If you are caring for someone at home who has dementia or Alzheimer’s disease, it can become difficult to come up with different activities that they can do every day. Our activity calendars can help you out each month!
March is the month of change, so why not use that as an opportunity to mix things up for your loved one with dementia? We’ve included both familiar and new activities, so be sure to try them all out!
March 1
World Compliment Day – The goal of this holiday is to help spread positivity and kindness throughout the world. Something we could all use more of these days!
Outdoor Activity – Make a date with at least one friend or family member and when you’re out with them make sure to give them at least one sincere compliment.
Indoor Activity – Write a little note to as many people as you can with a simple compliment to that person. How wonderful it would be for someone to receive a card or letter in the mail and the only thing in that envelope is a little compliment! Try these cards!
March 2
National Old Stuff Day – Whether you are a caregiver or an older adult, this is a great day to go through your old stuff and either sell, donate or store those things or any combination of these three.
Outdoor Activity – Take your collection of stuff that you are going to get rid of to your local thrift store or perhaps a consignment store.
Indoor Activity – Get some boxes or bags, select at lest one area of the house that you want to begin decluttering and get to it! Here are some tips on how to get started.
March 3
I Want You To Be Happy Day – Today is all about making other people in your life happy! Think of ways that you can do that and then get going.
Outdoor Activity – Take someone out to lunch or bring them a homemade treat. Visit a friend or family member in the nursing home or assisted living. Send someone flowers “just because”.
Indoor Activity – Pick up the phone or facetime or video chat via Zoom or Amazon’s Echo Show and spend some time with people today.
March 4
Hug A GI Day – So, you may not know a GI at the moment but you probably know a Veteran! Today is the day to give them an extra hug and attention.
Outdoor Activity – Go visit your favorite GI and/or veteran and give them as big a hug as you can muster. Even if they’ve passed away, you can certainly visit their grave or memorial and remember the person that they were.
Indoor Activity – Put together some care packages for soldiers! Check out this link for information.
March 5
World Tennis Day – My sister and her entire family love tennis! They play it and watch it every chance they get. Today is the day to celebrate this game, if you’re into it.
Outdoor Activity – Even if you can’t get out to play an actual game, your senior loved one may be able to hit the ball (or try to at least) with their tennis racquet.
Indoor Activity – I love the Wii games, especially for seniors. They’re easy to play and the tennis game can be a lot of fun. Check it out here.
March 6
Oreo Cookie Day – Today is the day to celebrate the Oreo Cookie! A favorite worldwide. First introduced in Hoboken, NJ in 1912, it’s been a staple in just about every grocery store. Whether you enjoy the original, or any of the other 84 flavors – get yourself an Oreo Cookie today!
Outdoor Activity – If you happen to live near East Rutherford, NJ you can visit the Oreo Cafe at the American Dream Mall. Just take a look at what you’ll find.
Indoor Activity – There are some great recipes that you can create with Oreo cookies – just take a look at some here! So spend the day with your loved one celebrating this great cookie and creating some wonderful memories.
March 7
National Flapjacks Day – In the U.S. and Canada, flapjacks and pancakes are the same thing. But in the UK and probably other parts of Europe, they are two very different items. Read more about that here. But whichever you choose to celebrate, today is the day to enjoy these treats.
Outdoor Activity – There’s no rule that says you have to eat flapjacks (or pancakes) just for breakfast. So get out to your favorite diner or restaurant and order this filling meal anytime of the day! Better yet, invite a friend or two.
Indoor Activity – If you’re wanting to celebrate pancakes, check out this great recipe to make. But if you’re into the British version of flapjacks, then check this great recipe out! Cooking with your senior loved one is a great way to bond and spend the time together.
March 8
National Retro Video Game Day – Most older adults today did not grow up playing video games, but their children most likely did! And today would be a fun day to bring back and celebrate some of those great old video games.
