The Best Printable Activities for Seniors

Stay mentally and physically active with these 25 printable activities for seniors - some DIY, some free! As we get older, it's crucial to keep our minds and bodies engaged. Whether you’re at a senior center, relaxing at home, or exploring the great outdoors, there’s a perfect activity here to brighten your day and help keep you sharp.

These activities are great for both solo play and group fun. You’ll find a variety of options for senior centers, including fun activity books, free and paid printables, and activities for both indoors and outdoors. I’ve also included ideas for summer and winter to keep you entertained all year round.

The Activities List

Here’s a handy list of the games and activities I’ve got lined up for you:

Printable Activities for Senior Centers

1. Picture Bingo with a Twist

Who doesn’t love a good game of Bingo? It’s a classic, but why not spice it up a bit? Instead of numbers, use pictures of favorite things like classic cars, flowers, or even famous landmarks.

How to Play:

• Print out Bingo cards with different pictures.
• Use picture tokens or call out descriptions instead of numbers.
• For an extra challenge, add a theme like "Summer Fun" or "Around the World."

Twist: Try incorporating trivia questions related to the images. If someone gets the answer right, they get to mark the spot.

>> Get my Free Christmas Bingo Game

2. Crossword Puzzles

Crosswords are excellent for keeping your brain sharp. Create or find printable crosswords that focus on themes like history, famous quotes, or hobbies.

How to Play:

• Print out a themed crossword puzzle.
• Work alone or team up with friends to solve it.

Twist: Time yourself or your team to see how fast you can complete it. Add small prizes for the fastest times.

>> Here's my favorite crossword puzzle

3. Printable Card Games

Remember those late-night card games? Let's bring them back with printable versions of Rummy or Solitaire. Print custom decks or use online templates to enjoy these classics with friends. It’s like being in a card club, but without having to leave your cozy spot.

4. Printable Board Games

Board games are timeless. Print out the board and pieces for games like checkers or chess. These can be great for a leisurely afternoon. Plus, they’re fantastic for keeping the strategic part of our brains engaged.

Fun Activity Books for Senior Citizens

5. Memory Lane Scrapbook

Creating a scrapbook is a delightful way to reminisce and share memories. Gather old photos, magazine cutouts, and printable templates to create pages about different times in your life.

How to Make It:

• Print out scrapbook templates.
• Collect photos, ticket stubs, and other memorabilia.
• Use glue, stickers, and markers to decorate your pages.

Twist - Add short stories or captions for each page and share your scrapbook with family and friends. It’s a beautiful way to reminisce.

And even better, you can make your own memory book. Here is my printable memory book journal. I love it! 

>> Life Story Journal for Grandparents: Preserve Your Legacy

I had so much fun making it, there are 10 cover designs to choose from with multiple word variations. Here are a few:

The prompts and questions are included but here's more inspiration:

>> Questions for Grandparents Memory Book: Essential Tips and Prompts

6. Activity Book Bundles

Get 2 or 3 games in one bundle. I love a bargain too!

7. True or False Trivia Games

Activity books filled with true or false games can keep you entertained for hours. I have a lot of true and false games, here's the link.

>> Click here for Granny Maze True or False Games

Free Printable Activities for Seniors

8. Word Search Puzzles

Word searches are a great way to improve concentration and vocabulary. Find printable word search puzzles on various themes like seasons, holidays, or favorite movies.

How to Play:

• Print out a word search puzzle.
• Circle the words hidden in the grid.

Twist: Create your own word search puzzles for friends using online tools. Exchange and solve each other’s creations.

>> Click here for some free printable word search games.

9. Coloring Pages

Coloring isn’t just for kids. It’s a relaxing and creative activity. Find printable coloring pages with intricate designs, nature scenes, or your beloved characters.

How to Play:

• Print out coloring pages.
• Use colored pencils, markers, or crayons to bring the pictures to life.

Twist: Try using a limited color palette to challenge your creativity. You can also color while listening to your favorite music or an audiobook for an even more enjoyable experience.

>> Free Christmas Coloring Pages

>> Not free but fun - have a look at my Coloring Books.

10. Mad Lib Stories

Mad Libs are a fantastic way to bring some laughter into your summer activities. If you haven't played before, Mad Libs are stories with blank spaces where you can fill in the blanks with random words like nouns, adjectives, or verbs. The results are often hilarious and nonsensical, making for a great time with friends or family.

Print out some Mad Lib story templates and gather around. One person asks for words to fill in the blanks without revealing the story context, and once all blanks are filled, you read the story out loud. The unexpected combinations of words will have everyone in stitches.

For an added twist, create your own Mad Libs based on summer experiences, like a day at the beach or a picnic in the park. Sharing these personalized stories can add a delightful personal touch and a lot of laughs to your gathering. It's a simple, yet incredibly fun way to enjoy your time together. Here's my free Mad Libs game link.

>> Free Christmas Mad Libs Game - A Christmas Story

11. Printable Trivia Games

Printable trivia games are another option, where you can test your knowledge on various subjects like history, movies, or music. Print out trivia questions and answers, take turns asking and answering questions, and make it a team game or compete individually.

