Spring Vase: Activities for Dementia Patients

After all of the cold, snowy, and dark days of winter, the brighter days of spring are a burst of light for the soul. This is as true for those living with Alzheimer’s as it is for the rest of us.

After being cooped up in the house for much of winter, those caring for a loved one with dementia should seize the opportunity to get out in nature. Outdoor activities for dementia patients like gardening are a great way to increase tactile stimulation as you clean up your flower beds and add new blossoms.

Spring is also an excellent time to increase social engagement by visiting with neighbors who are also outside enjoying the warmer days. Take a slow walk around the block and stop to say hello to the people you meet.

Your outdoor adventures can serve as inspiration for crafts that you can do on rainy days as an activity to keep your loved one with dementia engaged. Crafts like the whimsical spring vases below combine flowers from the garden with a simple activity the family can do together.

Spring Vase

What You’ll Need

• Glass mason jar
• Acrylic paint in white or bright colors like yellow and robin’s egg blue
• Acrylic paint in orange or pink.
• A black sharpie
• Twine

Steps:

1. Spread newspaper or a plastic tablecloth on your work surface.
2. Turn your mason jar upside down.
3. Paint it yellow, blue, or white.
4. Allow to dry.
5. Paint on an orange triangle beak or a pink circle nose.
6. Outline the beak/nose with black sharpie and draw two dots for eyes above it.
7. Wrap twine around the top of the jar.

See more activities for dementia patients.

Caregiver Tips 

1. The goal of this craft is to have an enjoyable time making it together. Don’t worry about the end product or making it look perfect.
2. Fill the finished product with spring flowers. Make extras to give as gifts to family or neighbors.
3. If you don’t have a mason jar, a clean pasta sauce jar works just as well.
4. While doing activities with a loved one with dementia, engage them in conversation. Play music your loved one enjoys softly in the background to create a positive mood.
5. Activities for people with dementia have the best chance of success in the morning between breakfast and lunch when this loved one is well rested. If they don’t want to participate or get frustrated, don’t force it. Try again another time.

Crossroads Hospice & Palliative Care is also open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year to support patients with dementia and their families. Please call us at 1-888-564-3405 to learn more about how our unique care programs help provide a higher quality of life for dementia patients while helping caregivers avoid burnout.

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