Art Therapy Activity Ideas: 10 Ways to Stimulate Creativity in Older Adults
At The Hummingbird Project, we create and deliver products and services designed to engage curiosity, foster personal expression, and cultivate joy in older adults. Today, we’d like to share ten simple projects created by our Activity Specialists to spark creativity with our clients—activities you can do at home or in a care setting with your client or loved one.
Creative expression is one of the best ways to engage older adults, even those with serious limitations or advanced cognitive decline. Arts-based programs can help older adults improve their mood, more easily maintain independence, and have a better quality of life.
Everyone can participate in the following activities to feel more connected to the world around them. Remember, whether you’re a professional or family caregiver, approach these fun activities as partners who will share the experience.
1. Create A Kindness Rock
Grab your activity partner and make a kindness rock for their garden or home. Start by going on a nature walk to find the perfect rock. If possible, bring the paint materials with you and set up to do your painting outdoors. Paint your rock and choose a favorite inspirational word or phrase to paint or write on the rock. Ideas include: Kindness, Joy, Be Happy, Positivity, Love, and Smile.
Once you’ve completed the activity, put your rocks on display in your client or loved one’s yard, garden, or home.
2. Paint!
For an easy and fun painting experience, try gathering a collection of interesting objects from your client or loved one’s home and set them in the center of a table. With your activity partner, arrange paper and paints around the items. Then, each of you selects your favorite object as inspiration.
Many prefer to paint from a picture or object rather than pulling an idea from their mind. This helps set everyone up for success and creates the opportunity for choice. Suspend any judgment and enjoy the process of experimenting with color!
You can also try it with a small group or the whole family! Happy Painting!!
3. Use Art to Tell Your Story
While Boris enjoyed a career in chemistry for most of his adult life, he also dabbled in art for fun. Due to the effects of dementia, Boris went a long stretch without a creative outlet until an Activity Specialist from The Hummingbird Project reignited his love for artistic expression. Now, Boris works himself into the theme of his artwork, using it to tell his life story.
Using art to tell your story can be done virtually by looking at and talking about paintings together. In a virtual session, a Hummingbird client and his Activity Specialist looked at paintings together. While observing the painting of a woman bathing a child, the client shared thoughts such as, “It’s very hard work.” This interaction ushered in memories of his mother and the times when she cared for him, their home, animals, and the family garden.
Knowing the importance of sharing intimate thoughts is a specialty of Hummingbird Activity Specialists and one you can practice with your client or loved one. They were relating at its finest!
4. Research a Topic of Interest
Joe has been intrigued by archaeology his whole life, so his Hummingbird Activity Specialist suggested they research the Rosetta Stone together. As Joe studied images of the Rosetta Stone, they discussed the historical significance of translating the stone.
The session took on another dimension when the Activity Specialists played a clip about the Rosetta Stone she had discovered on YouTube. After viewing the brief introductory clip, Joe stared intently as his Activity Specialist described her experience of seeing the Rosetta Stone in person when she was still in college. Joe nodded firmly, then agreed with her comments about the importance of learning and the value of college—an opinion Joe feels very strongly about.
After the activity session, Joe’s care team reported that he insisted on watching additional videos about the Rosetta Stone, clearly engaged and intrigued. His love of learning is alive and well!
Help reignite this love of learning in your client or loved one by choosing a topic that interested them in their past—or perhaps a whole new topic you both agree on. Do an online search together, watch a documentary, or look at pictures related to the topic and talk about what you see.
5. Remember Family
Inviting your activity partner to draw or paint a picture of a family member can give assurance that everything will be okay. This can be done virtually using Facetime while promoting using crayons, paints, or even pens and pencils. Describing a member of their family you are familiar with can usher in motivation and inspire your client to use their creativity.
Make sure you draw a family member for them to observe, as this will promote camaraderie and a feeling of closeness. Ask your client to write the loved one’s name at the bottom and one word that describes their personality. Demonstrate your enthusiasm by asking them to hang it up on the refrigerator or wall and share how meaningful it was to do this activity together!\
6. Try Bark Art!
In a group painting session, a Hummingbird Activity Specialist invited artists to find inspiration in a piece of eucalyptus bark and then paint it to create a textured art piece. Artists handled pieces from a selection laid out on the tables. When they connected with a bark piece, they designed their painting.
