Meaningful holiday activity ideas for senior living

The holiday season can stir a range of emotions for residents: from anticipation and excitement to nostalgia and loneliness. For life enrichment teams, this season is a powerful opportunity to bring residents together through activities that honor cherished memories while inspiring new traditions.

Personalizing holiday activities

Personalized engagement is invaluable all year long, but it takes on special significance during the holidays. Because holidays are rooted in lifelong traditions and sensory memories—favorite foods, familiar songs, cherished rituals—they provide a powerful foundation for meaningful engagement.

For staff, delivering truly personalized experiences starts with having the right tools to simplify planning and resident intake. An integrated onboarding and calendar management solution allows staff to capture details such as traditions, religious affiliation, accessibility needs, and social preferences, and use that information to tailor activities that resonate. The result: residents feel seen, included, and encouraged to participate, while staff save time and reduce stress during a busy season.

Here are creative winter holiday activity ideas designed to spark connection and joy this season.

Christmas activity ideas

• 12 Days of Christmas celebration: Create a countdown of daily themed activities leading up to Christmas; cookie decorating, ornament making, caroling, or storytelling. Each day can highlight a different aspect of the season.
• Christmas choir & sing-along: Invite residents, staff, and families to join a holiday choir. Practice familiar carols and perform around the community or at a family open house event.
• Ornament decorating workshop: Provide paint, ribbon, and glitter so residents can personalize ornaments. Display them on a communal tree or give as gifts to family members.
• Gingerbread house competition: Give teams pre-assembled houses to decorate with icing, gumdrops, and candy canes. Display them throughout the community and let residents vote for their favorites.
• Tree lighting ceremony: Involve residents in decorating and lighting the community tree. Play soft holiday music and serve cocoa and cookies for a heartwarming kickoff to the season.
• Christmas movie matinee: Turn your lounge into a holiday theater with classics like It’s a Wonderful Life or White Christmas. Serve popcorn, cocoa, and candy canes.
• Secret Santa exchange: Organize a simple, low-cost gift exchange with spending limits and themed ideas (“something cozy” or “something handmade”).
• Letters to loved ones: Offer festive stationery and assistance for residents to write cards or letters to family and friends. Mail them together as a symbolic community gesture.
• Christmas Eve candlelight gathering: Host a peaceful evening with readings, live music, or a virtual service. Provide battery-operated candles for safety and ambiance.
• Cookie decorating & delivery: Residents can decorate sugar cookies to enjoy or gift to neighboring communities, staff, or local organizations—spreading sweetness and connection.

Hanukkah activity ideas

• Menorah lighting & storytelling: Gather each evening to light the menorah, play traditional music, and share the story of Hanukkah. Invite residents to share their favorite Hanukkah traditions or discuss what the holiday means to them.
• Dreidel tournament: Teach residents the meaning of each Hebrew letter on the dreidel, then host a friendly competition with chocolate gelt prizes and laughter.
• Latke cooking demo & tasting: Prepare latkes together—residents can help grate potatoes or mix batter. Offer applesauce and sour cream on the side.
• Hanukkah craft workshop: Create blue and white paper garlands, menorah centerpieces, or Star of David window clings to decorate the community.
• Hanukkah music hour: Play recordings of traditional songs like “Ma’oz Tzur” and “Sevivon Sov Sov Sov.” Encourage sing-alongs or live performances if residents play instruments.
• Candle-making craft: Residents can roll beeswax candles or pour scented ones into jars, then gift them to friends or family.
• Hanukkah story time: Read short stories about the Festival of Lights and discuss favorite parts.
• Jelly donut social: Enjoy sufganiyot (jelly-filled donuts) and hot tea or cocoa while sharing favorite holiday memories.

Kwanzaa activity ideas

• Kinara lighting & reflection: Gather each evening to light the kinara candles and discuss the principle of the day, such as unity, self-determination, or collective work. Encourage residents to share how these values have shaped their lives and families.
• Kente cloth craft: Provide fabric markers and patterned paper so residents can design their own interpretations of Kente cloths, symbolizing creativity and heritage. Display them as wall art or placemats in the dining area.
• Storytelling and ancestral sharing: Host a storytelling circle where residents share family traditions, personal triumphs, or lessons passed down through generations, connecting the principles of Kwanzaa to lived experience.
• Kwanzaa feast tasting: Organize a tasting event featuring soul food staples and African-inspired dishes—like collard greens, cornbread, sweet potatoes, and jollof rice. Discuss the cultural roots of each dish.
• Community unity collage: Collaboratively create a large art piece where residents add symbols or drawings representing togetherness, strength, and community pride.
• Music and drumming circle: Play traditional African rhythms or invite a guest performer. Residents can join with handheld percussion instruments, maracas, or clapping to the beat.
• Principles reflection cards: Make daily reflection cards that summarize each of Kwanzaa’s seven principles. Encourage residents to draw one each morning and discuss how it applies to daily life.
• Kwanzaa candle craft: Residents can decorate battery-operated candles or votives in the traditional red, green, and black color scheme. Use them to decorate tables throughout the week.
• Cultural film screening: Show a documentary or short film highlighting African or African-American heritage, followed by a guided discussion about cultural identity and pride.
• Unity day celebration: On the final day, host a “Kuumba & Imani” gathering to celebrate creativity and faith through poetry, song, and shared affirmations. Invite family members to join and participate.

