September Activity Calendar For Seniors With Dementia

Ahh, September is a month that I look forward to because it’s the month when Autumn begins and that means beautiful cooler weather!

That means the ability to do more outdoor activities in breathable weather!

As we do every month, we’ve got a list of September activities that family caregivers can do with their senior loved ones while caring for them at home.

September 1

Outdoor: Nature Walk & Sensory Scavenger Hunt. Take a slow walk in a garden or park, collecting leaves, smooth stones, or flowers and discuss colors, textures, and smells.

Indoor: Simple Recipe Creation. Make a no-bake treat like fruit salad, allowing the individual to assist with washing fruit and mixing ingredients.

The outdoor activity stimulates the senses, while the indoor activity engages them in simple tasks to foster a sense of accomplishment.

September 2

Outdoor: Gentle Seated Gardening. Sit outside with pots of soil and easy-to-plant flowers or herbs; enjoy the tactile sensation of the soil.

Indoor: Listening to Relaxing Music. Play favorite tunes, sing along, or move gently to the beat while relaxing together.

Gardening offers the joy of nature, while music can be comforting and brings back happy memories.

September 3

Outdoor: Bird Watching. Observe birds in the yard or a park, noting colors, songs, and their behaviors.

Indoor: Photo Album Reminiscing. Look through old photo albums and share stories related to the pictures.

Bird watching promotes focused attention, while reminiscing encourages social interaction and memory recall.

September 4

Outdoor: Bubbles in the Breeze. Create bubbles and enjoy watching them float, or try to catch them.

Indoor: Folding Laundry. Sort and fold simple items like towels or washcloths together.

Bubbles offer visual stimulation and a sense of playfulness, and folding laundry promotes independence and a daily routine.

September 5

Outdoor: Sidewalk Chalk Art. Draw simple shapes, animals, or letters on a driveway with chalk.

Indoor: Sensory Bin Play. Fill a bin with dried beans, pasta, or smooth stones and let the individual explore textures using their hands or scoops.

Chalk art sparks creativity, while a sensory bin provides tactile stimulation and a calming focus.

September 6

Outdoor: Porch Swing or Patio Sitting. Relax and enjoy the fresh air together on a porch or patio, sharing a cup of tea.

Indoor: Simple Puzzles. Work on a large-piece jigsaw puzzle with a simple theme or a puzzle with big pieces and knobs.

Sitting outdoors promotes relaxation and calmness, and a puzzle encourages problem-solving and focus.

September 7

Outdoor: Cloud Gazing. Lie on a blanket in the yard and observe clouds, finding shapes and sharing imaginations.

Indoor: Story Reading. Read short, simple stories aloud, using clear and engaging language.

Cloud gazing stimulates imagination and conversation, while story reading promotes focus and calming interaction.

September 8

Outdoor: Visit a Farmers’ Market. Walk through a farmer’s market, taking in all the colors, sights, and smells.

Indoor: Simple Craft: Collage. Create a simple collage using cut-out pictures from magazines or colored paper.

A market visit provides sensory stimulation and social connection, and a collage encourages creativity and tactile interaction.

September 9

Outdoor: Walk the Neighborhood. Take a slow walk around the neighborhood, noticing changes in the landscape or decorations.

Indoor: Gentle Stretching. Engage in simple seated or standing stretches to improve circulation and flexibility.

A walk outdoors promotes physical activity and awareness of surroundings, and stretching helps maintain physical comfort.

September 10

Outdoor: Picnic in the Park. Pack a simple lunch and enjoy a picnic in a local park or your backyard.

Indoor: Looking at Old Postcards. Share old postcards, prompting memories of places, people, and events.

Picnics offer an enjoyable meal in a relaxed setting, while postcards spark memories and conversation.

September 11

Outdoor: Leaf Collection. Collect colorful leaves of various shapes and sizes, discussing textures and colors.

Indoor: Simple Card Game. Play a simple card game, like “Go Fish” or “Memory” with large cards.

A leaf walk encourages exploration of nature, while a card game promotes focus and lighthearted fun.

September 12

Outdoor: Listen to Nature Sounds. Sit quietly outside and listen to the sounds of nature, such as birds, wind, or rustling leaves.

Indoor: Finger Painting. Create art with finger paints, using colors that are easily seen and enjoyed.

Listening to nature offers a calming moment of reflection, and finger painting encourages creativity and sensory exploration.

September 13

Outdoor: Flower Identification. Walk in the garden and identify common flowers, noting colors and shapes.

Indoor: Sorting Objects. Sort objects like blocks, buttons, or utensils by color, size, or type.

Identifying flowers promotes observation and appreciation of nature, and sorting offers structure and promotes cognitive skills.

September 14

Outdoor: Swing Set Fun. If available, a gentle swing session can be a fun and relaxing experience.

Indoor: Simple Knitting or Crochet. Engage in simple crafting with large needles and yarn, even just winding yarn.

Swinging promotes movement and gentle relaxation, while yarn activities offer fine motor stimulation and focus.

