Many family members and friends of people who are battling the disease of dementia will tell you that knowing what to do in their time together is a great challenge. During our last “Journey of Hope” meeting, we discussed the importance of having a “bridge” between you and your loved one, with that bridge being the connecting piece above the tumultuous waters that represent dementia. Below you will find a list of activities that can serve as a “bridge” during your time together.

Activity Ideas to do with my Loved One

•       Look at old albums together
•  Clip coupons together
•   Read out loud (If possible, take turns)
•   Bake cookies
•    Cook something that involves peeling, cutting, sifting. A fruit salad is a good example.
•   Look up names in the phone book together. “Do you remember that Alice Anderson from church? Let’s see if she is still listed in the phone book.”
•     Bring a child to visit
• Toss a ball
• Color large print pictures
• Fold Clothes together
•    Bring a pet to visit
• Cut pictures out of greeting cards together
•  Sort objects by shape and color. Example: A deck of cards can be sorted by suit, colors, numbers.
•  Bake homemade bread
•   When your loved one is talking about something, use the phrase “Tell me more”, even if it what they are saying doesn’t make sense.
•   Go for a car ride
•   Discuss great inventions like the telephone, electricity, washing machine, etc.
•  Play Pictionary
• Identify states and and capitals
•  Dance together
• Sing favorite hymns and songs together
•   Make homemade Ice cream
•    Paint her nails
•   Give a hand massage with lotion
•   Finishing nursery Rhymes and old sayings together
•   Cut out pictures with a theme in mind ( dogs, cats, babies, flowers, etc) , paste on a piece of paper and place in a 4 ring binder.
•  Roll yarn into a ball
• Listen to music together, and reminisce about the artist, style. Ask your loved one what the song makes them think of, how it makes them feel, etc.
•   Put a puzzle together
• Decorate cupcakes or cookies together
•   Dip pretzels in almond bark and shake sprinkles on them.
•  Wash windows together
• Polish silverware together
•   String fruit loops on yarn
• Write a letter together to a relative or friend
• Sand wood together
•  Bake a cake “just because
• Cut and paste colorful paper chains together, and hang the finished project in their room
• Run through the alphabet together, listing off specific words or items that start with that letter.
•  Play “What’s in the bag?”- Place a variety of different objects in a paper or canvas bag, and have your loved one try to guess what that item is, based on texture and shape.
• Bring a C.D. or a sound machine with different sounds (ocean, rain, traffic, birds singing, etc) and ask them to identify that sound.