Fun Christmas Games for Seniors to Play This Holiday Season

Christmas get-togethers are filled with kids running around, adults frantically trying to get the food ready, and everyone swept up in the annual holiday rush. Meanwhile, you’ll often see seniors on the sidelines, a little withdrawn, observing as everyone else in the family is having the time of their lives. 

Socializing and staying active are beneficial for aging adults. When you schedule some fun Christmas games for seniors, ones that they can actually engage in, you’re ensuring that they remain right in the thick of things – and they feel part of the family celebrations. In this article, we’ll discuss some of the best Christmas games and how Nurse Next Door McLean’s in-home care services enable seniors to enjoy the holidays. 

Why Christmas Games Are So Important for Seniors

Aside from the obvious fact that Christmas party games for seniors are fun, they bring some tangible health benefits to the table as well. Social involvement is one of the best ways to combat loneliness, depression, and cognitive decline. It makes quality of life a whole lot better for older adults.

Holiday games can help seniors jog their memory with a little holiday reminiscing, provide a great mental workout, and get them laughing, which is fantastic for their mood. Besides this, they help fight loneliness through meaningful social interactions. On top of all that, these games provide seniors with a true sense of belonging and involvement.

Fun Christmas Party Games for Seniors

Name That Christmas Tune

Get everyone buzzing with a game of guess the Christmas song. Hum some notes, try it on the piano, or simply use your music streaming service. This game gets the conversation rolling, and before you know it, you’ve got a full-on sing-along going, filling the room with all that holiday spirit. Studies indicate that music can be beneficial for those with dementia. 

Christmas Charades

Write Christmas activities, songs, or movie titles on cards, e.g., ‘decorating the tree’, ‘wrapping presents’, ‘Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer’, or ‘building a snowman’. Players then act them out without speaking, as others guess. This fun Christmas game for family gatherings has everyone grooving and giggling together. For seniors who have limited mobility, modify the game so they can gesture while sitting. 

Christmas Trivia

Draft some trivia questions concerning Christmas history, traditions, movies, and songs. Mix up the level of difficulty so that everyone can answer a few. Then ask and see who scores the highest among your loved ones. These Christmas games for seniors are a great way to get memories flowing and ignite some cross-generational conversations about holiday traditions. 

Musical Chairs with Christmas Songs

Line up chairs in a circle (one fewer than the players) and pop up some Christmas tunes. When the music stops, everyone must be seated except one. The last person standing is out of the game. Then remove a chair and continue. For seniors with limited mobility, you can play the ‘musical present passing’ game instead. Here, everyone passes a wrapped present around the circle while music plays, and whoever has it when the music stops gets the gift. Such fun Christmas games for family work for all ability levels and keep the competition going.

Family Talent Show

Give seniors a chance to show off their talents: play an instrument, sing a favorite carol, recite a holiday poem, tell a story, demonstrate a craft, or teach a skill they’ve mastered over the years to younger family members. This activity creates intergenerational bonding as grandkids watch grandparents share their skills and passions.

5 Best Games for Dementia Patients to Improve Memory and Focus

How Nurse Next Door McLean for Fun Christmas Games for Seniors?

Planning a Christmas party and keeping seniors involved, especially when you’re also juggling several things on your holiday to-do lists, can be a lot to handle. Between cooking, decorating, hosting people, and trying to make sure everyone has a good time, finding the time to plan some fun activities for seniors can feel like piling another stressful task on an already never-ending list.

Nurse Next Door McLean is here to help make holiday celebrations for seniors a little easier to manage. We support seniors in multiple ways through personalized in-home care services, like: 

• Companionship to prevent social isolation and loneliness during the holidays 
• Personal care, including bathing, grooming, and dressing up for parties 
• Accompanying them to family gatherings
• Shopping and preparing meals 
• Assisting seniors to make it easier to participate in fun Christmas games for family
• Providing transportation to take seniors to Christmas events 
• Respite care to help your family relax and enjoy the holidays 
• Light housekeeping to make sure your home is ready for Christmas parties 

Nurse Next Door McLean makes sure your loved one gets in on all the holiday fun. We know how much these little moments mean, and we do everything we can to make them as special as possible. Since it can be challenging for family caregivers to get a break during the holidays, we provide dependable respite care to help you get on with your holiday tasks or just take a little time out for yourself.

Consider making this holiday season extra special for your loved ones with Christmas party games for seniors. Call Nurse Next Door McLean today at (703) 774-9421 to see how our caregivers can bring the holiday cheer right to your doorstep.