Halloween in Salem, Massachusetts is unlike no other place and here at the Brookhouse Home we have a front row seat along Derby Street in Salem for all the Haunted Happenings. We have also decorated both the outside and inside of our home and do plan to have a Halloween party on Oct. 31. We are all enjoying some of the crafts that go along with this time of year and hope to do more this coming week! We have found some ideas for seniors from the article entitled Halloween Crafts.
Decorate pumpkins
Making jack-o-lanterns is one of the best classic Halloween craft ideas for seniors. If you’re not able to carve pumpkins, then have a pumpkin painting day. Or you can even use crayons to create designs over the pumpkins. Small pumpkins are the best for painting and look great on shelves or by the windows of residents’ rooms.
Make decorative spiderwebs
Despite the many interesting spiderweb creations we have seen around Salem, they can be made inexpensively out of coffee filters! We have attached a link to a video on how to make coffee filter spider webs. If you throw in some yarn, residents will be able to make more cobweb designs.
Make spiral ghosts
Spinning ghosts are very easy to make and a fun Halloween activity for seniors. All you need is scissors, white paper, and a black sharpie. Then, you can put them up in the facility’s common areas. Here at the Brookhouse Home we have a lot of fun with spinning things like ghosts, witches and spiders.
Decorative Halloween garlands
Our home is perfect for decorating the banisters of stairs, our outside patio and front steps. There are many interesting ways to make attractive Halloween garlands for the halls. Some exciting ones suggested in the article can be glow-in-the-dark garlands and bat and ghost garlands.
Monster Movie Marathon
Here in Salem, the cult classic Hocus Pocus was filmed here, along with the Adam Sandler movie Hubie Halloween – both films are about celebrating Halloween in Salem. So we have our favorites but we also suggest creating a list of classic Halloween movies and you will be surprised how many there are. Screen them with plenty of popcorn, candy corn and hot cocoa. Have older adults tell scary stories or hold a trivia contest between each movie to add to the excitement.
Halloween games for seniors
Halloween games for older people can provide a delightful and interactive way to celebrate the holiday. With a touch of creativity, you can ensure that these games are engaging and enjoyable for elderly individuals. Here are some exciting ideas to consider:
Try a Scavenger hunt: Organize a Halloween-themed scavenger hunt where residents search for hidden treats or clues throughout the house. Seniors can work individually or in teams, and the first to complete the hunt can win a prize.
Halloween memory game: This is another fun and stimulating Halloween game for the elderly. Create a memory game using pairs of Halloween-themed cards. Flip the cards face down and have everyone take turns flipping two cards at a time to find a matching pair. The person with the most matches wins.
Halloween trivia: Create a Halloween-themed trivia game by preparing a list of questions about Halloween history, traditions, and popular Halloween movies or characters. Divide older adults into teams and see who can answer the most questions correctly.
