Senior Center Activities Your Participants Will Come Back For
The best senior center activities get people talking, laughing and coming back next week. Here are ideas that work for any size center, how to build a socialization program around them, and how ElderWit.com gives your staff 2,000+ ready games for the big screen and for tablets.
Senior center activities ideas, by kind
- Social games. Trivia by decade, Two Teams, Show of Hands and Would You Rather. Easy to start, easy to join halfway through.
- Bingo. A favorite in almost every center. Number Bingo runs on one screen, and Have You Ever Bingo turns each line into a story.
- Music and memories. Name the tune, finish the song title, and questions about the 1950s and 1960s.
- Cards and board games. Checkers, four in a row and card games at a calm pace, on a tablet or the big screen.
- Words and numbers. Word search, finish the saying and number puzzles, read aloud as a group.
- Technology time. A short class where people learn a tablet by playing on it. See technology for seniors.
- Quiet corner. Jigsaw, coloring and the calm aquarium for people who like their own pace.
Building a senior socialization program
Social activities for seniors work best when the game is the start of the conversation, not the whole point. Choose games with no wrong answers for first time visitors, mix tables so people meet someone different, and leave time after each round for stories. A question about a first car can fill ten happy minutes.
Partners help too. Pair a regular with a first time visitor for a Play together game on two tablets: one starts the game and shares a 5 letter code, and the other joins in seconds.
A simple weekly plan for your activities calendar
- MondayCoffee and trivia by decade
- TuesdayTechnology time on tablets
- WednesdayMusic: Hum Along and Songs by Title
- ThursdayCards and board games in pairs
- FridayNumber Bingo for the whole room
How ElderWit.com works in a senior center
Open ElderWit.com on the TV in the main room or on a few tablets and sign in with a staff account. Pick a game and a level, read the questions to the room or tap Read aloud, and tap the answer the group chooses. Participants need no accounts or email addresses. Staff can tap who joined, and each month you can print a program summary that shows the dates, games and minutes.
Serving several centers? A county, town or Area Agency on Aging can cover every location with one account. See ElderWit.com for government and Group Plans.
For directors: how senior centers typically pay
Every town, county and facility sets its own rules, so check with your finance office or your Area Agency on Aging before you plan on any source. These are the places directors most often look:
- The town senior center budget. Many towns pay for games, crafts and activity supplies from the senior center's program or supplies line.
- County aging funds for recreation, socialization or technology. Under the Older Americans Act, Title III B supportive services can support senior center activities, when your county's plan allows it.
- The facility activity budget. In senior living, the same line that pays for activity supplies and entertainment.
- Friends groups and local donors who support the center's programs.
ElderWit.com keeps the paperwork simple: one fixed price per location, paid up front, a price sheet you can download as a PDF, your purchase order number printed on it, and our vendor tax form, ready to download once you sign in. How purchasing works
Games to try with your group
Tap a name to play. Every game has three levels: Easy, Medium and Harder.
- The 1950s Rock and roll, cars with fins and life in the 1950s.
- Number Bingo A number is called. Find it on your card. Fill a line to win.
- Have You Ever Bingo Mark the things you have done. Make a line, then tell one story.
- Two Teams Split the room into two teams and take turns. A miss lets the other team steal.
- Hum Along Listen to an old tune. Pick its name. Then hum it together.
- Twenty Questions I am thinking of a thing. Ask yes or no questions to find it.
- Checkers The classic board game, at a calm pace.
- Word Search Find the hidden words in the grid.
More ideas: recreation for seniors and activities for assisted living residents.
Questions people ask
What are good senior center activities?
Mix social and quiet choices: trivia by decade, bingo, music, team games, talk games, card and word games, crafts, gentle movement and technology time. A steady weekly rhythm helps people plan their visits.
How do we keep participants coming back?
Give people a reason to talk to each other, offer levels so everyone can join, and keep a few favorites on a fixed day. Ask the group what they want more of, and keep sessions to about thirty or forty minutes.
Can one account cover several senior centers?
Yes. A county, town or Area Agency on Aging can cover every center it serves with one agency account. Each location gets its own sign in for its director, and the agency pays in one place.
Do participants need email addresses or accounts?
No. Staff sign in and open the games on the big screen or on tablets. Participants just play.
How do senior centers usually pay for it?
It varies by town and county. Common sources are the senior center program or supplies line, county aging funds for recreation, socialization or technology where the plan allows, and friends groups. Check with your finance office or Area Agency on Aging first.
Try every game with your own group first. One fixed price per location after that.
More guides
- Recreation for Seniors
- Technology for Seniors
- Assistive Technology for Seniors
- Games for Assisted Living Residents
- Brain Games for Seniors
- Online Games for Seniors
- Activities for Seniors at Home
- Large Print Games for Seniors
- Games to Play with Grandparents and Grandchildren
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