Snowman Candle: Activities for Dementia Patients

Winter months stuck in the house can be tedious. Simple crafts can be an easy way to break up the day and engage your loved one with dementia.

This simple snowman candle craft turns everyday items from around the house into a cute decoration. It creates a shared fun activity and adds a bit of light to dark winter days.

When doing crafts, talk to your loved one about their past. Ask about songs they loved as a teen or about how they would spend winter months in their youth. Keep the mood light and focus on enjoying your time together, not the end result of the craft.

Snowman Candle

What You’ll Need: 

• Battery-operated tealight
• Black cardstock
• Ribbon
• Clear glue
• Markers
• Safety scissors

 Steps:

1. Cut a hat from the cardstock.
2. Decorate the hat using ribbon.
3. Glue the hat to the tealight.
4. Add a face to the tealight with the markers.

 See more activities for dementia patients.

Caregiver Tips

1. While doing activities with a loved one with dementia, engage them in conversation. Play music they enjoy softly in the background to create a positive mood.
2. Even though your loved one may not remember names or things that happened in recent days, they may still remember their childhood. Ask about favorite colors or clothing they used to wear.
3. Activities for people with dementia have the best chance of success early in the day when your loved one is well rested. If they don’t want to participate or get frustrated, don’t force it. Try again another time.
4. Remember that the goal is to have an engaging activity with your loved one with dementia. You can coordinate the pillow with your home décor, but the real goal is a fun activity and a way to connect with your loved one. Don’t worry about the end result.

Crossroads Hospice & Palliative Care is 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.

If you found this information helpful, please share it with your network and community.
Copyright © 2021 Crossroads Hospice & Palliative Care. All rights reserved.