Hillsides are dressed in shades of red, orange, and yellow. Shops are decorated with dried cornstalks and pumpkin spice everything is on every menu. Fall has officially begun.
From hay rides to haunted houses, the season of fall has something for everyone, whether they are 1 or 101! With beautiful scenery and cooler days, fall is a great time to take part in seasonal activities with your aging loved ones. Read on for five of our favorite ways to welcome fall with older adults.
1. Savor the Harvest.Fall is widely associated with harvests and abundance — with good reason, as it traditionally marks the end of the growing season. Crops that were planted in the spring and carefully tended to in the summer are now ready to be picked and enjoyed (or stored for the winter months).
Participate in your very own fall harvest by visiting a local orchard or pumpkin patch with your senior loved one. There’s nothing better than a crisp red apple or plump orange pumpkin that you’ve picked yourself. Apples and pumpkins are both at their peak ripeness during the fall months, though the available varieties may vary depending on the region.
After you've found the perfect pick, head on over to the kitchen. You can bake your harvest into fall treats with your loved one for a great way to share some additional quality time. If pumpkin pie isn’t your thing, try carving or painting them, or using them for some festive fall decor.
2. Celebrate “Spooky” Season.
Fall wouldn’t be fall without Halloween. Rooted in an ancient Celtic festival, this haunted holiday has evolved into a time to decorate your home with ghosts and watch scary movies with your family and friends.
If your aging loved one prefers nights in, consider planning a scary movie night. Make it extra spooky with Halloween-themed snacks for the family. For those who are a bit more adventurous, check out a nearby haunted house. There are different levels of intensity offered by each haunted house experience, so examine your options carefully before making a decision.
Some seniors may simply enjoy the aesthetics of Halloween. Plan an afternoon with your loved one to select and put up a few Halloween decorations. There are a lot of fun decorations to choose from, such as items with skeletons, witches, and ghosts (oh my!).
Does your loved one enjoy dressing up in a classic Halloween costume? Remind them that no age is too old to dress up. Your older loved one can make their costume as simple or elaborate as they’d like, with possibilities from “bookworm” to Barbra Streisand. Some senior living communities even have Halloween costume contests or parties, so be sure to keep an eye on their event calendar.
3. Make Life Cozy.Fall signals the chill of winter is on its way. In nature, life slows down. Animals hibernate, trees slumber, and flowers disappear under the snow to wait until spring returns. There’s an instinct to seek out a warm and cozy space and hunker down until April. Take the time to help your loved one create that warm and cozy space in their home to enjoy the winter months more.
The start of fall is a great time to declutter and prepare for winter. Summer clothes can be put away for the season. Go for a shopping trip for fall attire like fuzzy sweaters and chic scarves if your loved one needs new wardrobe pieces. Put on a fashion show or give each other suggestions as you try different outfits on.
If your senior loved one enjoys crafting, consider knitting hats or gloves with them. You can choose colors that match the leaves and take the time to learn a new skill together. Knitting not your style? You can create autumn wreaths to hang as fall decorations instead. Your choice of materials is only as limited as your imagination.
A traditional wreath might involve twigs, leaves, and pinecones, but wreaths can be made from nearly anything. For a sustainable twist, try repurposing items from around the home that are no longer in use. Everything from buttons to bobbins to bowties can become works of art.
4. Bake Seasonal Sweets.Cooler temperatures provide the perfect excuse to crank that oven and bake some mouthwatering sweets. Fall is known for warm and hearty flavors, with notable treats including pies, cookies, candy apples, s’mores, and anything that has apple, pumpkin, or cinnamon in it.
Pumpkin spice lattes are likely the most popular fall treat. While a myriad of cafes and coffee shops boast their own variation, a homemade pumpkin spice latte is easy, delicious, and less expensive. There are many recipes available on the internet, but the basic mix includes pumpkin, vanilla extract, milk, sugar, and spices. Experiment with different ratios and flavor profiles to find the ones that you and your senior loved one prefer.
While many people may associate fall with “The Great Indoors,” don’t rule out outdoor activities just yet. For most of the country, the clocks will “fall back” on the first Sunday of November, giving us one less hour of sunlight. Between the summer solstice and winter solstice, the days also get shorter in the Northern Hemisphere as this part of the earth tilts away from the sun. The cooler and relatively sunnier days of fall make it the perfect time to soak up the vitamin D and fresh air before the cold and dark winter comes.
Outdoor fall activities that you can enjoy with the seniors in your life include venturing out for a hayride, hosting a fall picnic or backyard campout, going for a hike or a walk, renting a family cabin, going to a corn maze, having a bonfire, and more.
All around, fall is a wonderful season to spend time with the older adults in your life. Whether you’re enjoying fresh harvests, fun Halloween scares, cozy homes filled with homemade treats, or crisp autumn sunlight, take advantage of the autumn months to strengthen your relationships with your senior loved ones.
Find more creative ideas for engaging your senior loved one by subscribing to our blog or scheduling a visit with one of our senior living counselors at a UMH community near you.