Senior Center Activities

Senior Centers serve a purpose - that is to help keep persons over the age of 55 active both mentally and physically. Since staying active is the key to healthy aging, having a senior center available allows you the opportunity to stay active. The programs, classes and activities that many Senior Centers offer can also raise your quality of life and be very fun and enjoyable. Most programs are free, but some may have a small fee. If you’ve never looked into the programs and services offered at Senior Centers, you don't know what you're missing. Learn what activities may be offered at your Senior Activity Center by contacting your local center.

Senior Centers typically have a large dining room, a fitness center with workout equipment, computer stations, a library, an activity room used for exercise classes and activities, conference rooms for club meetings, a billiards room, games and crafts, and more. Many of these rooms can be rented for private use.

Some Senior Centers are located on the grounds of a Parks & Recreation complex and have access to trails, ball fields, park pavillions, outdoor grills, and other programs offered under the Parks & Recreation program.

Many Senior Centers also offer: Assistance with Income Tax return preparation, applying for Veterans Aid & Assistance, homestead tax exemptions, application for utility assistance, a senior discount program which local merchants participate in, and volunteer programs where seniors can aid in community functions.

Senior Centers are a great source of learning opportunities. Activities will vary from center to center, but we have seen all of the following offered. This list is helpful for senior center activity ideas. These are just examples and many more than these examples are offered.

Types of Senior Center Activities

Groups/Clubs: Walking & Hiking Clubs, Theater Trips, Dinner Clubs, Book Clubs, Current Events Groups, Theme Festivals, Chess Clubs, Bird Clubs, Movie Clubs, Golfers, Writers, Ancestry, Travel, Cruises, Special Interest Groups

Health Screenings: FREE Screenings for hearing, hearth, blood sugar, blood pressure testing.

Trips: trips to attractions in the city, plays, theater, farms, sightseeing. Also travel trips to vacation spots, some even out of the country.

Dancing: Dancing is a big activity in many senior centers, from ball room dancing to line dancing. Waltz, Cha Cha, you name it. The Zumba Gold was created for the older active adult and combines Latin and international music with a safe and effective workout for the hottest fitness party in town!

Games: Pretty much offered every day in many senior centers includes board games, cards, scrabble, pool is big, table games, ping pong, shuffleboard, bridge.

Exercise: Yoga, walking, stretching, exercise, Tai Chi, swimming, bowling. Some Senior Centers have parks and walking trails on the grounds or nearby. Also see groups above.

Congregate Meals: Many Senior Centers provide congregate meals and also sponsor the Meals on Wheels program.

Socialization: This important activity takes places while doing all of the above but also at parties, meals, sitting in conversation in the public areas. Holiday and theme parties are common. Special events and holiday celebrations. Discussion between seniors and with the staff all provide interesting conversations sharing backgrounds and life experiences.

Performances: Song, theater, cultural, music, band and dance performances by outside groups or performers.

Wellness Seminars: everything from managing arthritis, preventing low back pain, nutrition to causes of balance problems and fall prevention. Many more - these are just examples. Wellness seminars are a favorite at many senior centers and can help improve your quality of life.

As you can see these activities can match or surpass those in many Active Adult Communities and will help to keep you healthy and enjoying life. Recreation for senior citizens is important and Senior Centers can be a great resource.

Also, here are even more programs we have seen offered at Senior Centers.

• Senior Centers have information tables with aging resources and web sites have links to Area Agencies on Aging. Resources for meals and nutrition, elder abuse, meals on wheels, senior housing and other government senior programs, caregiver assistenance, aging in place, homeowner maintenance assistenance, in home care, legal services, help with senior employment, transportation services, Medicare Part D, Long-term care and assisted living facilities, Social Security assistance, energy assistance, holiday for seniors.
  
• Job training and assistance for seniors
  
• Senior Center Program Success Stories from the Pennsylvania Senior Centers site is a great resource for ideas. They call it Senior Center Best Practices. They share ideas and expertise with other professionals just like you on Marketing Your Center, Community Events, Nutrition Events, Volunteer Projects, Money Making Ideas and lots more.