When it comes to Halloween, you’re never too old to pretend to be something or somebody else! Older adults, and their caregivers, can enjoy a safe, fun, and memorable Halloween through a variety of activities.  

The Halloween activities we’ve chosen for older adults are not only fun, they provide several benefits including:

• enhancing creativity
• encouraging positive social interaction
• improving cognition, memory & learning
• inspiring playfulness & humor
• supporting positive emotional states
• improving problem-solving skills
• strengthening hand dexterity

Taken together, these benefits support an older adult’s social-emotional and physical well-being, can provide moments of meaningfulness, and foster a sense of belonging. 

The activities on our list are easy enough for you to bring to your older adult family member at their home, or set-up as a group activity at a senior living community or local senior center. 

Cook-up a Scare: Shrunken Head Apples & Apple Tart Pie

Any cooking experience involves a variety of mental and physical tasks. First, there’s thinking that goes into planning and preparing the recipe. Some recipes require a little physical stamina and dexterity during preparation (ex: standing to cut, chop, mix, and serve). 

We chose Shrunken Head Apples because this is a non-edible cooking experience that results in Halloween memento that will last up to a few years! It’s perfect for creating memories with friends, family, and especially with the grandkids. It has many steps involved and is ideal for the kitchen in a senior living center or your home. For an edible favorite, that’s healthy too, check out this Shrunken Head Apple Tart Pie recipe. 

Deck the Haunted Halls with DIY Halloween Decorations 

One doesn’t have to be an artiste to enjoy making Halloween decorations. From simple paper bat garland to no-carve face-painted pumpkins and wickedly simple-to-make door decorations, there are many safe and fun decorations for older adults to make. Once you have a great selection of decorations, put them up around the house--or deck the haunted halls of the senior living community!

Halloween Trivia & Scary Movie Night

This is perfect for those who don’t enjoy crafting, but want to revel in the spirit of All Hallows Eve. The tv shows movies listed range from horrifying classics to humorously haunting…something for every taste and every age. 

• The Exorcist
• Psycho
• Halloween (the original)
• Carrie
• Scream (series)
• What Lies Beneath
• Ghostbusters
• Haunted Mansion
• We Have a Ghost 
• Beetlejuice
• The Nightmare Before Christmas
• Wednesday (Netflix series)

For older adults who don’t enjoy scary-movie marathon, break out the trivia games. Always fun, always entertaining, trivia games tend to bring everyone out of the dungeon to play! Play can be set-up for individuals going head-to-head or competition between teams (be sure to have some fun, and funny, prizes for the winners).

There are many haunted trivia games on the market that you can adapt to suit your audience and game format. Search online for more info on these (or other) games: The Halloween Game Trivia Book, Trivial Pursuit: Halloween Edition, and even some of the Halloween trivia sets made for teachers of school-age kids or this spooky trivia set from the Today Show.

Halloween Costume Ideas for Older Adults

Last, but not least, is to dress-up in a Halloween costume that is safe and fun for an older adult. The ideas we share here are easy to put together from clothing seniors already own, or can modify, or can be found with a little savvy shopping. 

• Tina Turner 
• Queen Elizabeth
• Elon Musk
• Donald Trump
• Joe Biden
• Johnny (Cash) and June
• Dolly Parton & Kenny Rogers
• Alice in Wonderland
• Dorothy and Toto (real dog or plush animal)
• Cast from Wizard of Oz
• Snow White & the Huntsman
• Game of Thrones Characters

If these ideas don’t fit your vision for your haunted alter-ego, by all means bring out the horns, fangs, and broomsticks for a more traditional Halloween costume!