Creative activities for adults at home

Creative activities for adults can include using mobile phones for fun and enjoyment. Mobile phones open the doors to new hobbies and interests for people with many hours to fill with meaningful activities. There are many ways to embrace mobile phones. With lifestyle changes come new ways of adapting creative activities for adults looking to add more meaning to their lives.

Woman displaying her home made jewelry and books at a local craft show.She stays busy making jewelry and writing books for sale at local craft shows.

Adults can use social media to stay active and energetic to connect with family and friends through a broad social network. While traveling, mobile phones help these adults stay in touch with friends and family at home. They use email, texting, pictures and social media to stay connected. Mobile phone apps helps them to navigate more efficiently around town or to a new destination. Adults can find information on stores, movies theaters or restaurants that they would like to visit. 

Creative arts and crafts ideas for adults

“The conversation has started to encompass health and wellness. Adults are also thinking more about quality of life and about remaining creatively active and socially engaged,” according to Dr. Raquel Stephenson.

Dr. Stephenson is an assistant professor of Expressive Therapies and program coordinator for Art Therapy. She has put Lesley University at the forefront of art therapy for older adults. She writes about how the arts can promote health and wellness in older people. She is an experienced clinician and the founder of national and international art therapy programs.

In 2030, adults over 65 will make up 20 percent of the population of the United States. For older adults, the unseen enemy is isolation. Losses increase as spouses and friends pass away. Older adults may relocate to a new location, abandoning homes they have lived in for many years. As a result, many of these seniors suffer from depression, medial problems and withdrawal from society. 

Dr. Stephenson’s research demonstrates that using art as one of the creative expression activities for adults can change the negative impact that affects the lives of these senior adults. Including art in the list of creative activities for adults promotes increased self-esteem, social connection and motivation. This leads to improved health and well-being. Dr. Stephenson’s goal is to introduce the creative arts into the day-to-day lives of older adults. 

“If by improving a person’s sense of happiness and social connection through creative engagement, we can reduce isolation and depression, we may be able to delay significant contact with the healthcare system. That’s money that isn’t being spent. When people take the risk of making art with others, it builds community, which is therapeutic. Making art allows this community-building to happen quickly and more powerfully,” she explains.

List of creative activities for adults

Many adults lose mobility as a result of stroke, severe arthritis or injuries from falls. Seniors with limited mobility are unable to enjoy the hobbies and creative activities for adults in their younger days with better health.

These individuals can still find a list of creative activities for adults that they can enjoy today.

Creative activities for adults includes watching demonstrations.This woman is watching a colonial blacksmith in action.
  • Reading is a fun way to improve memory, improve sleep, reduce stress and delay cognitive decline.
  • Creative activities for adults that don’t require a lot of moving around include birdwatching, cooking, knitting, baking, crochet, playing a musical instrument, indoor or container gardening or learning new languages.
  • Continue to find exercises that can be done with limited mobility.
  • Explore creative arts and crafts ideas for adults. These include drawing, coloring, scrapbooking, making a family recipe book or organizing family photo albums.
  • Getting outside to spend some time enjoying nature is relaxing and a great mood booster.
  • Asking family or friends with babies or friendly pets to stop by for a visit is another good way to engage an older adult.
  • Games and puzzles are great sources of entertainment and fun activities. These can be creative group activities for adults.
  • Enjoy movies, TV shows or music.
  • Giving back to the community is one of the best ways to stay engaged and achieve a sense of purpose and accomplishment. 
  • Seniors can write a novel or a memoir. Creative writing classes are easy to find and are a great way to meet new people while engaging in a creative activity.
  • Local theaters have many opportunities to everyone from novice actors to experienced entertainers. Other theater opportunities include helping with set design, costumes, lighting or stage management.

How do adults learn new technology?

Adults learn best with one-on-one, hands-on show-and-tell. The more nervous and intimidated a relative is about using the technology, the more important it is to transmit information in small pieces. Let them learn by doing one thing at a time and practicing it many times before moving on to a new concept. The government survey found that  adults learn best when technology is delivered using equipment they are already familiar with.

Young people can play an interesting role in adult and senior development by teaching older adults how to use smartphones. GrandparetnsGoneWired.org offers tips on ways they can teach senior adults how to use their mobile phone devices. This helps seniors adapt to the new technology to help improve the quality of their lives each day. This organization helps seniors stay connected with loved ones and improves the health of senior citizens.

"Grandparents Gone Wired gives young people a chance to spend time with the older adults in their lives and teach them a new skill," said Naomi Hirabayashi, chief marketing officer at DoSomething.org. "When older adults learn how to text like their grandkids, it makes them feel more connected and in the loop with what's going on in their lives."

Grandparents can use mobile phone technology to connect with their tech-savvy grandchildren. Emergency contact information may be stored on mobile phone devices providing a medical alert system for family members of older adults living with medical issues. This is an excellent way for family members to be notified of any unexpected health emergencies and a way for them to stay in touch with their older relative.

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