Activities Kids Can Engage In Activities When Visiting a Loved One in Assisted Living

Having a parent or grandparent in an assisted living community can make maintaining strong family connections seem daunting. You might worry about keeping your children engaged when they visit their grandparents, especially if they’re young and have shorter attention spans. Modern assisted living communities offer numerous opportunities for engaging in activities that foster family connections and create lasting memories.

Why Should Kids Visit a Loved One in Assisted Living?

Children possess a vast amount of positive energy, which they transmit to those around them. Regular visits from grandchildren and great-grandchildren provide boundless joy and emotional support for seniors in assisted living. These interactions help your loved one maintain their sense of family connection while assisting children to cultivate deeper relationships with older members of the family. Regardless, such visits are highly demanding, especially in terms of coordinating the children. Successful visits require thoughtful planning for an enjoyable experience. We’ll look at some in the following sections. 

Arts and Crafts

Simple projects that allow hands-on work, such as arts and crafts, provide an excellent opportunity for kids to have a nice time when they visit. Nothing engages the body and mind like hands-on, creative projects the children and seniors can enjoy. In this regard, many assisted living communities have dedicated activity rooms equipped with supplies for various craft projects, catering to different skill levels and physical abilities.

You could bring along some art supplies for collaborative activities, such as decorating picture frames with family photos, creating seasonal decorations, or working on scrapbook pages together. These activities enhance the atmosphere for natural conversations to flow while creating tangible keepsakes that your loved one can display in their apartment long after the visit ends.

Painting projects are highly adaptable for individuals of different ages and abilities. There’s always something for everyone with painting. Younger kids can enjoy getting messy with finger painting or watercolors while older kids and adults work on more detailed projects. The focus is on selecting activities that encourage interaction rather than individual work.

Games

Board games, card games, or puzzles offer mutual entertainment for kids when visiting a loved one in assisted living. Many assisted living communities of today have game rooms or lounges with large tables for family activities. The kids can engage in simple old-school games like bingo, checkers, or simple card games that are easy for children to learn. Additionally, these games offer gentle mental stimulation for seniors.

There are some ongoing games, such as jigsaw puzzles, that span multiple visits. You can begin a puzzle on one visit and continue working on it together over subsequent visits. This is great for encouraging continuity and gives your loved one something to look forward to. Additionally, it provides a sense of accomplishment upon completing the puzzle.

Music and Entertainment

The cliché that music is the universal language of the soul holds true when you consider kids and seniors enjoying music together. There is a wide variety of music that both generations can enjoy equally, thanks to its remarkable ability to connect people across generations. Many assisted living communities have pianos or other musical instruments in their common areas.

Kids who play musical instruments can bring them along and perform for their grandparents. 

The goal is to create and enjoy wonderful moments that stay with the senior loved ones and children long after they’ve gone. Singing and playing instruments aren’t the only aspects of music and entertainment. There is also the physically engaging aspect of dancing, usually regulated according to different ranges of motion. Participating in gentle, memorized movements is also another way for everyone to engage and have fun.

Outdoor Activities

Now and then, a change of scenery might be needed. Many assisted living communities have beautiful landscapes for outdoor activities. It’s an excellent opportunity for children to play, feel, and interact with nature in the company of their senior loved ones. 

Outdoor nature walks offer educational opportunities where children learn to identify various plants and birds, as well as observe seasonal changes.

Culinary activities 

Several people bond and have fun making meals in the kitchen, and the kids are not left out. Culinary activities like cooking and baking work well if the assisted living community has kitchen facilities for family use or if your loved one has a kitchenette in their apartment. It’s an excellent opportunity for growing children to get acquainted with certain family traditions and recipes. As a bonus, everyone gets to enjoy special handmade treats.

Technical Adaptation

Most seniors aren’t as technologically acquainted as most kids. Think tablets, computers, smartphones, and so on. When kids visit their loved ones in assisted living communities, they can help them adapt to technology. This activity uniquely encourages reverse learning in the seniors while teaching the children patience. Additionally, they can engage in video chats with other family members, creating virtual and expanded opportunities for participation.

Reading and Storytelling

There are also quieter activities to engage in when kids visit a loved one in assisted living, such as reading and storytelling. It’s usually an enlightening opportunity where children can learn about history through the stories shared by seniors. Many assisted living communities have libraries or quiet spots that encourage reading. So, the next time you take the kids to visit a loved one in assisted living, bring along your favorite children’s books.

Quick Tips To Enable Kids To Visit a Loved One in Assisted Living Successfully

Letting kids visit a loved one in assisted living requires more than the desire to go. A lot of planning and precautions are necessary to make it a smooth one. 

Here are some tips: 

• Create realistic plans that consider and match the different energy levels involved, such as those between children and seniors. 
• Plan for shorter and more frequent visits instead of fewer, longer ones that might be overwhelming. 
• Ensure that backup activities are in place to address any failed initial plans.
• Bring a recording device, such as a camera, to capture the moments and document your memories. 

Understand that the aim of this visit is connection and enjoyment rather than the perfect execution of plans. While there’s an irrevocable place for planning and arrangements, sometimes, the best moments can be unplanned and spontaneous.

Bring the Whole Family Together at Bailey Pointe Assisted Living at Plattsmouth

Are you about to plan your next senior family visit? Contact Bailey Pointe Assisted Living at Plattsmouth today or schedule a tour and discover how their welcoming community can add unforgettable color to your family’s visiting experiences for generations.