As a senior, if you have grandchildren or family and friends with children, finding fun fall activity ideas for seniors can give you projects and activities to enjoy with others. These activities can range from self-care-esque activities to visiting fall-filled places throughout the season.
Take a look at the following 12 fall activity ideas for seniors to get you started on a family-filled autumn!
Try a Home Model Car Kit Builder
Get together with some relatives with children and build some model cars or airplanes. This can be a relatively inexpensive and creative project to do. You can take on afternoon or day to accomplish your goal. There are many model car kits to build or airplanes sold online or in your local hobby stores. Many kits come with everything you need to construct the car or plane. This hobby can help with developing creative skills and learning to build and paint models. It can teach the history of autos and airplanes as you research and learn about them.
Building a model auto can help children and adults learn organizational skills and give them a project to focus on. They can develop a hobby and build a collection for themselves and share their hobby with others.
Invite Your Friends and Family Over for Brunch
One of the best food-friendly fall activity ideas for seniors is inviting your family and friends over for brunch in the late morning or early afternoon. Tell everyone to bring a dish. If they do not cook, tell them to buy something at the store. Brunch does not have to be breakfast items only, it can be an assortment of different types of foods. Organize a table or area in your home to put foods where your guests can serve themselves. Arrange plates, silverware, glasses, cups to make serving themselves easy.
They can bring bread, pastries, cakes, salads, main entrees, pasta, soups, potatoes, vegetables, sandwiches, pizza, and specialties. You can provide eggs, waffles, pancakes, coffee or tea, soda, and juices. Other guests can bring beer, alcohol, and wine for adults. In nice weather, you can have your brunch outdoors on the patio or the pool, which uses tiles for outdoor living space. A brunch can be outdoors or indoors, depending on the time of year or weather.
Spend an Afternoon At the Spa
Day spas offer services to relax your mind and body. They focus on your well-being but are not medical spas that focus on patient comfort. Day spas often offer massage, sauna, swimming, and steam rooms. Some offer special classes in yoga, Tai chi, and aerobics. They often provide healthy meals and nutritional counseling for weight loss. You can make an afternoon appointment with friends for lunch and special services at the day spa.
Special services at day spas are manicures, facials, pedicures, hair styling, and special massages. They have licensed and trained staff to deliver these services. Make an appointment for an afternoon in the fall and prepare for the winter. It can become a seasonal activity with adult family or friends.It is relaxing and will relieve stress.
Go to a Haunted House With Your Grandkids
Most towns and cities have haunted houses to visit in the fall near Halloween. You can visit with grandchildren or families you know with kids. Try to find a spooky house that features some unusual themes and decorations. Children love Halloween decorations that focus on spooky, scary themes. The thrill of being frightened is fun for adults and children. This will get everyone in the mood for Halloween and some tours let children wear costumes. Many tours help children learn to face and deal with fear. Many tours support local non-profit organizations and fundraise for them using the haunted house tour.
Plan a Weekend Trip With Friends
Plan a weekend trip near your home with friends by staying at a camp or motel. A recreational vehicle is a reasonable way to travel with friends and save money. You can make meals in the vehicle and save on eating at restaurants. Some recreational vehicles have RV warranties for repair should problems arise on the trip. Choose an area that has fall activity ideas for seniors and children alike: hiking, apple orchards, museums, art galleries, restaurants, theaters, and parks. Choose a specific theme group that enjoys special hobbies or interests for a weekend trip.
Create a Family Collage With Meaningful Pictures
You can create a family collage using real photos and pasting them onto a piece of paper. It can be made into a unique arrangement and framed in an oval or rectangular picture frame. This is one way to do it. Pictures can be glued onto the paper in a unique arrangement to make a statement about the family. It can be given away as a gift on holidays and special occasions.
Software programs can help you design a photo collage and store it. Some families have cloud storage where photos can be stored, saved, and shared. This collage can be printed or sent virtually by email. Some programs allow several people to work on the collage virtually. Overall, it is one of those fall activity ideas for seniors that allows for creativity and socialization with family and friends.
Attend a Fun Baseball Game
Getting outdoors and attending a baseball game at a park is invigorating. Every baseball park is unique and well designed. Some may have unique features, like walking trails, a pool, concession stands, and a playground for children. They may sell baseball accessories and collectibles as part of their fundraising campaign. You can support local teams and see them perform in person.
Fans can buy baseball accessories like hats and t-shirts to support the local team. You can buy hotdogs, soda, chips, popcorn, beer, and other food outdoors, another fun part of attending the game. You can interact with other fans attending the game.
Most parks will serve hotdogs, hamburgers, chicken wings, nachos, tacos, sandwiches, fries, onion rings, soda, beer, corn dogs, chips, peanuts, and popcorn. Outdoor food always tastes better when watching a game with family or friends.