Outdoor Activity – It may be too stimulating for many seniors to get out to an arcade or bowling alley to play an old video game (if they have any) so unless you know of a quiet place, I would recommend a trip to a video game store to check out any of the old games that they may have there.
Indoor Activity – I personally love the Wii games for older adults. They may not be the classic retro games like Pac-man or Pong but they are the easiest to play. Check out the Wii games and console here. You can have a lot of fun with them!
March 9
Get Over It Day – We all have personal burdens to carry and in my experience, most of those burdens are self inflicted. In other words, we spend our mental time in the past regretting, feeling guilty, etc. And we also spend our mental time in the future worrying about this and that. Well, today is the day to let all of that go and just enjoy the present moment you are in.
Outdoor Activity – Get out into nature today. Enjoy the exact moment you are in, each and every moment. Don’t fret about the past and don’t worry about the future. Be grateful for what you do have right now.
Indoor Activity – It would be very difficult for someone with dementia to self reflect so this day is really more for their caregivers. I’d like to recommend the book Coffee Self Talk to help you today and from each day on. It may help you with the difficult task you face of caring for your loved one with dementia or Alzheimer’s disease.
March 10
Salvation Army Day – Founded in London in 1865, this Christian based organization has been serving individuals through it’s charitable work every since. Most of us know it for the thrift stores they operate but they also provide adult rehabilitation centers, hostels for homeless and more.
Outdoor Activity – It can be great fun to visit a thrift store today (A Salvation Army one if you have one nearby). You can find some great little treasures in these shops.
Indoor Activity – Spend the day gathering items throughout the house that you can donate to your local thrift store. It’s a great way to declutter your home and to help others as well.
March 11
Johnny Appleseed Day – A great day to celebrate the man John Chapman who became known as Johnny Appleseed.
Outdoor Activity – If you are lucky enough to live near an apple tree farm (or have your own) then today is the day to get out there and enjoy the orchard! If not, a trip to your local organic farmers market or store for some delicious apples may be the thing to do.
Indoor Activity – Spend some quality time with your senior loved one reading from any of these great books about Johnny Appleseed!
March 12
Plant A Flower Day – A beautiful way to celebrate spring is to plant flowers and get your garden growing!
Outdoor Activity – Get out to your local nursery to choose some of your favorite types of flowers and plants to put into your garden.
Indoor Activity – If you or your senior loved one can’t get outside, then why not grow your flowers indoors? Here are some great kits that you can use to do just that.
March 13
Jewel Day – If you love jewelry, or even just like them, then today is the day to celebrate all things jewels and the artists who create them.
Outdoor Activity – Visit a jewelry making shop or a jewelry store. Bring your old jewelry in for cleaning or perhaps visit a thrift store where you’ll usually find all kinds of old jewelry. It could be fun to imagine the stories that each of these pieces may have.
Indoor Activity – There are some great jewelry kits that you can get like these to spend an afternoon making some of your very own jewelry. Just be careful – if your senior with dementia tends to put everything in their mouth – you may want to avoid this activity.
March 14
Write Your Story Day – This holiday is fairly new, just created in 2017 and I love it. So many of our seniors have wonderful stories that we never hear so today is the day to encourage them to tell it and/or write it.
Outdoor Activity – My late husband did a video interview of his elderly parents years ago and it’s a wonderful video. He had a list of questions for them and their responses were very insightful and a treasure to hear. So why not get outside with a list of questions and your cell phone and create your own video interview of your senior loved one?
Indoor Activity – There are some great books, like these ones, that prompt and encourage the user to write their stories. They’re filled with questions for them to answer which in turn prompts them to answer and perhaps recall some memories that they may have forgotten.
March 15
Ides Of March – This day is forever linked to the day that the Roman Emperor Julius Caesar was assassinated by his own senators because they believed he was becoming a dictator.
Outdoor Activity – You can honor the Roman tradition which is that they repaid debts during the month of March. If a friend or relative has been especially helpful to you while caring for your senior loved one, today may be a great day to take them out for a meal or just some fun.
