Grandparents are precious. Because they’ve been here long enough, they know almost anything about how the world works. On the flip side, they’re also like children with their innocence.
There are times when connecting with them is a struggle because of the generational gap and how drastically different the past and the present are. As a result, family time and bonding may not be as cheerful as intended.
The good news is that family time does not need to be planned like a big stadium event. All you need are a table, chairs, family, and other things to turn it into a fun time. Elderly loved ones don’t need to worry about their knees because these activities don’t need so much moving around.
Plain Old Hanging Out
Grandparents are often not in-the-know about what younger generations are talking about these days. They could also be in a senior living facility, far from their children and grandkids, so they’re not always in the loop. However, this should not be a barrier for the family to grow closer and create a bond.
For younger generations, talking about anything is possible—as long as they are good at explaining things. They can talk to their grandparents about Tiktok and explain that it’s a place on the internet where people share videos of them dancing, telling stories, and anything out of boredom. There are also topics that resonate with older and younger generations alike, such as gardening, housekeeping, and relationships.
Scrabble
Brain stimulating activities are essential to elderly loved ones. When adults that are 70 years or older participate in brain-stimulating activities, they have lesser chances of declining memory and thinking skills in the future. Therefore, encouraging them to do mentally stimulating activities is one simple thing people can do for their elderly loved ones.
Playing Scrabble helps with getting the brain working because players are forced to think their way into winning. They need to think of a word they would not otherwise use in a conversation or in writing. Sometimes, words that people never knew existed are dug up from the old and dusty dictionary.
This game is great for all ages, and for the elderly, Scrabble is all about the fun without too much physical strain. It’s also multiplayer, so it’s great to bring the family together on a normal day.
Karaoke
Singing one’s heart out in karaoke can be therapeutic. It’s like an excusable way to scream one’s heart out and let go of every inhibition. It’s everyone’s time to be in the spotlight. Karaoke is also an effortless way to gather people together, bond over music, and even dance around.
Elderly adults will also love this if they want to belt the high notes because karaoke machines most definitely have the oldest of the oldest songs. Because of this, they can feel like they are back in time as well as relate to the music. This is thanks to the nostalgic power of music. It brings people back to general memories, such as the feeling of being in high school or first dates.
Whether it is to bring out emotions or to simply have fun, karaoke is best done when people are in the company of people that they hold dear. Bust out that microphone and the remote, it’s time to sing I Wanna Dance with Somebody by Whitney Houston.
Help Out with Gardening
Before millennials became plant parents, grandparents were the original plant-obsessed family member of the household. They could be up at six in the morning and gently watering their plants. Some might even whistle, hum, and talk to their plants.
Sometimes, gardening can be a physically exhausting job, especially when grandparents decide to rearrange their plants. It’s a lot of walking from one side of the house to another, crouching, picking up things, and transporting heavy pots.
Younger family members can come in and help them out so that they can achieve their vision. Besides, taking care of plants and basking in the morning sun are known for their health benefits. Plants offer a calming effect that is good for mental health, as this effect relieves stress. Getting enough exposure to the morning sun provides Vitamin D and conditions the mind to be productive for the rest of the day. Therefore, it’s not only grandparents that will benefit from this activity but also the rest of the family.
Fun times don’t need to be tiring. Good company, communication, and connection can already create memorable times that the family can look back to. A simple Scrabble game, karaoke, gardening, and hanging out will break the boundaries of generations.
Meta title: 4 Activities to Connect with Elderly Loved Ones
Meta description: Younger generations and older generations find it hard to relate to each other because of the massive differences in the worlds they live in. Despite this, there are activities every family member can do together to bridge this gap.
