Valentine’s Day is a special holiday many seniors enjoy celebrating. Make the occasion even more festive by planning out activities that can enhance your aging loved one’s mood and overall health. Here are a few fun activities seniors can do to celebrate Valentine’s Day. 

1. Create A Valentine’s Day Countdown Tree 

Your loved one doesn’t have to wait until Valentine’s Day to celebrate the special occasion. He or she can create a tree and begin counting down the days or weeks prior to the big day. For this crafting activity, your loved one will need plastic tree branches, a vase, yarn, and construction paper. Making the tree could enhance your loved one’s vision and hand-eye coordination. As each day passes by, he or she can remove a heart from the tree. This activity could take your loved one’s focus off stressful situations he or she may be experiencing. 

2. Plan A Valentine’s Day-Themed Scavenger Hunt 

Hide candy hearts around the home for your loved one to find, in addition to other Valentine’s Day-themed objects. Seniors can do this activity with family members, including their grandchildren. A scavenger hunt can provide your loved one with more than just entertainment. It can also enhance his or her brain function, alleviate stress, and keep him or her physically active. To make the activity more stimulating, write out clues on heart-shaped paper and leave them around the home for your loved one and other participants to find. 

3. Make A Valentine’s Day Tissue Wreath 

Making crafts can enhance your loved one’s social interactions and provide a sense of purpose. After your loved one completes the Valentine’s Day tissue wreath, he or she may feel a sense of accomplishment, which could encourage him or her to try out other activities and crafting projects in the future, reducing the risk of boredom and isolation. Your loved one can decorate the home with the Valentine’s Day wreath each year, giving him or her something to look forward to. 

4. Design Valentine’s Day Cards 

Seniors enjoy showing love and appreciation to their family members and friends just as much as they love receiving praise, which is why creating Valentine’s Day cards is the perfect activity for aging adults. Your loved one can make cards using items around the home, such as plain copy paper, markers, scissors, and a pencil. Making cards is a great way to stimulate the mind and put thinking skills to good use and handing out the cards may enhance your loved one’s mood and reduce his or her risk of depression. 

5. Play Valentine’s Day Word Games 

Word games can help seniors activate parts of their brains that manage language and word finding. Playing Valentine’s Day-themed word games can provide your loved one’s brain with the exercise it needs to keep functioning normally and stave off dementia, Alzheimer’s, and other cognitive issues. You can typically find word games online, or you can create one for your loved one. If you choose to create the game, make sure to use words like:

  • Romance

  • Cupid

  • Hearts

  • Flowers

  • Candy

  • Valentine