Join an Indoor Swimming Club
Joining an indoor swimming club in your town or city can be a good move in the fall. Indoor swimming is a great exercise all year round. Local high schools and community centers have pools and special times for seniors to swim. Check with your local community centers, senior centers, and colleges to see if they have any programs for public swimming.
The YMCA has a membership for seniors and families that allows swimming all year. They have a changing room, lockers, and other services. They give swimming lessons for all ages. Local spas often have swimming pools and fitness centers that can be accessed all year round. Sports clubs often have pools for seniors with other amenities. Pools often use professionals to repair swimming pool leaks and some pools install a swimming pool leak detector to keep the pool running effectively.
The benefit of the senior swim club is that you will have coaching available for you and lessons. You can learn new skills and become a stronger swimmer. Many clubs have competitions that you can participate in and attend. They will teach you the proper way to swim. You can make new friends and improve your health and stamina.
Visit a Pumpkin Patch With Your Grandkids
A list of fall activity ideas for seniors wouldn’t be complete without some options that included the grandkids! There are many reasons to visit your local pumpkin patch with your grandkids.One is the hunt to find the perfect pumpkin to carve for Halloween or another fall holiday decoration. Most pumpkin patches have hayrides for adults and children that take you around the farm before you hunt for pumpkins. They might even have a haunted hayride with monsters and ghosts along the way.
Some have corn mazes to explore and find your way out. Getting through the maze may be confusing and tricky. It is designed to make you think about finding your way to the finish. Many pumpkin patches have food on sale: candied apples, cider, nuts, popcorn, pumpkin muffins, pies, and more. They might have a petting zoo with farm animals, and it is a great way to support your local farm. They have many activities to enjoy at these venues.
Make sure well checks for kids are obtained if the children don’t feel well. A doctor will check your child’s weight and height, blood pressure, blood sugar, hearing, and vision. They may have information on a healthy diet and exercise and the location of health care services.
Go Apple Picking
Going to an apple orchard can be a chance to go outdoors and pick apples. Many orchards have stores where you can buy baked goods, a variety of different apples, and often food products. They may have activities for children, food, hayrides, and mazes too. Picking apples can be fun and good exercise for everyone. It is a chance to get outdoors and enjoy the weather.
If you take young teens or college kids with Invisalign retainers, tell them to remove them and leave them home. This is so they can try some food at the apple orchard. It is important for them to clean the retainers after the trip before putting them back in. Plan to make some tasty snacks to share with family and friends using the apples you picked.
Walk Outdoors and Enjoy the Fall Leaves
Walking outdoors in your neighborhood, park, or on a hiking trail is a good way to enjoy the fall foliage, and it’s one of the many fall activity ideas for seniors that involves getting some exercise. It is a time for you to enjoy the beautiful fall colors of the trees and the cool, comfortable weather. Many walking trails are less crowded and have waterfalls, beaver dams, rivers, and special attractions. You can pack a lunch and take a break and enjoy food outdoors. Bring a thermos of hot coffee, tea, or hot chocolate to enjoy. Walking is good for your health and you get sun, a great source of Vitamin D.
Dress warmly and wear comfortable clothing, shoes, and socks. Plan the route and bring a map so that you know where you are going. Take breaks and start out walking a few miles to get used to the routine. There is no need to stop walking in the fall as there are many scenic walking trails that are easy to follow. Walking reduces stress, tones your muscles, and burns calories when you’re trying to lose weight.
Plan Indoor Gardening For Fall
There are also some fall activity ideas for seniors that’ll help you come winter. Some vegetables and herbs are easy to grow indoors when you want to bring plants indoors for fall and winter. You can buy potted plants at your local garden center, special lights to provide more light, and even a display case or stand. Most herbs require sun, so they should be located near a sunny window in a room 60 degrees or more. The pots should have good drainage. Herbs that grow well are basil, dill, thyme, oregano, chives, and mint.
Cherry tomatoes are an easy vegetable to grow in fall and winter indoors. They will require artificial light about 16 hours a day and the temperature should be 65 degrees and warmer. A warm family room, sunroom, or spot in the house is ideal to put them in. Chili peppers grow well indoors. They have the same requirements that cherry tomatoes do. The benefits of growing herbs and vegetables are that you can use them in cooking.
Talk with your local garden center to see what plants are easy to grow indoors and their special requirements. You may want to grow plants and flowers to liven up the indoors in the colder weather. Cactus plants, spider plants, ferns, and aloe vera plants adapt well to cold weather. Growing plants indoors improves the air, and adds beauty to your indoor environment.
There are many fall activity ideas for seniors that you can do with family, children, and friends in the fall. We have given you some new ideas to explore this year and in the cold winter month ahead.