The white dressings of winter often come early to Colorado, and the cold season can extend for many months. Seniors at the Bethesda Gardens assisted living community in Monument, CO, who know how to have fun indoors on cold days can better enjoy the long stretch that can run from late October to early spring. Consider trying one or more of these activities in your assisted living apartment or with friends in one of the common areas.
Crafting lets you spend time creating something of value. It might be something you keep and use yourself or something to gift to friends or family.
But you can increase the value of crafting sessions by getting others involved and chatting and exchanging stories while you work. Invite friends over to your assisted living apartment for crochet, sewing or paper crafting, or gather a group of like-minded crafters in the Bethesda Gardens library or common areas. Pool your resources, swap supplies and get to work making things while you laugh together.
Watching movies is a favorite cold-weather pastime for people of all ages. Get out a few of your favorite DVDs or sign up for a streaming service to gain access to hundreds of movies. Seniors might especially enjoy the nostalgic offerings from streaming services such as Disney+ and Turner Classic Movies.
Set up alone or with friends and popcorn in your assisted living apartment, or ask the staff to arrange a movie day in one of the common areas.
For a more active get together, schedule a game of volleyball indoors. Use balloons instead of an actual ball to protect each other and the property. You can bounce the balloons across tables or just between each other or get really competitive by creating a miniature court with masking tape on the floor.
Music is another way to foster indoor activities with a lot of movement. Ask the staff to help you push chairs and tables aside in a common area or dining room, set up a portable CD player and invite everyone to join in dancing. If someone knows fancy dances, such as ballroom options, let them teach everyone else. Otherwise, just enjoy bouncing, shaking and swaying as you're able.
If dancing sounds like too much, host a listening session in your assisted living apartment. Share favorite new songs or enjoy reminiscing about memories invoked by classics.
Set up with computers in a common area or alone in your assisted living apartment and explore the entire world without stepping foot into the Colorado cold. You can visit far away locations via YouTube videos and online pictures, read about any topic that strikes your fancy or learn a new skill while you're waiting for spring to thaw the ground and make the outdoors inviting again.
