Prepare for a Wonderful Senior Holiday With These Tips

At Fairmont Senior Living, we believe the holidays should be uplifting, inclusive, and meaningful for every resident. That’s why we’ve refreshed our holiday planning tips with new activity ideas, real-life inspiration, and thoughtful adjustments that keep seniors engaged, safe, and celebrated.

Infuse New, Engaging Holiday Activities

Traditional holiday activities are always a favorite, but adding variety helps keep the season fresh and exciting. Seniors thrive when they are invited to be active participants rather than observers, and hands-on activities provide both fun and purpose.

Craft & DIY Projects

Crafts provide creative expression and lasting keepsakes. This year, go beyond simple decorations and try:

Wreath-Making: Use evergreen sprigs, ribbons, or even paper cutouts to create festive door hangings.
Personalized Ornaments: Invite residents to design ornaments featuring family photos or favorite holiday quotes.
DIY Gift Tags & Cards: Simple yet heartfelt, handmade tags and cards bring a personal touch to gift-giving.
Memory Jars: Encourage seniors to jot down a favorite holiday memory and add it to a communal jar. Families can read them aloud during gatherings, sparking stories and laughter.

Creative Cooking & Baking

The kitchen is a hub of sensory engagement—scents of cinnamon, vanilla, and roasted nuts can instantly evoke holiday nostalgia. Consider hosting:

Cookie Decorating Workshops: Provide sugar cookies, frosting, and sprinkles for a hands-on, tasty activity.
Recipe-Sharing Sessions: Invite residents to share family recipes, then compile them into a community holiday cookbook.
Small Group Baking: Create opportunities for residents to bake together, focusing on accessible recipes like banana bread, gingerbread, or no-bake treats.

Memory Sharing & Scrapbooking

Scrapbooking provides a tactile way to preserve memories. Residents can combine old photographs with captions, drawings, or holiday mementos. Hosting a group “memory café” where these stories are shared encourages conversation and strengthens connections.

Light-Festive Excursions

Few things capture the magic of the holidays like twinkling lights. Organize walking tours around decorated neighborhoods or arrange bus rides to see city-wide displays. Serve warm cocoa or cider and play holiday music to make the trip festive and comfortable.

Game Nights & Trivia

Interactive games foster laughter and camaraderie. Try:

Holiday Bingo with seasonal symbols instead of numbers.
Trivia Nights featuring questions about holiday traditions, movies, and songs.
Puzzle Marathons where teams work on large holiday-themed puzzles together.

Highlight Social & Emotional Well-being

While the holidays bring joy, they can also amplify loneliness or grief, especially for seniors missing loved ones. Programs that emphasize emotional support and social inclusion can help transform the season into a source of comfort.

Combating Loneliness

Small group activities are powerful antidotes to isolation. Even a simple daily coffee social can provide much-needed companionship. Staff can check in regularly and encourage participation, ensuring no resident feels overlooked.

Music, Sing-Alongs & Movie Nights

Music is one of the most powerful tools for memory care. Organize sing-alongs with holiday classics, host performances from local choirs, or stream concerts on a large screen. Holiday movie marathons, featuring timeless favorites like It’s a Wonderful Life or White Christmas, can evoke nostalgia and foster group bonding.

Purposeful Participation

The Montessori approach emphasizes independence and contribution. During the holidays, residents can:

Wrap gifts for community toy drives.
Fold napkins or set tables for holiday dinners.
Help decorate shared spaces with ornaments they’ve made.

These roles instill a sense of purpose and pride, making celebrations more meaningful.

Prioritize Safety & Accessibility

Holiday cheer should never come at the expense of safety. Creating an inclusive environment ensures all residents can enjoy the festivities with confidence.

Sensory-Friendly Decor

Bright lights and cluttered décor can overwhelm. Choose subtle decorations like soft white string lights, flameless candles, and easy-to-navigate layouts. Avoid obstructive items in walkways to keep spaces safe.

Accessible Activities

Design activities for all ability levels. Use larger craft supplies for those with dexterity challenges or simplified instructions for residents with cognitive decline. Offer seating and adaptive tools to ensure everyone can participate.

Safe Preparations & Timings

Maintain regular routines, as disruptions can be stressful. Schedule events earlier in the day when residents are most alert, and avoid overcrowded outings by shopping or visiting attractions during quieter hours.

Explore these elderly fall prevention tips to keep your loved ones safe.

Learn More

Foster Family & Intergenerational Engagement

The holidays are best shared with loved ones. Encouraging family participation and community connections creates an atmosphere of warmth and belonging.

Invite Families & Community Groups

Welcome children, grandchildren, school choirs, or local church groups into the community for intergenerational activities. Craft workshops or caroling events bring together all ages, sparking joy across generations.

Handmade Cards & Virtual Greetings

Encourage residents to make cards for loved ones. For family members who can’t travel, set up video calls so they can share holiday moments virtually. These gestures ensure everyone feels included, no matter the distance.

Real-Life Inspiration: The Westlake Cookie Crusade

One of the best ways to understand the power of community is through real-life stories. At our Westlake community, the Cookie Crusade has become a beloved tradition. Each December, social workers and case managers from healthcare facilities gather on buses, making about eight stops to collect cookies. These treats are shared with residents and staff, creating joy and connection across the community.

Last year, our executive director Randy was even featured in the local newspaper for his leadership in the event. The Cookie Crusade demonstrates how simple traditions can grow into cherished moments that unite staff, residents, and the broader community.

Embracing Traditions While Creating New Ones

The holidays are often a blend of honoring the past and welcoming the future. For seniors, traditions like baking a favorite family recipe or setting up familiar decorations provide comfort and stability. But creating new traditions can be just as meaningful. Communities can introduce annual memory-sharing nights, themed dinners, or even friendly competitions like best-decorated door contests. These fresh traditions not only bring excitement but also give residents something to look forward to year after year.

Extending the Spirit Beyond December

Holiday joy doesn’t have to end once the season passes. Hosting winter-themed socials in January or Valentine’s card-making in February helps keep spirits high well into the new year. Simple acts like these remind seniors that every season brings opportunities for connection and celebration. When communities extend holiday-inspired activities throughout the winter, they help reduce post-holiday blues and sustain the sense of belonging that is so vital for senior well-being.

Making the Season Meaningful

The holidays are more than lights and décor—they are opportunities to create purpose, joy, and lasting memories. By weaving in new activities, supporting emotional health, prioritizing safety, and engaging families, we can ensure the season remains magical for seniors.

At Fairmont Senior Living, we embrace the Montessori Inspired Lifestyle®, empowering residents to take part in every aspect of holiday planning. Whether it’s a resident leading a baking session, families joining in decorating, or a community-wide cookie crusade, these moments remind us what the season is truly about: connection, tradition, and joy.

This year, let’s not just celebrate the holidays—let’s celebrate the people who make them meaningful.

Prepare for a Wonderful Season With These Holiday Activities for Seniors