Summer Social Activity Ideas for Senior Living Communities

It's hot, it’s sunny, and you may end up inside due to air quality concerns (thanks wildfires!). August is all about socializing. Be it barbeques or boating, if you are short on creative ideas for your community, we have you covered for your August activity planning.

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1. Hallway or Outdoor Mini Putt

Tis the season for golfing! Depending on the size of your community and the outdoor space available, you can create your own mini putt course for your residents this summer season! Have each resident stand with a putter and place either a coffee mug, glass, or other item to use as the target where residents will aim their putts! You can even get creative and add some challenges they need to putt around (such as a pylon to dodge or a wet floor sign they need to putt through). This will likely not be easy, so residents who successfully putt their golf ball would be entitled to a prize!

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2. Host a Tailgate Party in Your Community's Parking Lot

Summer is often the season for many of your residents’ beloved sports! Many residents still like to follow sports and will often watch in their rooms. Let's encourage them to watch together as a group by hosting a tailgate party!

Weather permitting, you can cordon off a section of the parking lot and recruit staff or volunteers to park their cars together and set up a cooking area to grill sausages, hot dogs, and hamburgers. Coordinate with the kitchen staff to provide some side courses like potato salad, baked beans, and coleslaw. Set up tables where residents can eat and bring everyone back inside to the day room to watch the game on TV.

You can take it to the next level by hosting some friendly bets on which team will win, dressing in team colors, painting faces in team colors, and more!

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3. Tropical-Themed Happy Hour

Bring summer indoors on a rainy day by hosting a tropical-themed happy hour for your residents! Encourage leis, floral prints, and big sun hats, and serve a cocktail or coconut water inside a coconut with a little straw. Throw on some beach tunes and you’ve got yourselves a coco-nutty party!

4. Go on an Indoor Camping Trip

If renting a campground seems daunting or you're facing bad weather, why not hold an indoor camping trip? You can pitch a tent, set up some lawn chairs, and pass out s'mores while your residents reminisce about past camping trips. Many classic camp games such as ring toss can also easily be played indoors. Your residents can even share their best ghost stories around the campfire — though we’d suggest making the campfire out of tissue paper.

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5. Make Ice Cream in a Bag

Nothing goes better with summer than ice cream! So get your residents together on a hot summer day and make ice cream in a bag! This homemade ice cream recipe takes just 15 minutes to make. Just combine the ingredients in a resealable plastic bag. Your residents will need to shake the bag to make the ice cream form, which some may need help with. Make sure you have your favorite toppings on hand to turn this activity into an ice cream social.

6. Schedule a Summer Picnic

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. Reminisce with your residents about the picnics they had 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. Add Swimming to Your Schedule 

If your community already has a pool, you're ahead of the game! Many of your residents are likely avid swimmers. Simply encourage the activity by dedicating specific times to swimming sessions. Communities without a pool can still introduce this beneficial physical activity to their residents by coordinating swimming sessions with their local pools, both indoor and outdoor. Try to book a time for your community to have access to a local pool, and organize safe transport for interested residents. Then, residents can relax or swim dutifully every week and get the benefits of this low-impact physical activity!

Did these activity ideas spark your creativity? Get more inspiration with these August Activities or Cognitive Wellness Activities for senior living communities!