5 Fall Activities for Seniors and Families

Fall is my absolute favorite season. I would have a hard time choosing one thing I love about it. I love the colors, the crisp air, and the way the light shifts as we get closer to winter. But enough about me. This post is all about you and fall activities for seniors and families. Below you will find fun new fall prompts to kick off your storytelling, ways to tell stories while getting outside, and a brand-new fall activity kit.

Podcast & Audio of Fall Activities for Seniors & Families

Fall Seasonal Prompts

Use these prompts to help someone explore a favorite fall memory. You can ask about something specific like a smell or widespread tradition to help get your storyteller started. 

• Do you have a favorite fall memory?
• What happened?
• Who was with you?
• When did your favorite fall memory happen?
• Where did your favorite fall memory happen?
• Why did it happen? How did it come about?
• How does this favorite fall memory make you feel?
• Why do you want to remember this fall memory?
• What do you want people to remember about this fall memory?

Questions and prompts are a great way to kick off meaningful conversations. Kids have a way of getting people to open up and share the best stories. Let your little guys share a fun time with grandma and grandpa using this Legacy Scavenger Hunt here. Nurture this season with fall activities for seniors and kids to help them create memorable moments with their loved ones.

Fright prompts and stories

Have you ever experienced something truly frightful or terrifying? Start a storytelling conversation centered around a topic like this and you never know where you will end up 🤣 . You may find even more chilling memories buried deep inside your subconscious. Remember to share your stories when you are working with someone to help them tell their stories.

• What was the greatest #halloween #fright of your life?
• Who was with you?
• What happened?
• When did this moment happen?
• Where did this moment happen?
• Why did this moment happen?
• Why is this moment important to you?
• How does this moment make you feel?
• What do you want people to remember about this moment?

You can explore more about fear and how you were able to overcome it here. 

Fall Storytelling Activity Kit

This activity kit includes a few ways to tell stories and fall-inspired prompts. The kit is perfect for the residents in your care, small humans you love, or you 😍 . You will find everything you need to plan and host a Fall Storytelling Activity Session.

Getting Outside

Chances are there are more than a few things happening outside right now. Take a peek at your local events to see if anything fits in with what you are able to do and comfortable with. If those things aren’t an option, never fear. Here are a few storytelling things you can do outside…

• Take an imaginative walk – make up stories about the things you see
• Tell a story about a house as you walk through your neighborhood
• Habitat Walk – observe and describe the habitats you see
• Play “I spy with my little eye” – this game really never gets old

Fall Craft – Leaf Rubbings

One of my favorite things to do as a kid and then with my kids was leaf rubbings. They are so simple and yet, the best. I liked to imagine and tell a story about where the leaf came from and what it saw before I found it. When the kids were little they would join in and talk about all the places the leaf had visited before we picked it up. Listen to the podcast episode above for more of this story.

The leaf rubbings were a wonderful reminder of the stories we told and what we dreamed up. This same approach can be used in care situations and facilities. If it’s not possible to get a leaf, anything that has texture to it can be used as a rubbing. You only need paper and crayons or pencils to make the rubbing. Remember to share it with someone you love and tell the story!

Fall Activities for Seniors and Beyond

Obviously, this isn't a complete list of everything you can do with seniors and families in fall. Things I didn't mention include apples and apple butter and pie-making. You can find more thoughts on baking memories and stories here.  I hope you have gotten some inspiration to tell new stories and ask different questions. As always remember to share your story when you ask someone else about theirs. Happy fall!