Sensory

A Day at the Beach Sensory Kit Inspiration

Everyone loves a day at the beach, and this theme is perfect for sensory stimulation kits.

Dip Tasting Sensory Activity

A delicious sensory experience for seniors!

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Pies and Cobblers Sensory Kit

For most of our residents, a homemade pie or cobbler was a part of their summer experience. You can recreate those memories by stimulating the senses by building a sensory kit to use during small groups or during 1:1 interactions.

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In-Room Bird Watching

Bird watching is an easy in-room activity! I created a 2-page Publisher document with names and pictures of birds (and other creatures) to look for outside. You can easily adapt to your community by adding your community's name, and birds that are common around your part of the world.

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Mother's Day Sensory Kit Inspiration

Celebrate Mothers and Mother-Figures with a sensory kit designed to connect with residents of all abilities. You can use this is a group setting or during 1:1 visits, taking out one object at a time to examine and discuss.

Let's Fly a Kite Social

Host a Let’s Fly a Kite Social for your residents, or turn this into an intergenerational activity by inviting family to participate on a weekend. Kite flying is fun for all ages, which makes this social a hit no matter who participates.

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11 Garden Club Activities

If your community doesn’t already have a Gardening Club or residents, this time of year is a great time to start one. Remember, not everyone in the Club needs to have a green thumb - everyone can learn from one another!

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Easter and Passover Sensory Kit Inspiration

Bring the secular and spiritual parts of Easter and Passover to your residents by developing sensory kits based on the traditions.

Garden-Inspired Sensory Kit

Springtime is the ideal time to add a garden-inspired sensory experience to your 1:1 visits or to your small sensory groups. 

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Orange Volcano

Orange Volcano sidents I work with all have a diagnosis of dementia, but at many different stages. This creates a challenge for getting group activities going.

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Valentines Day Sensory Kit Inspiration

February is a great month to celebrate love in all its forms. While your calendar may be full of love song socials and Valentine making craft projects, you can also bring a bit of love into your 1:1 visits or small sensory stimulation groups. 

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Tissue Paper Stained Glass Windows

Colourful decorations to brighten residents' own rooms.

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Coffee and Tea Sensory Kit Inspiration

Use these items to put together a sensory kit based on a warm cup of coffee or tea. Remember, you can mix and match these items to create your own kit combination based on what you have on hand and what your residents prefer.

Sensory Lavender Rice & Chamomile Dough for Dementia

Here are some calming sensory activities that are particularly suitable for residents living with dementia. They include familiar scents, kneading and shaping. Chamomile Play Dough + Lavender Rice Tray.

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Hot Cocoa Bar Inspiration

There are plenty of reasons to throw together a festive hot cocoa bar this month, and it’s always a hit with guests young and old alike. Here’s everything you need to get your hot cocoa bar tradition going.

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Holiday Sensory Box Inspiration

So much of the holiday season is sensory! Unlock memories and encourage relaxation by using scents, sights, and sounds of the season with any of these holiday sensory kits. 

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Baking Activities: Peanut Butter Cookies and Anzac Biscuits

Cooking is one activity that engages all five senses. There are plenty of simple ways to immerse residents in a cooking activity: measuring, adding, stirring, mixing etc. is Make it safe and enjoyable for everyone.

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Rainbow Guided Meditation

Before beginning, I do a short talk about the many benefits of meditation, (improved memory, better sleep, less anxiousness etc) to reinforce their willingness to attend. Keep to a slow pace, watch the tone of your voice, keep it happy and light and give your group time to absorb each sentence you say. Enjoy.

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Cooking Magic Scones

This is really good fun and we were all amazed, it really is magic! Just 3 ingredients.

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Gratitude Journaling Prompts and Starters

November is the ideal time to harness the excitement about counting blessings and start habits that some of your residents could continue for the months to come.

Cozy Sensory Kits

The fall and winter seasons are ideal for creating a few sensory kits that encourage coziness and relaxation. You can keep these kits in your office and use them during 1:1 interactions or for small groups.

Winter Time Guided Meditation

Allow yourself to feel as comfortable as possible for a really wonderful relaxation is about to begin. Relaxing is our intent today.  Just a small time relaxing can be very beneficial.  This is the time you gift yourself for just caring about your inner wellness which glows from within.

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Rosh Hashanah Sensory Kits

Honor residents of Jewish background and faith by putting together a sensory kit based on Rosh Hashanah traditions.

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Reading Books Made from Newspaper Clippings

Choose positive, pleasant, interesting articles. Residents that have dementia or limited reading skills will enjoy reading them.

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Autumn Guided Meditation

This meditation about Autumn and "change" assists the elderly to cope with the changes that are inevitable.

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8 Ways to Provide Armchair Travel Experiences

While your residents may not be able to explore different parts of the world in person, you can give them the next best thing - a full travel experience without leaving the activity room!

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Gelli Plate Prints

Prints can be used to cover bulletin boards in rooms or cut to make greeting cards. 

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Turntable Record Playing

We have a portable turntable and lots of records from back in the day, so I got a group of residents together for the afternoon. I gave them the choice of what they wanted to listen to but also chose a few to see if they could guess who was singing or what the song was called.

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Two of a kind massage

We learned this brief activity from the exercises of our wonderful drama therapist Danielle.