Indoor Activity – Spend some time watching this great movie with Marlon Brando called Julius Caesar made in 1953.
March 16
Everything You Do Is Right Day – Today is the day to remember that everything is going to be alright. No matter what struggles you may be going through at the moment, remember they are temporary. The one thing that is for certain in life is that there will always be change. So be patient.
Outdoor Activity – No matter what you do today, it will be the right thing to do. So, get out to a store, a park, go for a walk or just get out for a nice cup of coffee or tea and a snack. Enjoy the day.
Indoor Activity – Take some time today to enjoy your favorite movies or read a great book on self empowerment! Lounge all day if you like, remember, everything you do is right today.
March 17
National Corned Beef and Cabbage Day – Appropriately timed, today is the day to celebrate this traditional Irish dish!
Outdoor Activity – A visit to an Irish pub nearby may be fun today. For sure it will be packed for today’s activities. So, if you want to keep it more quiet, how about ordering the dish and then taking it out to a park for your very own Irish picnic.
Indoor Activity – One of the best things about this great dish is you can make it in a slow cooker – here’s a great recipe! But if you prefer to avoid the beef, here’s a vegetarian version for you.
March 18
National Sloppy Joe Day – Another great dish that supposedly began in Havana Cuba in 1920. Whatever the origin is, it’s become an American staple.
Outdoor Activity – If you have a great restaurant or diner nearby that serves this dish, today may be a great day to visit it.
Indoor Activity – There are so many easy ways to make your very own Sloppy Joe as you can see here. But whatever way you make it, cooking with a senior loved one is most always a great activity to do together.
March 19
National Let’s Laugh Day – Sometimes, when we get all caught up in our own daily struggles (especially if you are caring for someone with dementia) it’s easy to forget to laugh and try to enjoy anything you can. So today is dedicated to spending some time laughing.
Outdoor Activity – Grab yourself a funny joke book like any of these, call some friends and/or family and spend some time outdoors today going over the book.
Indoor Activity – No matter what kind of humor you enjoy, there are many movies or television sitcoms that you can enjoy that can bring laughter to your day.
March 20
World Flour Day – There are so many things that we eat every day that contain flour. It’s not just bread. It’s pasta, biscuits and wonderful cookies and cakes.
Outdoor Activity – Spend some time at your local bakery to enjoy their treats today!
Indoor Activity – Get a favorite family recipe for anything that uses flour and get cooking! Not only will you be honoring the long lost relative who created that recipe but you’ll be building memories with your senior loved one. And just so you know, these days there are MANY different kinds of flour to choose from – like these. Maybe you’ll want to experiment with some of them.
March 21
International Day Of Forests – I love forests and very much enjoy spending time in them. If you do too and you’re lucky enough to live near one, then today may be a great day to celebrate them.
Outdoor Activity – Take a walk or a drive to a forested area nearby. Hopefully there’s a trail you can walk on. Bring a lunch or some snacks and of course, your camera and enjoy the outdoors under all those wonderful trees.
Indoor Activity – Collect leaves and make your very own Leaf Scrapbook. Jot down stories of where you got the leaves, who you were with, when you collected them, etc.
March 22
National Goof Off Day – We all need a break every now and then and today would be a great day to do just that! Never mind the laundry or the mopping! Goof off today and have some fun.
Outdoor Activity – Get out to your favorite local hangouts. An ice cream shop, go people watch at the Mall or spend time with friends / family and play board games.
Indoor Activity – Pull out a favorite board game or puzzle or maybe just binge watch your favorite shows today. Order pizza and sit back and enjoy goofing off today!
March 23
National Chip and Dip Day – Traditionally, you serve chip and dip at a football party or when you have guests over but who says that’s the only time you can indulge in this great treat?
Outdoor Activity – You can find an Applebee’s restaurant almost anywhere. If you are near one why not spend some time there this afternoon enjoying their chips and dip appetizer dishes?
