The holidays can be a lonely time in a care home, and a busy one for activity staff. Simple, familiar activities help: a puzzle with big letters, a carol everyone knows, a card to color for a grandchild. Below you will find Christmas activities for seniors that work in assisted living, memory care and at home, with printables in large print.
Free puzzles to print today
Start with these free PDFs. They are quiet, work alone or in pairs, and come with answers.
- Christmas word ladders sampler, large print: change one letter at a time, from one holiday word to another
- Christmas word search for adults: holiday words at three levels
- Travel word search, large print and classic mazes, large print
- Sudoku collection, large print for residents who like numbers
Large print Christmas puzzle sets
For a whole December of activities, the full large print Christmas sets have more pages and bigger grids. These are part of our paid collection:
- Christmas word search, large print
- Christmas crossword puzzles, large print
- Christmas word scramble, large print
- Christmas word ladders, large print
- Winter word search and winter crosswords for the weeks after Christmas
Christmas activities for a group
- Riddle hour. Read riddles aloud and let the room call out answers. Start with the classic riddles in large print, then switch to the easy Christmas riddles that everyone gets right.
- Finish the carol. Sing or say the first line of a well-known carol and let the group finish it. Familiar songs often come back even when other memories are hard.
- Christmas memories. Ask one easy question each: your first Christmas tree, a favorite ornament, what was on the table when you were a child. Write the answers on a big sheet and hang it up.
- Puzzle pairs. Pair a stronger reader with someone who needs a little help on the large print word search.
Creative and calm activities
- Coloring. The free 2027 coloring calendar for adults has a page for each month: a calm December activity and a useful gift in January.
- Cards for family. Color simple Christmas cards and gift tags to send to grandchildren.
- Decorating. Fold and cut paper snowflakes for the windows of the common room.
- Music and cocoa. A carol playlist, warm drinks and a little sensory table with pinecones, ribbon and cinnamon sticks.
Activities with grandchildren
Family visits go better with something to do together. Kids can read Christmas would you rather cards to their grandparents, do a Christmas dot to dot side by side, or play Roll a Santa, a simple dice drawing game for all ages.
Tips for memory care
- Keep sessions short, 15 to 30 minutes, and stop while it is still fun.
- Choose large print and fewer items on the page. There are no wrong answers.
- Use familiar things: carols, old Christmas foods, ornaments people can hold.
- Offer help without taking over: read a clue aloud, point to the first letter.
- Some people find the holidays sad. Follow their lead and keep a quiet option ready.
A sample one-hour holiday activity
- 10 minutes: welcome, cocoa and a carol everyone knows
- 15 minutes: a large print Christmas word search or crossword in pairs
- 15 minutes: riddle hour, read aloud
- 15 minutes: color a card for family
- 5 minutes: share one favorite Christmas memory
Questions caregivers and families ask
Are these activities free?
The puzzles under “Free puzzles to print today”, the coloring calendar, cards, gift tags, snowflakes, riddles and the activities with grandchildren are free PDFs. The full large print Christmas sets are part of our paid collection.
What paper size do they use?
US Letter. For A4 paper, choose “Fit to page” in the print dialog.
Are the puzzles suitable for people with dementia?
Large print pages with big letters and short word lists work well for many people in memory care. Start with the easiest page and help with the first word.
More for older adults: holiday puzzles for seniors, all large print puzzles for seniors and Christmas puzzles for adults and seniors.
