The crisp cool air of autumn is finally on it’s way and I couldn’t be more excited!
Just being able to go outdoors more, to breath the fresh air and to enjoy more time outside of the house is something I look forward to.
As we do every month, we’ve provided a list of activities that family caregivers can do with their senior loved ones while caring for them at home.
October 1
World Smile Day – The smiley face was created in 1963 by Harvey Ball and today was created to honor him and of course, the smiley face he created.
Outdoor Activity – Giving a smile to everyone you come across today would be a wonderful little way to celebrate world smile day.
Indoor Activity – Arts and crafts activity with smiley day beads may be a fun activity to do today.
October 2
Name Your Car Day – I named my car Betsy. It’s just a fun thing to do and today’s the day to do it.
Outdoor Activity – Many seniors are homebound and some don’t drive anymore. Today may be a good day to just get in the car and go for a ride. Enjoy the countryside if you can do it.
Indoor Activity – This large print book of 1950’s cars can be a fun way to reminisce with your senior loved one.
October 3
Techies Day – Today was created to encourage students to seek a career in the tech industry but I think it would be a great day to look at what tech products can be used to make life easier for seniors with dementia.
Outdoor Activity – Discovery Center type of places are mostly meant for children but so are many Disney movies! Yet, adults enjoy them very much. A visit to a discovery center type of place may be a fun activity today.
Indoor Activity – Spend the day assessing what tech products may be able to help your senior with dementia and to help you to care for them too.
October 4
National Golf Day – If golf is something that you or your loved one enjoys or enjoyed, then today is the day to celebrate it.
Outdoor Activity – Golfing can be a wonderful activity for many seniors and even if you can’t play a full round – going to a Miniature Golf activity may be a lot of fun.
Indoor Activity – An indoor golf putting green may be a fun activity today.
October 5
Do Something Nice Day – A day to do something nice for someone.
Outdoor Activity – Take someone out for a meal, an activity or just coffee today. Especially if that someone has dementia or they are caring for someone.
Indoor Activity – Doing something nice for someone can also mean making them a batch of cookies or maybe your favorite cake and bringing it over to them! It’s always a nice treat to get something like that from a friend or neighbor.
October 6
Mad Hatter Day – Today is all about the Mad Hatter from the story Alice in Wonderland. Yes, even fictional characters from beloved stories get their own holidays!
Outdoor Activity – I love hats but they are not in style like they used to be. But that’s okay – why not start a trend amongst your friends? Get out today and find yourself a fun hat to wear this year.
Indoor Activity – You can certainly read (or re-read) the story of Alice in Wonderland – or watch any of the movies or even purchase products related to the story. You can see all these products here.
October 7
Bald and Free Day – Today, celebrate the men and women who dare to go bald!
Outdoor Activity – Spend some time today with the folks in your life who have the courage to go bald.
Indoor Activity – How about giving your bald loved one a little spa day or gift?
October 8
National Pierogi Day – A day to celebrate this delicious Polish dumpling!
Outdoor Activity – If you can locate a Polish restaurant near you then today is the day to try out their food. Otherwise, get out to the grocery store for ingredients to make Pierogies or you can try out some frozen ones.
Indoor Activity – Making Pierogies requires some simple equipment but basically, these are dumplings that you can fill with whatever you would like!
October 9
International Beer and Pizza Day – If you enjoy both beer and pizza then today is for you. But even if you just enjoy one of these, go ahead and celebrate!
Outdoor Activity – Spend a lazy afternoon at your favorite local pizza restaurant with friends and/or family.
Indoor Activity – Of course, who says you HAVE to go out to celebrate today’s holiday? Make your own pizza! Get a frozen one if you like those and of course, being at home you can enjoy your very favorite type of beer.
October 10
National Cake Decorating Day – It seems like decorating a cake shouldn’t be too difficult but I know that my attempts have all failed! So, it’s an art that requires some serious skill!
Outdoor Activity – Check with your local bakery to see if they give cake decorating classes! Some craft stores will do that as well. Even just one class can be great fun.
Indoor Activity – You can work on making your own wonderful decorated cake or you can buy one and spend the afternoon enjoying some of the great shows that display some amazing cake decorations. Shows like Cake Wars, Cupcake Wars, Sugar Rush and more.
October 11
Southern Food Heritage Day – Today is the day to celebrate Southern food. If you’re from the South then you will probably consider it as comfort food!
