News

As the colder weather approaches, residents of all ages will find themselves spending more time indoors. Although there are plenty of ways to have safe and mindful time outside in the cold, finding fulfilling activities indoors will help rid any winter blues and keep residents connected to their community and selves.  

Firstly, it is important to still get moments of fresh air and time outside if the weather is safe to do so. One of our most recommended fall activities is to have an outdoor walk as often as you can before it gets too cold. Fall is great weather for residents to go walking, as it isn’t too hot or sunny, but also isn’t snowy, icy and unsafe. For us Canadians, fall also means that the trees are colourful and the leaves are falling which makes for a great change of scenery and beautiful views.  

Otherwise, seasonal indoor activities can keep residents busy and happy while the weather cools down. Here are some of our favourite ways to enjoy the fall festivities and the company of other residents inside: 

Pumpkin decorating 

Making the most of the season’s harvest, pumpkin decorating is a creative way to get together with friends and other residents to celebrate the season. Although carving is the traditional way to do this, it can be difficult for those with mobility limitations. Decorating pumpkins can be creative and can be malleable for all types of physical abilities. You can use paint, stickers, pipe cleaners, googly-eyes, craft paper, and other materials to make your pumpkins pretty and festive.  

Seasonal food – cooking & tasting 

Fall is the season of apple picking, and cozy cooking. Sharing food with friends and residents is a wonderful way to connect and spend time together and can become a fun activity or even recurring event at your residence! Putting together a fall-themed event that includes everyone’s favourite treats will allow folks to gather and share in the joy of food. Things like apple cider, hot chocolate, pumpkin pie, and hearty soups can be shared amongst friends in big or small groups. 

Baking activities 

Working together to create sweet treats is such a wonderful way to spend time together. This can be an activity on your own, with your family, or a full-blown resident event. Baking together doesn’t have to be complicated and can involve easier alternatives for larger groups such as cookie or cupcake decorating. This could also be an opportunity for folks to share their favourite fall recipes of apple crumble or pumpkin pie, sharing in the joy of family recipes and good memories. The community can also work together on a bigger project, such as putting together cookie tins to give to residence staff or a friendly competition for who has the best apple pie.  

Movie night 

Tis’ the season for early sunsets and cozy evenings. Hosting a movie night for residents can be a low-impact way to spend quality time with your community indoors. To make it more personal, try having residents write down their top 3 favourite fall-themed movies and tally the submitted results for the winner! 

Arts and crafts 

Arts and crafts can be an accessible activity for many, with variations that include projects for people with limited mobility or cognitive considerations. This can be as simple as having fun festive stickers and paper, or include drawing, painting, clay sculpting, and more. Make sure to have enough materials for everyone attending your arts and crafts session and ask for ideas from other residents for new and exciting projects you can do together.  

Resident life at Omni is full and vibrant no matter what season. As the leaves begin to fall, we turn inwards to focus on safe and happy activities for every Omni resident.  

For more information about our residences, events and activities, go to https://omniqualityliving.ca