10 Senior Community Activity Ideas: June Edition

Can you believe it’s almost June? But you know what that means: sunshine, warmer weather, ice cream, outdoor activities, and more! For this month, we’re sharing activities based on quirky holidays and celebrations that take place in the month of June, to help you get an early start on your June calendar.

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1. June 1st – Say Something Nice Day ‍

We all love hearing a nice compliment from someone else. Why not organize a program that encourages residents to say something nice to one another. You could sit in a circle and ask each person to say one nice thing about each resident. You could do a happy hour event where residents walk around and share something nice about each other while enjoying a good beer or wine. Or, you could do an awards ceremony, honoring all those nice residents in your community.

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2. June 5 – World Environment Day

A day to remind us all to take care of our planet and protect our environments. Try running a program that relates to helping Mother Earth: Create a plastic reduction plan for your community as a group, invite some students from a local school to come learn from your residents about gardening and growing food, or plant a tree in the outdoor space at your community.  Take advantage of the restorative power of nature and celebrate and care for your environment!

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3. June 8 – World Ocean Day

Another day to celebrate what we have in nature: our beautiful, blue oceans. This is a great day to show some documentaries in the evening about Oceans. Here are some titles to get you started: My Octopus Teacher, Chasing Coral, David Attenborough's Life on our Planet, Mission Blue, End of the Line, Blue Planet. Encourage some discussion after the documentary between residents to help them connect.

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4. June 15 – World Elder Abuse Awareness Day 

While this may not be a lighthearted day, it’s an incredibly important one, especially for the older adults in our community. World Elder Abuse Awareness Day is a great opportunity to have a guest speaker come in to talk about a variety of subjects including personal safety, frauds and scams, self-protection, and more. Arm your residents with the information they need.

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5. June 18th – International Sushi Day

Sushi has become increasingly popular. If your residents are open, there are a few programs you could run. You could go out for a sushi lunch. You could do a sushi-making class, buying all the ingredients from sticky rice to seaweed (here’s a recipe). You could put on a cooking show that evening that showcases how sushi is made. The world is your oyster. I mean, the world is your sushi!

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6. June 18th – International Picnic Day

Your residents will love a good summer picnic! So, why not head out to a park close by and have an ol’ fashion picnic. Encourage your residents to dress up, get your culinary team to pack some picnic basket (or brown bag) lunches, and bring some games along to do. Reminisce with your residents about the picnics they did as a family when they were kids or when they were raising kids. Don’t forget the ice-cold lemonade!

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7. June 19 – World Juggling Day 

Looking to switch up your entertainment in the month of June? Hire a juggler to entertain your residents? Better yet, get a juggler to teach them how to juggle too. Your residents will practice coordination AND come out with a new party trick!

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8. June 19th – World Sauntering Day 

Did you know that there was a World Sauntering Day? It was news to us too! The purpose is to remind people to slow down and enjoy life as opposed to rushing through it. So think about activities you can plan that encourage your residents to stop and smell the roses? Sauntering is a slow walk that carries a cheerful attitude. You don’t hurry and instead, absorb the things around them like the sounds and the sights. Schedule a walk with your residents where they have enough time to stroll or sit and take it all in, without a specific plan or end time. A beach, a wooded trail, or a nice park are great spots to go.

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9. June 19 – Father’s Day 

Celebrate all those Dads in your community this upcoming Father’s Day. They play an important role in their kid's and grandkids' lives and they deserve to be celebrated. You can honour those amazing dads by hosting a special dinner or BBQ for the Dads, kids, and grandkids or doing an outing to a baseball game, car show, or bowling. For those dads who have kids who live far away, arrange a virtual visit with their kids in advance of Father’s Day and have volunteers and students help set them up for the call.

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10. June 21 – National Indigenous Peoples Day 

On June 21, celebrate National Indigenous Peoples Day! It's a day to celebrate the cultural richness and contributions of First Nations, Inuit, and Métis peoples. 

Why June 21? For centuries, many of the first inhabitants would celebrate the arrival of the warm weather and the pleasures of the summer solstice. The summer solstice is the day of the year with the longest light. It is a day with spiritual significance for many people and is a good time to celebrate Indigenous peoples and cultures.

You can take part by organizing your own traditional or contemporary activities with your residents. When planning, we strongly suggest you get some advice from a person who is knowledgeable about Indigenous traditions. Here are some considerations:

• Indigenous guest speakers or storytellers, e.g. an Elder
• An arts and crafts display or workshop
• Learn a few words in an Indigenous language
• Run a traditional or contemporary game (e.g. lacrosse)
• Have a performance of Indigenous dancers and singers
• Go on an outing to a significant local Indigenous site
• Do some Indigenous food preparation as a group
  

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Did these activity ideas spark your creativity? Get more inspiration with these Senior Community Activity Ideas to Kick Off the Summer or plan ahead for next month with 10 Senior Community Activity Ideas: July Edition!