September 15

Outdoor: Outdoor Sing-Along. Sing favorite songs outdoors while you walk or sit in the yard.

Indoor: Simple Pictionary. Draw simple shapes or objects, and have the person with dementia guess what it is.

Singing is uplifting and encourages engagement, while drawing promotes communication in a lighthearted way.

September 16

Outdoor: Wheelbarrow Ride. A gentle ride in a wheelbarrow can be a fun change of scenery with support for those who cannot walk easily.

Indoor: Simple Building with Blocks. Use large blocks to build simple structures together, focusing on basic shapes.

Wheelbarrow rides offer a change of perspective, while building with blocks encourages spatial reasoning and interaction.

September 17

Outdoor: Patio Bird Feeder Refill. Refill a bird feeder with bird seed and watch as the birds come for food.

Indoor: Baking Simple Cookies. Engage in the step-by-step process of baking simple cookies together, making sure to do all safety precautions.

Refilling a bird feeder connects to nature, and baking offers sensory engagement and a sense of accomplishment.

September 18

Outdoor: Visit a Local Pond or Lake. If accessible, a short visit to observe ducks, boats, or the water’s edge.

Indoor: Making a Simple Instrument. Using household items, create a simple shaker to use while enjoying music.

Viewing a pond promotes peace and natural observation, while crafting instruments encourages creativity and musical fun.

September 19

Outdoor: Fly a Kite. Find an open space where you can fly a simple kite.

Indoor: Simple Ball Toss. Toss a large soft ball back and forth gently with the individual.

Flying a kite engages visual tracking and joy, while a ball toss offers gentle exercise and interaction.

September 20

Outdoor: Sensory Garden Walk. Explore a garden with different plants and textures, focusing on feeling different leaves and smelling flowers.

Indoor: Looking Through a Travel Brochure. Discuss a past trip, or a place the person with dementia would like to visit and look through a travel brochure together.

Sensory walks stimulate the senses, while travel brochures can spark positive memories and conversations.

September 21

Outdoor: Visit the Park. Stroll through a park and watch kids play, enjoy the outdoors, or have a picnic.

Indoor: Dance Party. Put on some favorite upbeat music and dance together for a few minutes.

A park visit provides social stimulation and relaxation, while a dance party engages physical movement and fun.

September 22

Outdoor: Nature Photography Walk. Take photos of nature with a simple camera or phone.

Indoor: Simple Paint by Numbers. Work on a simple paint-by-numbers project with large color sections.

Photography stimulates creativity and attention to detail, while paint-by-numbers encourages artistic expression and focus.

September 23

Outdoor: Relaxing in a Hammock. A gentle sway in a hammock can be a relaxing experience.

Indoor: Gentle Hand Massage. Provide a gentle hand massage using a scented lotion.

Hammock time is calming and soothing, while a hand massage promotes relaxation and comfort.

September 24

Outdoor: Walking in the Sand. If accessible, walk on a beach or sandbox; the sand provides a different sensory experience.

Indoor: Looking Through a Cookbook. Read through simple recipes from a cookbook, discussing favorites.

Sand walking engages tactile senses and provides a new experience, while cookbooks can spark memories of past meals.

September 25

Outdoor: Watering Plants. Gently water plants with a small watering can, enjoying the outdoor activity.

Indoor: Sorting Spices. Sort common spices from the kitchen and identify by smell.

Watering plants connects to nature and provides a physical task, while spices provide familiar scents and cognitive stimulation.

September 26

Outdoor: Outdoor Reading Time. Read a book or magazine out loud together in the backyard.

Indoor: Dominoes. Play a simple game of dominoes, focusing on matching ends of the tiles.

Reading outdoors promotes relaxation and engagement, while dominoes encourage simple problem-solving.

September 27

Outdoor: Listening to Wind Chimes. Relax and enjoy the soft sounds of wind chimes together outside.

Indoor: Making a Simple Smoothie. Create a smoothie together by adding pre-cut fruit and other ingredients to a blender.

Wind chimes offer a calming and sensory experience, while making a smoothie promotes sensory engagement and task participation.

September 28

Outdoor: Painting Rocks. Gather rocks outside and paint them with simple designs or colors.

Indoor: Creating a Memory Box. Collect some significant personal items to place in a box to represent a good memory.

Rock painting is a creative and tactile activity, while creating a memory box sparks conversation and reflection.

September 29

Outdoor: Backyard “Campfire”. Sit together outside in the evening with some lights or candles and share a snack (without real fire, of course).

Indoor: Simple Lacing Activity. Use a lacing board with large holes or a large embroidery hoop and shoelaces to complete a simple task.

A “campfire” offers a relaxing evening setting, while lacing promotes fine motor skills and focus.

September 30

Outdoor: Visit a Local Park with a Carousel. Enjoy the fun and movement of a gentle carousel ride (if accessible).

Indoor: Sing Favorite Songs. Sing along to favorite songs together with lyrics on hand if needed.

Carousels bring enjoyment and gentle sensory stimulation, while singing brings pleasure and connection.