehensive resource by the charity Guideposts which lists all of the different ways you can connect virtually with others online. Not everything will be suitable for people with dementia, but you may be interested in their guides on gardening, gentle exercises, nature webcams, or free drawing and painting challenges.
Some of the games they recommend include:
- Board games – Draughts, Othello, Backgammon, Dominoes, Connect 4, Tic Tac Toe, Battleships
- Card games – Rummy (ipad), Rummy (Android tablet), Solitaire
- Puzzles & word games – Wordsearch, Hangman, Sudoku, Scrabble
Other games:
- A Better Visit – an app featuring a range of two-player games that are suitable for someone with dementia
- My Reef 3D – a game where you can interact with several types of fish in a virtual aquarium.
Details about activities you can do from home are located in our directory.