Indoor Activity – Pull up your favorite movie this afternoon, make your family’s favorite chip and dip recipe or try one of these and enjoy!
March 24
National Cheesesteak Day – Ahh, the Philadelphia favorite! Although it may have started there, it’s now a favorite of many all over!
Outdoor Activity – Philadelphia is filled with history so if you don’t want to necessarily indulge in a cheesesteak today, you can certainly visit a local history museum to celebrate today.
Indoor Activity – Certainly you can make your very own cheesesteak at home or if you prefer a vegetarian version for something a bit different.
March 25
International Waffle Day – Did you know that Waffles came from Sweden? This delicious treat is enjoyed on many breakfast tables everywhere!
Outdoor Activity – Get out to a Waffle House near you (or wherever you enjoy Waffles) and enjoy them for breakfast, lunch or dinner!
Indoor Activity – There are some fun ways that you can make waffles like these. So why not start today and make it a weekly tradition to enjoy any of these every week.
March 26
Live Long and Prosper Day – Many of us grew up with Star Trek! It’s become a part of our culture and our language. It’s a day to celebrate well wishes to others.
Outdoor Activity – Get a boost on your health today by starting an exercise regimen. Whether it’s taking a walk or getting out to a local senior center for some chair yoga – get up and get moving. It will help you to live long and prosper.
Indoor Activity – Binge watch the old Star Trek shows! They’re a treat to watch and most each one has a moral story built in.
March 27
International Scribble Day – We have all spent time scribbling, probably when we were supposed to be doing something else! But whenever you’ve done it – it can be a very relaxing activity and helps many to overcome stress.
Outdoor Activity – Everyone enjoys spending time with others, so why not work on an activity while you’re together? Scribbling together can be a great way to sit and talk and relax and enjoy each other’s company.
Indoor Activity – Enjoy some time with these great scribble pads. Turn on your favorite music and scribble away!
March 28
Respect Your Cat Day – Even if you don’t take care of a cat, you probably know someone who does. Today is the day to respect these crazy little creatures!
Outdoor Activity – Visit your local animal shelter and spend some time playing with the cats there. Some even have a kitten room so if you enjoy the rambunctious nature of kittens, this may be a fun place for you.
Indoor Activity – Buy your cat a new toy or buy one for a friend’s cat and bring it over. Spend some time playing with the cat – it’s a great way to reduce your stress and it’s wonderful therapy for seniors with dementia.
March 29
National Mom and Pop Business Owner’s Day – Way back when our parents were younger, the world was filled with mostly mom and pop businesses. Today, we have a mix of both large corporate stores and smaller mom and pop stores as well.
Outdoor Activity – Help small businesses in your area by visiting them today and doing a little shopping. It’s a great way to get out and contribute to your community.
Indoor Activity – Check out the movie The Founder – the story of how McDonalds went from a small family business to what it is today.
March 30
National Virtual Vacation Day – For many older adults who have dementia, their ability to travel is extremely limited but virtual reality can bring vacations to them.
Outdoor Activity – Gather some friends and family for a virtual vacation tour! Have them come to your home and share these great little trips.
Indoor Activity – Check out these great virtual vacations that you can take. Purchase an Oculus Quest 2 headset and enjoy your trips around the world.
March 31
National Crayon Day – Most all of us enjoyed playing with crayons when we were younger, your elderly parents probably did too. Today is the day to celebrate that great activity.
Outdoor Activity – You may not know that there are several Crayola Experience Locations to visit and if you are near any of them, it may be a fun trip to take. They are in Orlando, Fl, Chandler, AZ, Plano TX, Minneapolis, MN and Easton, PA.
Indoor Activity – There are some great coloring books for seniors with dementia and they can be a great activity for you and your senior loved one to spend some time doing.
We hope that you enjoy these holidays and the activities that are laid out. Of course, create your own special activities for each of these wonderful days!
