When you’re looking for amazing gifts to keep your elderly parents, grandparents, or other elderly family members or friends busy, then I’ve got you covered! I have a 94-year old grandfather, so I know it can be difficult to find the perfect gift. That is why I’ve spent hours finding the best gifts for elderly people to help you out. And listed the top 10 best gifts to keep elderly people busy below. Ready? Let’s start unpacking.
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1) Masterclass Membership
One of my favorite gifts out there is a Membership to Masterclass. With this gift, you give access to 100+ online Masterclasses from the world’s best in their field. From Anna Wintour, Gordon Ramsay, Serena Williams, Alicia Keys, Santana, Jimmy Chin, Jeff Koons, Phil Ivey, Margaret Atwood, and so many more brilliant experts.
They can binge-watch educational videos and learn new things at their own pace, time, and device. Learning new things is a great confidence booster and keeps the mind young. It gives them something new to talk about. And therefore a great gift for the elderly person in your life.
Also, Masterclass is straightforward to use. Just as Netflix. Interested? Go on and check it out.
2) Digital Personal Assistant: Alexa
An amazing gift to make life easy for your loved one is by gifting them a smart speaker with Alexa. They can use it as their personal assistant. We bought it a couple of years ago for my 94-year old grandfather, who is blind, and it changed his life. We gave him control back over his life which is priceless. And it keeps him busy as well because he uses it throughout the day.
Alexa can do a lot. Just with their voice, they can ask Alexa anything from turning on the lights, the TV to a specific channel, play their favorite song, read the latest headlines, call up someone, etc.
And for you, the Alexa feature Care Hub offers a way for you to remotely check in on your elderly parents or family members with features that let you know they’re up and active. You can stay updated about how they’re doing, so you can worry less about them and focus on your life. You only need internet access and a smart speaker with Alexa.
3) Diamond Painting Gift Box
A lot of seniors like to do Diamond Painting. Both my mom and mother-in-law do it a couple of times a week or even daily. And as we spend a lot of time year-round on campsites, I see many other retirees and elderly people do diamond painting as well. Both men and women. It’s an easy and creative hobby to keep you busy that also helps to calm the mind.
It works the same as paint by numbers, but instead of using paint you have dozens, hundreds, and even thousands (depending on the size of the canvas) little colored diamonds to put on the sticky canvas. And by gifting the Diamond Painting Club Box, your elderly loved one will receive new diamond paintings every month.
4) Adult Coloring Book
Another great gift to keep an elderly parent or friend busy is gifting them an Adult Coloring Book. It not only keeps them busy; it also has many other great benefits. It reduces stress and anxiety and has the same effect on the brain as meditation. And it improves their fine motor skills, sleep, and focus. It’s not a surprise that adult coloring book sales numbers keep rising every year.
And there are so many great coloring books out there. And a great choice if you’re looking for a cheap gift. You only need to know the person’s interest, and you’ll find a coloring book to match it, from flowers, animals, scenery, mandala coloring books to motivational or funny adult coloring books.
5) Jigsaw Puzzle
One of the more classic gifts out there is gifting a 1000 Piece Jigsaw Puzzle. The average person takes between 5 to 30 hours to put a 1000 piece puzzle together. Most elderly people need a lot more time.
And it’s not only a fun gift. You actually help them improve their brain function. Studies found that putting a jigsaw puzzle together improves cognitive function and improves short-term memory, concentration, and problem-solving. Isn’t that great!
6) Ancestry DNA Test
Older people are very curious about their past. They’ll love to build a family tree and found about more about their ancestors and family history. If you’re looking for a great gift for a person who is into that, you don’t need to look further because an Ancestry DNA kit is the ultimate gift.
With this gift, you’ll give them the chance to find out more about their origin and possibly connect them with living relatives. They’ll get a more precise estimate about their ethnicity and where they come from geographically. You can even combine a DNA test with an Ancestry Subscription so that they have access to millions of family trees and billions of records to get an even greater insight into their genealogy. And keeps them busy for months.
7) Book With Games, Puzzles And Trivia
I write many articles about how to keep stay (mentally) busy or keep the mind active, and this best selling book: 399 Games, Puzzles & Trivia Challenges Specially Designed to Keep Your Brain Young, is what I always recommend buying. And that is why it’s on this list of the best gifts to keep elderly busy too.
8) Drawing Journal
This drawing book: 642 Things to Draw is the perfect gift for anyone, because who doesn’t like drawing? It’s an inspirational sketchbook that challenges and entertains the brain and gives space for imagination. From doodling, simple drawing ideas to other ideas that push the mind.
9) Indoor Herb Garden
Gardening has many health benefits, and it’s a great way to stay busy because it needs regular attention and action.
So an amazing gift for an elderly with a green thumb or desire to do gardening is gifting an Indoor Herb Harden Starter Kit. It has all the joys of gardening without having to do heavy lifting etc. It’s an easy way for elderly people to do gardening at home.
10) Tablet
A Tablet is the best gift to keep someone busy for hours every day. They can watch movies, TV series, do puzzles and games, read headlines, listen to music, read books, and video call with friends and family. And it’s so much easier to use than a computer.