To avoid that “what should we do now?” moment, it helps to have activities planned. Here are some fun ways to pass the time and enjoy one another’s company this holiday season.  

Enjoy holiday music together 

Sometimes the best way to enjoy the season is to just kick back with a little holiday music. Old CDs, tapes (if you still have a cassette player), or even vinyl recordings of your favorite holiday standards can have a comfortable familiarity that really makes it feel like the holidays. 
For a little more variety, you can fire up a music streaming service on your smartphone or computer and search for holiday playlists. Stick with the classics or delve into some of the modern additions. There are even playlists filled with lesser-known holiday songs, if you’re feeling adventurous!  

Watch a holiday movie 

There is no shortage of holiday-themed media that’s fun for the entire family. Whether you go with an old holiday staple or a new straight-to-streaming release, movies have become a central part of many people’s holiday traditions.  
Many broadcast networks air several live holiday specials as well as classic movies, and some cable networks even run non-stop holiday movie marathons throughout December. Check your local listings to see if there’s anything that catches your attention. 

Reminisce over family photos and videos 

Part of the magic of the holiday season is how our traditions connect the past and present. A great way to experience that is by looking through old photos and videos of holidays past. As we wrap up another year of birthdays, anniversaries, graduations, and other important milestones, December is the perfect time to bring out the old photo albums and see how far we’ve come. It’s also an opportunity to add to the scrapbook, preserving holiday traditions and memories for future generations. 
Family videos can be a fun way to revisit the past this holiday season as well. If you’re looking for a sentimental holiday gift idea this year, there are businesses that will digitalize old family videos from all sorts of formats so you can access them right on your computer with just a couple of clicks.

Play holiday themed party games 

Nothing livens up a get-together like an inclusive party game. Holiday-themed charades or Pictionary are great ways to get everyone involved and in the holiday spirit. 
“Minute to win it” games have been growing in popularity recently, as they are easy to participate in but also exciting to watch. You can split up into teams or keep score as individuals.  Each player has one minute to complete a fun, creative mini game to score a point. Mini games can be anything from using a candy cane to hook other candy canes and carry them from one bowl to another to tossing marshmallows into a bowl across the room. 

• Candy cane face challenge: How many candy canes can you balance on your face when the timer runs out? 
• Shoveling snow: Race the clock to move as many marshmallows or cotton balls as you can into a bowl using only a spoon in your mouth! 
• Unwrapping Kisses: Using only a toothpick, how many Hershey’s Kisses can you unwrap in one minute?

Come up with your own or check out this blog for more ideas! 

Put up decorations 

It doesn’t really feel like the holiday season until you see twinkling lights, reindeer, snowmen, and other decorations everywhere you go. 
For some, putting up seasonal decorations is nothing more than another chore. But when paired with some festive holiday music, tasty seasonal treats, and most importantly, good company, it can be a fun way to ring in the holidays.  

Holiday outings

 Who says a visit has to take place entirely within the walls of the nursing home? With the shorter days and lack of outdoor time, an opportunity to get out and about could be a welcome change of pace. 
There are plenty of activities to do and errands to run this time of year, including: 

•  Attending religious holiday services 
• Seeing live holiday shows or a new holiday movie in theaters 
• Taking care of some holiday shopping 
• Door-to-door caroling 
• Enjoying holiday lights and decorations 

Set up a virtual get-together 

These days, it’s easier than ever to connect with loved ones even from a world away. Services like CaptionCall help people with hearing loss who need captions to understand and enjoy phone calls and stay connected year-round.  
Most smartphones, tablets, and laptop computers come equipped with a high-quality camera and the necessary software to connect with contacts via video. However, to use the CaptionCall captioning service, you’ll have to stick to an audio call. 
Before the visit, make sure to check that your software is up to date, and be sure to bring your device’s charger, as video calling often drains the battery pretty quickly. 

Attending holiday nursing home festivities 

Many senior living facilities make an effort to brighten the holidays for their residents with a schedule of fun social activities to get everyone in the holiday spirit. Check the nursing home activities calendar of events to see what they have planned this year and plan your visits accordingly. 

Conclusion 

Staying connected — whether in person, through holiday cards, on the phone, or using video calling — is important to maintaining good mental health, especially this time of year. With these fun holiday activities in mind, we hope you’ll spend time with loved ones making new holiday memories this winter, even within a nursing home or assisted living facility.