Outdoor Activity – An outdoor picnic or barbeque is the thing to do today complete with your favorite recipes to honor the food of the South.
Indoor Activity – Nothing says “Southern” like fried chicken, cornbread and sweet tea. So get out your frying pan and your favorite cornbread recipe and celebrate with friends and family.
October 12
World Arthritis Day – Anyone who suffers from arthritis knows how painful it can be. Although there is no cure for it as of yet, today is the day meant to bring awareness to the 350 million people around the globe who deal with this illness every day.
Outdoor Activity – Check your local calendar for sponsored Arthritis Walks and seminars and other events that are held to raise money for research.
Indoor Activity – Make a donation to the Arthritis National Research Foundation which is working to find a cure for this very painful disease that affects people of all ages.
October 13
Silly Sayings Day – A day to celebrate some silly, fun sayings.
Outdoor Activity – Write a silly saying on an index card and put an index card in your neighbors’ mailboxes. Here’s a list of some great sayings.
Indoor Activity – Search for and collect plaques, t-shirts, games, etc. that display silly sayings. It can bring a smile to your face.
October 14
National Dessert Day – I don’t need any explanation for this day. Most everyone LOVES some kind of dessert so make sure to have one today.
Outdoor Activity – Get out to your favorite bakery for your favorite dessert. Or, maybe a visit to a friends house where you all can create a wonderful dessert together.
Indoor Activity – Making your own dessert can be fun but it can also be a lot of work. Whether you make it or whether you buy it – just make sure to make it a special one to have after dinner.
October 15
National I Love Lucy Day – The I Love Lucy show changed television forever and for the better. To this day, millions of people around the world still enjoy watching this timeless and very funny sitcom.
Outdoor Activity – Get yourself a copy of the I Love Lucy Trivia Game and head out to the park or out to a friend’s house for an afternoon of fun as you learn all about the I Love Lucy show!
Indoor Activity – An I Love Lucy marathon is the thing to do!! Buy the DVD set that has all 9 seasons of the show.
October 16
National Feral Cat Day – Feral cats usually are a result of a cat being lost or abandoned. The often live in groups and tend to avoid humans for self protection. The average lifespan of a feral cat is only 2 to 3 years.
Outdoor Activity – Consider volunteering and/or donating to organizations such as AlleyCat.org which work to care for feral cats.
Indoor Activity – If you have one or more feral cats in your neighborhood, consider organizing a group of neighbors to care for them (feed them) and you may even want to purchase an outdoor shelter like these for them – especially if you live in a cold climate.
October 17
Wear Something Gaudy Day – A fun day to start getting ready for Halloween! Find something (or a few somethings) in your closet and drawers that’s gaudy or maybe gaudy when all put together! You may just enjoy the conversation you get from others when they see what you’re wearing.
Outdoor Activity – A trip to your local thrift store may be a fun activity today. Look for a gaudy piece of clothing or jewelry. You never know what you’ll find in a thrift store.
Indoor Activity – Organize an Ugly Sweater party for your friends and family. It’s a fun event to hold especially for photos!
October 18
National Chocolate Cupcake Day – For anyone who loves chocolate cupcakes, today is your day to celebrate this delicious treat.
Outdoor Activity – If you’re lucky enough to live close enough to a cupcake shop or a bakery – then today would be a wonderful day to take a few hours in the afternoon to enjoy some tea or coffee along with your chocolate cupcake.
Indoor Activity – Get your favorite recipe and make some fun cupcakes with this great book on turning your regular cupcakes into creative and fun treats.
October 19
Evaluate Your Life Day – A great day to just take some time to check in to your life to see what’s happening, how you are feeling and if you are going in the direction that you want to go.
Outdoor Activity – Take a trip to the Self Help section of your local bookstore. Look for a book on whatever part of your life you want to work on. Relationships? Organization? Self Worth? Addictions?
Indoor Activity – If you’re not happy with any part of your home due to clutter or decor, then do something about it. Ask a friend to help (this makes it much easier) and get your life back in order.
October 20
Brandied Fruit Day – A great day to celebrate brandied soaked fruit! This can be a wonderful gift to give this year for the holidays, or to just share with your friends and family anytime.
Outdoor Activity – You can take a drive out to the countryside and stop at most any farmer’s stand for some fresh fruit of the season. They may even sell jars for canning!
Indoor Activity – There are lots of recipes online to make your very own brandied fruit. Most say you have to keep the fruit in the jar for at least 4 weeks before serving so now would be a great time to start making them for holiday gifts.
