Activities you can do at home
For general activity advice
Ministry of Health Green Prescription resources - Pamphlets and other resources on the Green Prescription and being physically active.
For the intellectually and physically disabled
These activities can be adapted depending on the needs of your client. While some may be suitable, others may not.
Bake
Baking is a fun activity and is great for mental health as it brings out creativity. It is appropriate for all ages, however supervision by an adult/carer may be required. If you love decorating cakes and seeing your creations gives you an exhilarating feeling, baking is definitely a must try.
34 easy baking recipes ready in under an hour
19 Tasty desserts you can bake in less than 10 minutes
Cook
Accessible Chef is a collection of free visual recipes and other resources to help teach cooking skills to individuals with disabilities.
Easy read recipes for people with learning disabilities
Exercise
Sport Wellington has lots of ideas on how to stay healthy and keep moving at home.
Free Tai Chi lessons from Dr Paul Lam
No crunch abs is a workout video for people with limited mobility
Ivana Exercise are YouTube videos for people with physical and intellectual disabilities
Dance
You don’t need to have a video or class to dance along to, just put on your favourite song and let loose!!
Yoga
Yoga with Adrienne available free on YouTube
Karaoke
Gardening
If you have access to a small garden or outdoor space in your home or at the facility, getting outside is great for your mental health. Things that can be done in the garden include:
- Weeding
- Laying sticks to mark the border of the garden bed
- Re-pot a plant
- Create a terrarium
- Plant seedlings, herbs and create a veggie garden
Online Puzzle
The Auckland Musuem website gives a chance to experience the museum from your home. While you're there, have a virtual look around the museum.
Journaling or writing a book
Writing a book or journaling can fight off stress. It also hones one’s journalistic skills, organizes thoughts, widens vocabulary, and develops how one sets their goals.
Arts and crafts
Bring out your creative expression through sketching, painting, sculpture, and scrapbook making. There are a lot of things around us and some wonderful memories to draw inspiration from. This doesn’t require much preparation, just a few paints or pencils and some paper.
Puzzles and games
Playing adaptive games and board games such as chess, scrabble, bingo, Monopoly, Uno, etc. is not only fun but these types of activities strengthen interaction, creativity, mental sharpness, and problem-solving skills. It also good for eye-hand coordination.
Online events and concerts
Live stream from aquariums and zoos
Apps for activities
Disability Horizons 10 fun accessible game and activity apps for disabled people
Google Quickdraw. Draw a picture and Google will guess what it is.
Watch
Attitude Live has the largest collection of online videos about people living with disabilities or chronic illness. They mention that their website is now fully accessible, so why not give it a try.
For the visually impaired or blind
Online events/concerts
Livenation music streaming
Listen to a podcast/audiobook
Craft
Craftwork is tactile by nature and many activities can be adapted to suit a person who is blind or has low vision. These include:
- Basket weaving
- Pottery
- Knitting
- Painting
Adaptive games
There are some games and resources available that can still be enjoyed by people who are visually impaired. Some ideas include:
- Large print playing cards are a great way to enjoy simple games like go fish, blackjack (21), war, or just sorting cards by colour or suit
- Matching games with larger template for low vision
- Giant-size dominoes can be used to play a variety of games, like regular dominoes or matching type games
- Special dominoes with raised dots could be used by people with little to no vision
Listen to the radio
Local radio is a source of exciting and interesting programs. Search for:
- Talk back
- Science programs
- Book Reading
- Spiritual broadcasts
- Music
Exercise
Find a video or routine online that gives clear instructions, like yoga or just put on your favourite song and dance in your living room!
Online quizzes
Golden carers have quizzes designed for seniors and the elderly, but really, they're fun for all.
Online learning, dancing and moving for kids
The Learning Station kids songs and nursery rhymes
Yoga for Kids - Yoga with Adriene
Free kids yoga and meditation from Alo Gives
Activity ideas for kids
- Make a batch of play doh
- Chalk drawing on the pavement (within home parameters)
- Play games like freeze, musical chairs
- Make origami animals
- Choose a picture book and read aloud to each other
- Find 10 different shaped leaves in the garden
- Make a paper chain to hang up in your bedroom
- Press flowers with heavy books
- Use a mirror and draw self portraits
- Podcasts – suggestions include:
- Brains on
- Wow in the World
- Circle Round
- Little Green Pod
- Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls
- Fierce Girls
- Story Pirates
- Buy Why?
- Draw/Paint with your feet
- Have a paper plan flying competition