10 Activities You Can Do With Persons with Dementia

Here are some interesting and mind-stimulating activities that you can engage in with persons with dementia:

Activity #1: Sing songs or play musical instruments together

Research has suggested that music may reach parts of the brains associated with emotions, that communication cannot. So why not sing some songs together to stir up happy memories of your loved ones? Alternatively, you may want to consider signing up for music classes to learn how to play a new instrument. Learning how to play a new instrument can strengthen the coordination between the brain and the hand muscles.

Activity #2: Arts and crafts

It will be great to engage persons with dementia in simple arts and crafts to keep them occupied and allow them to express themselves at the same time. Some examples can be drawing or painting, or simple crafts such as origami. For a minimal mess and reusable craft idea, you can check out the Aquapaint Activity Set, a simple yet fun painting artwork that only requires some water. Each set comes with 4 different images. To further engage them, initiate conversation regarding the picture you are working on.

Aquapaint Activity Set (Days Out)

Activity #3: Work on puzzles

What better way to stimulate the brain and bond with your loved ones than to work on a puzzle together? Be it crossword puzzles, spot-the-difference, word search or even jigsaw puzzles, there are a variety of puzzle-activities for you to choose from! For jigsaw puzzles, you can check out our collection of Jigsaw Puzzles, where we offer different variants of 11, 13 and 24 pieces. We also have new puzzle sets, which include designs of local food and heritage items and a colouring puzzle set! 

13-Piece Jigsaw Puzzle Coastal Path

Hua Hee Puzzle 

Activity #4: Cooking and baking

Another way to engage with dementia patients is to have a cooking or baking activity with them. You can bake healthy and easy-to-make cookies and cook simple recipes with them. 

Activity #5: Go for a stroll

Not in the mood for more tedious activities? Going for a stroll in the park and breathing in the sea breeze can make for a relaxing activity with your loved one. Engaging them in conversations while taking a stroll can be a fun way to bond with them! If your loved ones require assistance while walking, you may consider checking out some of these walking canes that may be of help!

Activity #6: Help with simple household chores

One of the signs of dementia is the inability to perform simple tasks that one could carry out previously. However, it is still advisable to include the individual with dementia to help out with simple household chores such as folding laundry or cleaning the tables. Finishing these manageable tasks may enable them to achieve a sense of accomplishment and it may also simultaneously ease any anxieties that they may be feeling.

Activity #7: Organise an outing to visit local attractions

Staying at home for long periods of time may get very boring. Why not head outside and visit some local places of interest together? Engage the dementia patients with new sights and keep them active at the same time. You may consider going to places such as the Singapore Botanic Gardens, Singapore Zoo, and Jurong Bird Park, just to name a few.

For where to bring your elderly parents or relatives, you can check out our blog post on the10 Elderly-Friendly Attractions in Singapore.

Activity #8: Do simple exercises daily

Engaging in physical activity is a good way to keep both mind and body active, and it is never too late to start. Aim for simple exercises that can be performed daily, such as using the Portable Home Exercise Pedaler, a simple device for your loved ones to keep fit in the comfort of your home, ideal for toning both arm and leg muscles. You may also consider other simple home exercise devices such as the Resistive Exercise Tubing and Egg Hand Exercisers which makes exercising convenient and easy.

Left to right: Portable Home Exercise Pedaler, Resistive Exercise Tubing, Egg Hand Exercisers 

Activity #9: Play nostalgic games with them.

Bring back the nostalgia by playing old-school games with your loved ones. Remember Five Stones? The colourful paper ball or even marbles? Play some old-school games with the elderly and you can even create a conversation topic about life in the 60s or 70s. This makes for a fun and nostalgic family time. Not sure where to find these games? At The Golden Concepts, we have nostalgic card games - Snap and Classic memory matching with a local twist! 

Hua Hee Matchoonary

Hua Hee Snap 

Activity #10: Read together

Reading together can be an enjoyable activity for people with dementia. While reading together, you can prompt the elderly by talking about what happened in the book and relating it to his/her life experiences. There are many easy-to-read and visual books available on the market for a good afternoon reading session. 

Try these activities today and keep your loved ones engaged in a meaningful way.