>> Free Christmas Trivia Games

>> Click here for the latest Trivia Games

Outdoor Printable Activities for Seniors

12. Scavenger Hunt

A scavenger hunt is a fantastic way to enjoy the outdoors and stay active. Create a list of items to find or things to photograph in your garden or local park.

How to Play:

• Print out a scavenger hunt list.
• Go outside and start hunting for the items on your list.

Twist: Add clues or riddles to make the hunt more challenging. You can also do this with a group and see who finds everything first.

>> You can play our printable scavenger hunts outside too.

13. Nature Bingo

14. Outdoor Sketching

Outdoor sketching is an enjoyable way to spend time in nature. Grab some paper and pencils, and head outside to sketch. Print out drawing prompts if you need inspiration. Sit outside and start sketching what you see. Trying different mediums like charcoal or pastels can make it even more interesting. Share your drawings with friends or in a local art group.

15. DIY Ring Toss or Bean Bag Toss

These classic games can be easily made with printable targets and instructions. Set up in your yard or a park and enjoy a friendly competition. Print out the targets, gather some bean bags or rings, and get tossing!

Entertaining Indoor Printable Activities

16. DIY Jigsaw Puzzles

Jigsaw puzzles are perfect for a rainy day. Print out a picture, glue it onto cardboard, and cut it into pieces to create your own puzzle.

How to Play:

• Print a picture and glue it to cardboard.
• Cut out the pieces to make a puzzle.
• Assemble the puzzle on a table.

Twist: Try timing yourself to see how quickly you can complete it. You can also swap puzzles with friends to keep things interesting.

17. Trivia Games

Trivia games are also excellent for indoor fun. Test your knowledge with printable trivia questions, choosing categories like food, history, movies, or music.

How to Play:

• Print out trivia questions and answers.
• Take turns asking and answering questions.

Twist: Make it a team game or compete individually. Keeping score and awarding small prizes for the most correct answers can make it even more fun.

>> Multiple Choice Food Trivia Game

>> Click here for the whole Trivia Collection

18. Printable Memory Games

Printable memory games can be very engaging. Here's a DIY idea - print pairs of cards with images or words, mix them up, and lay them face down. Take turns flipping over two cards at a time, trying to find matching pairs. It’s a simple game that never gets old.

Or better yet play my flowers memory game. 90 Flowers to identify and color too. It's a brain teaser that's loads of fun.

19. Word Games like Hangman or Pictionary

Printable word games like Hangman or Pictionary can be a hit. Print the game sheets and enjoy playing with friends or family. These games are easy to set up and always bring a lot of laughs.

Summer Printable Activities for Seniors

20. Summer Drawing and Coloring

Outdoor sketching is also at number 14, but I wanted to include it here as a great summer activity. Grab some paper, pencils, and head outside to draw or use my coloring books to play. Whether it’s your garden or a local park, drawing can be incredibly relaxing and enjoyable.

How to Start:

• Print out coloring pages or grab your photo do draw from if you need inspiration.
• Sit outside and start drawing what you see.

Twist: Trying different mediums and textures like charcoal or pastels or different pencils, and watercolors. Mix it all up texture wise and make it even more fun to play with. As a brain exercise, use your non dominant hand. SO challenging but funny!

21. Picnic Games

Organize a picnic and bring along any of the printable games on this page like crossword puzzles, word searches, and trivia.

How to Play:

• Print out a selection of games.
• Bring them along to a picnic and enjoy them between snacks.

Twist: To keep things lively, add physical activities like this next one.

22. Charades with a Twist

Tranform any trivia game into a game of charades. 

How to Play:

• Print out some trivia game cards.
• Instead of answering the questions, silently act out the answers just like a charade game.
• Lay the ground rules. Hand signs for movie, or book. 2 words, etc.

Who knows, you might just discover a new hidden talent for theatrics!

To help you get started here are a few more links to games >> super fun charade games and of course, our whole trivia section!

23. Summer Scavenger Hunts

Printable outdoor scavenger hunts tailored for summer can be a lot of fun. Create lists of summer-themed items to find, print them out, and head to a park or beach for a fun hunt. It’s a great way to enjoy the beautiful weather. Check out this fun collection of scavenger hunts here at Granny Maze. These printable games are perfect for summer outings. 

24. Printable Nature Journals

Print journal pages with prompts about summer flora and fauna and take notes or draw pictures during your outdoor adventures. It’s a wonderful way to connect with nature and reflect on your experiences.

Printable Christmas Activities for Seniors

25. Nine Free Printable Games Yule Love

For a festive touch, try these 9 free printable Christmas activities for seniors. Enjoy finish the Christmas phase, an easy Christmas Bingo game or get cozy with Christmas-themed word search games. You can also play some super fun dice games. For a mental challenge, tackle the Christmas-themed 'Who Am I' game. My favorite! All of these activities are free... my gift to you to bring good cheer and more fun to the holiday season.

>> Printable Christmas Activities for Seniors

It's Easy to Stay Active with These Printable Activities for Seniors

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