The bark inspired a variety of interpretations. Some discovered an animal in their piece. Others liked the look of a color or texture on the bark.
The transparency of watercolor paints allowed details of the bark’s surface to show through. Some artists made several pieces. A few were hesitant initially but found their muses in the bark.
To try this with your client or loved one, go on a short nature walk to find interesting pieces of bark—or bring a selection to them and lay it on a table. Pick each one up and discuss how it looks, feels, and smells. Use watercolors to paint the bark so the texture shows through. When you’re done, consider hanging the finished artwork so they can continue to inspire and delight.
Tip: The bark is fragile; use double thick thread or jewelry stringing cord to hang them. Don’t try to poke holes in them!
7. Ignite Meaningful Memories with Art Observation
Art can help bring people out of their shells and free them to communicate thoughts from their experiences. One of our Hummingbird Activity specialists engaged a participant in a group session by showing the painting The Hunters in the Snow by Pieter Bruegel the Elder.
The Activity Specialist then asked the group if they had been ice skating. One client, Jack, proudly stood in the back and raised his hand high. “I used to ice skate, but I also used to make ice for skating. I did it for four years, in the wintertime.” He explained how he used a fire hose with “three men in the back.” They would turn a city block into an ice rink in “St. Jo, Michigan.” Touching this unique memory and connection for Jack brought him to his feet, lifting him emotionally and spiritually.
8. Celebrate Autumn with a Festive Centerpiece
The following three activities are inspired by the seasons, keeping your client or loved one connected to what’s happening in the world around them and helping them tap into cherished memories and feelings from holidays throughout their life.
For this Halloween- or an autumn-themed project, gather a collection of harvest-inspired decorations from your client’s or loved one’s yard or your local craft store. Garlands of leaves, pumpkins, pinecones, and autumn baskets are just a few ideas. Together, design a beautiful table centerpiece or front porch decor. While you work, reminiscing about your favorite fall traditions and Halloween costumes will usher in the season’s joy!
9. Cultivate Gratitude
This Gratitude Tree Activity is a unique way to focus on what we are thankful for and an excellent multi-generational craft for Thanksgiving gatherings. It’s also a great choice for a group activity in a care community. Once complete, the Gratitude Tree makes a lovely centerpiece for all to enjoy.
To get started, take an outdoor walk together to collect tree branches. You will also need small rocks, one large, wide-mouth mason jar (or vase), fall-colored card stock, a pencil, a hole punch, twine, and scissors. Here are the steps:
- Pour the rocks into the mason jar or vase and place the branches into the jar.
- Use the scissors to cut the card stock into leaf shapes.
- Use the single-hole punch to punch a hole in each leaf.
- Invite everyone to write what they are grateful for on each leaf, then attach the twine and hang them from the branches.
10. Welcome Winter with Your Very Own Dogsled
Here is a fun activity that promotes a sense of creativity and partnership while celebrating winter! You and your activity partner can create a fun, snowy decoration using a collection of small dog figures and a sled.
Start by painting a small box lid for the sled. Then, cover the box with fabric to create a cushion-like look. Place the sled at the back of a large piece of heavy white paper or cardboard. Place the dogs in front of the sled and, using yarn or twine, connect the dogs. For a sense of humor, leave one dog in the sled as the “musher.” Hot glue is a great way to hold the sled and dogs in place on the paper. For a snowy effect, glue cotton balls around the dog and sled. Find a place to display your fun decorations and enjoy them throughout winter!
Check out our Hummingbird Project’s Joyful Moments activity cards, which make it easy with step-by-step instructions to reignite the sense of purpose of your client or loved one.
About the Author
Kari Rogenski, LMFT, is the Director of The Hummingbird Project, a concierge in-person and virtual therapeutic activity program. Kari is a licensed psychotherapist and clinical supervisor. She is pursuing her Ph.D. in Humanistic Psychology at Saybrook University, where she studies creativity and gerontology. Follow Kari on Linkedin.