Non-denominational holiday activity ideas

• Winter wonderland dance: Transform your dining room with twinkle lights, snowflake décor, and soft music for a winter-themed social event with cocoa and cookies.
• Hot chocolate bar: Offer various toppings—peppermint sticks, whipped cream, marshmallows—and play soft instrumental music for a relaxed afternoon treat.
• Cozy craft day: Host a creative session where residents knit scarves or assemble fleece blankets to donate to a local shelter.
• Snowflake art workshop: Have residents cut paper snowflakes or paint winter scenes for hallway displays, adding seasonal charm to shared spaces.
• Holiday card exchange: Pair residents or match them with pen pals from another community to exchange cheerful holiday notes.
• Winter storytelling series: Invite residents to share personal stories about their favorite winter memories. Compile them into a “Community Holiday Memories” booklet.
• Gentle sing-along & cocoa social: End a day with a relaxed, low-stimulation group sing-along featuring familiar carols, soft lighting, and warm cocoa.

Holiday activities for people living with dementia

• Sensory ornaments: Provide soft fabrics, ribbons, and textured paper so residents can explore different sensations while crafting ornaments.
• Familiar holiday music hour: Play songs from residents’ younger years to encourage memory recall and emotional connection. Singing along can be especially therapeutic.
• Cookie decorating made simple: Offer pre-baked cookies and easy-to-handle decorations like colored sugar or icing pens. Focus on fun, not perfection.
• Hands-on decorating: Give residents small tasks—placing ornaments, arranging garlands, or fluffing wreaths—so they can contribute meaningfully.
• Photo reminiscence activity: Look through old holiday photos or magazines. Encourage residents to identify familiar scenes or share associated feelings.
• Simple wreath-making: Residents can loop ribbons or attach pinecones to foam wreath bases—an easy, calming craft with a tangible result.
• Holiday light drive: Take an evening outing to view neighborhood lights or display photos/videos of light tours in common areas.
• Memory boxes: Fill boxes with familiar holiday objects—ornaments, fabric swatches, spices—to spark sensory engagement and storytelling.

New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day activity ideas

• New Year’s Eve celebration: Host an early evening countdown party with sparkling juice, party hats, and confetti. Include a toast to reflect on favorite memories from the past year and hopes for the next.
• New Year’s vision board workshop: Invite residents to create simple collages or word boards that reflect hopes, goals, or gratitude for the coming year.
• Memory lane slideshow: Compile photos from community events throughout the year into a slideshow. Screen it during the New Year’s Eve party with upbeat music and commentary from staff or residents.
• New Year’s gratitude circle: Gather in a small group to share moments from the past year that brought joy or growth. Use prompts like “Something I’m proud of this year…” or “Someone who made a difference for me is…”
• Countdown bingo: Play a themed bingo game leading up to midnight (or an earlier “midnight” time). Each space can feature words like “celebration,” “champagne,” or “confetti.”
• Mocktail mixology class: Let residents help mix colorful, alcohol-free beverages using sparkling cider, fruit juices, and garnishes. Vote on a community “signature drink” for 2026.
• New Year’s Eve concert or karaoke: Host a live or streamed performance, or organize a karaoke night with songs from residents’ favorite decades. Hand out lyric sheets and glow sticks for fun participation.
• Midnight (or 8 p.m.) balloon drop: Schedule an early countdown followed by a balloon drop, streamers, and music. Capture photos for families to share.
• New Year’s Day pajama brunch: Begin the year with comfort—serve pancakes, fruit, and mimosas (or juice) while playing soft jazz. Encourage residents to come in cozy attire for a relaxing start to the year.
• Letters to your future self: Have residents write letters reflecting on what they hope to experience in the coming year. Seal and store them to reopen next December, offering a meaningful moment of reflection.

While we’d love to take credit for coming up with these activity ideas, they actually came from our AI Activity Generator. Part of our AI-enhanced Calendar Management solution, the Activity Generator suggests creative, dynamic activity ideas tailored to residents’ individual preferences and histories. Explore how it works here.