October 21
Celebration Of The Mind Day – Today’s holiday is meant to “…bring people together to share and delight in playing with puzzles, games, math and magic.” – Gathering4gardner.org
Outdoor Activity – Playing a game outdoors or visiting a magic shop may be a fun activity to do today.
Indoor Activity – There are some great games that you can play with seniors who have dementia so why not get some of these. Of course, if you have a game that everyone loves to play then pull that out today and enjoy the time together.
October 22
National Nut Day – Most everyone loves some kind of nut! I personally love hazelnuts. So today would be a great day to buy some, eat some and of course, cook with some of your favorite type of nuts.
Outdoor Activity – If you live near Old Lyme, Connecticut you can take a visit to the Nut Museum! Otherwise, take a trip to your favorite store, maybe even a gourmet store and buy some nuts today. Try some that you’ve never eaten before, if you can find them.
Indoor Activity – Consider creating some nut based products to give as gifts. Things like nut butter or baskets filled with a variety of nuts.
October 23
TV Talk Show Day – Most seniors know all the TV talk shows that are on day and night so if they have a favorite or one that is no longer on anymore – today would be a great day to binge watch their favorite show.
Outdoor Activity – If you can take your laptop or tablet outdoors to get some fresh air, you can sit and relax and watch clips from your favorite TV talk shows on Youtube.
Indoor Activity – Host a party and ask everyone to dress as their favorite TV talk show. Hold a marathon of TV talk shows today and look up trivia for each one. By the way, October 23rd is Johnny Carson’s birthday – hence – the day to celebrate talk shows!
October 24
National Bologna Day – One of the most common (if not the most common) lunchmeat in America is Bologna. If you love this deli meat, then today is your day to celebrate.
Outdoor Activity – Put together a picnic to eat outdoors and of course, include bologna sandwiches or any recipe that uses this deli meat.
Indoor Activity – There are many different ways that you can create a bologna sandwich. Here are 112 photos of different types of sandwiches made with bologna that you can try out.
October 25
World Pasta Day – Pasta is one of my favorite foods! If it’s yours too then today is a day to celebrate this amazing and delicious food.
Outdoor Activity – A visit to your favorite Italian restaurant would be the activity of the day.
Indoor Activity – Try a new and different type of pasta today – like these – and you may just find a new and favorite pasta dish!
October 26
Howl At The Moon Night – As the days get shorter and we get closer to Halloween – why not celebrate a night to howl at the moon?
Outdoor Activity – Gather some friends and family tonight for an after dinner outdoor event where you all can literally howl at the moon! Who has the best howl?
Indoor Activity – Get any of these moon themed crafts to work on today.
October 27
Black Cat Day – Well, black cats have had a bum rap! Superstitious folks are wary of them and this has been so successful that black cats are two thirds less likely to be adopted and most likely to be killed in kill shelters.
Outdoor Activity – Consider adopting a black cat – they can be just as sweet and wonderful as any other cat!
Indoor Activity – There are plenty of black cat themed crafts to choose from to work on today.
October 28
National Chocolate Day – Another day this month to celebrate the love of chocolate! But this time it can be anything chocolate!
Outdoor Activity – If you live near a fudge store or a chocolate candy store then today would be a fun day to schedule that. If not, then how about a visit to your local frozen yogurt shop for some chocolate yogurt covered with chocolate chips and hot fudge?
Indoor Activity – Make your own chocolate bars with this wonderful little kit!
October 29
National Frankenstein Day – A day to celebrate the author of Frankenstein, Mary Shelley.
Outdoor Activity – Any of these fun Frankenstein or Halloween type of crafts may be fun to do outdoors with friends and/or family.
Indoor Activity – Watching the classic original Frankenstein movie (along with others) would be a fun activity for the day.
October 30
National Candy Corn Day – Not everyone likes Candy Corn but if you do, then today is your day to celebrate this candy treat.
Outdoor Activity – Get out to your local grocery store to purchase your very own bag of candy corn.
Indoor Activity – Make your very own batch of candy corn cookies.
October 31
National Knock-Knock Jokes Day – A great day to enjoy some corney and funny jokes with your friends and family.
Outdoor Activity – If the weather permits, take a walk today and share your favorite knock knock jokes with your friends and family.
Indoor Activity – There are more knock knock jokes then we can count and here are some books to help you enjoy them!