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8 Blends & Remedies: Massage with Essential Oils for the Elderly

Massage has a profound effect on the sensory nervous system, stimulating blood flow and improving health and wellbeing. For the elderly, many of whom are touch deprived, the benefits of massage go well beyond the physical.

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The Power of Touch in Senior Care

Touch is important for everyone; it is an essential part of our well-being. For the elderly, the healing power of human touch cannot be underestimated. Unfortunately, many seniors do not experience the simple act of touch on a daily basis.

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How to Make Sensory Blankets for Dementia Care

Sensory Mats or Fidget Blankets provide a soothing and stimulating activity for people living with dementia or recovering from strokes.

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How to make Twiddlemuffs

Twiddlemuffs (or twiddlemitts) are knitted hand-warmers that provide sensory stimulation for people living with dementia. They keep restless hands busy and soothe and comfort those who are anxious or agitated.

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8 Hot and Cold Drinks to Share in Good Company

In nursing homes and other long term care facilities, the morning and afternoon coffee breaks are very special times when residents may welcome relatives and visitors to enjoy a cup of tea or coffee; strengthen friendships, and catch up with peers and staff.

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Sensory Pouches for Dementia Care

These touchy-feely sensory pouches (also known as squish bags and sensory pads) are a wonderful way to explore the senses. They are also so easy to make! Making sensory pouches is a quick and inexpensive way to make an engaging and relaxing sensory activity for people living with dementia.

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Scent Guessing

Sensory stimulation with familiar scents. A fun activity for seniors and the elderly living with dementia.

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Do-it-yourself Foot Spa

For many seniors, sore feet are a part of daily life due to the wear and tear of years gone by. Delight your clients by introducing foot spa sessions into your Activity Program.

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Soap Making Recipe

This is a great activity for sitting folks around a table reminiscing, uses all the senses!

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Sensory Stimulation with Wind Chimes

Wind chimes have been known to have a healing effect on the mind; reducing stress and promoting relaxation with their soothing melodies created by the wind.

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Play dough crafts

I work in a secure dementia wing and I found this activity excellent, even for vision impaired.
Thank you Marina for submitting this activity!

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Playdough Guessing Competition

A funny and engaging game you can play with playdough and a little imagination!
Thanks Christine for this fabulous idea!

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Snoezelen Rooms and Sensory Environments for Dementia Care

People living with dementia can benefit greatly from exposure to soothing and sensory environments.

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Scent for Pleasure

Evocation of familiar scents to stimulate long-term memories. Ideal for sight impaired seniors.

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25 Comfort Activities for Dementia Care

The benefits of sensory activities in dementia care cannot be underestimated. It can be as simple as taking your resident to the garden or using a diffuser with some lavender and geranium essential oils in the sitting room.

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Hand Massage & Nail Care

This is a wonderful sensory activity that can reduce anxiety, provide reassurance and a sense of comfort.

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Footbaths

Sensory stimulation. Reduce stiffness. A good alternative if your client cannot use the bath.

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Balloons and Bubbles

This suits all levels of dementia and ability. One lady can only smile. And she grinned from ear to ear when a balloon came her way.

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Puppetry for the Elderly

Joyous interaction with self and others is vital to health. I do not believe that puppetry is too childish for the aged.

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Try a New Brew

I have bought a wide variety of teas from around the world. Each resident will have a china cup, we will have a bucket for any slops and some fresh water to rinse the cups.

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Sensory Stimulation for Dementia Care

Sensory stimulation is the activation of one or more of the senses such as taste, smell, sight, hearing, and touch. Sensory stimulation is a key component for improving the quality of life of people living with dementia.

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Mindfulness

I have also introduced an activity called "Mindfulness". It is a tool used by psychologist to help people with anxiety, depression, stress and other such ailments.

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Orange Sensory Experience

Provide residents with a sensory experience of warm scented washers using essential oil sweet orange.

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Sensory Boxes & Other Ideas to Stimulate the Senses

The sensory functions of elders decline as they grow older and this can impact on their feelings of well-being. Multi-sensory stimulation is becoming increasingly popular in nursing homes based on impressive results. Sensory activities contribute to the emotional and physical health of people living with dementia. Sensory activities can be non-verbal; thereby crossing cultural boundaries.

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Stringing Beads

Stringing beads is a simple and affordable activity for seniors that produces beautiful and satisfying results. This activity can be adapted to suit people living with dementia.

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Sensory Salt Garden

Sensory salt Garden can assist with behaviours and also serves as a communication tool, along with making your home smell wonderful. Let the imagination run free.

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Homemade Snow (Sensory)

Make Homemade Snow quickly and easily! Great for winter events like the Winter Olympics.

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How to make Bubbles

These are great for outdoor fun. However don't let wet weather stop you from playing indoors!

Sensory Lap Quilt

Make your own sensory quilts to ease agitated or restless clients.
Thank you Chantal for this wonderful idea!

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Air Swimming Fish

It's not everyday you have a giant fish swimming above your head as if by magic. Thank you Ron for this great idea!

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Taste Day

Stimulation of taste senses. Provision of enjoyment.

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Sensory Patchwork

Enhance memories and provide stimulation by utilising interesting textures.

Beauty Therapy

Provide sensory stimulation and enjoyment, ideal activity for Mother's Day

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Compresses

Relieve muscle aches and increase circulation using essential oil compresses

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Baths or Spa Baths

Time out to relax and quiet the mind. A simple and effective way to use essential oils.