5 Enjoyable Music and Dance Activities for Seniors

Music and dance offer many benefits for seniors staying in nursing homes and assisted living facilities. While music brings back fond memories and uplifts one’s mood, dance naturally encourages gentle movement and exercise. Since the rhythm of music provides the perfect beat for dancing, the two go hand in hand. Whether through singing, dancing, or shared laughter, music and dance therapy help older adults stay engaged and happy without risking their safety.

Music and Dance Activities to Try

While dance and music therapy for seniors is often provided in a structured manner in clinical settings, such as hospitals, it can also be transformed into enjoyable activities, like karaoke and musical chairs. These games encourage everyone to participate and mix with one another, making therapy a lot more enjoyable and effective.

Karaoke

A karaoke party can help seniors in a nursing home relax and enjoy themselves. It gives everyone a chance to sing their favorite tunes, socialize, and momentarily forget their worries. One can pick songs that seniors would enjoy, such as the golden oldies from the 1960s and 1970s, but it’s also okay to play the latest tunes occasionally. A fun session of karaoke can boost cognition in older adults, helping them remember songs and associated memories from their childhood. Seniors can also be encouraged to dance while their friends sing, fostering movement and exercise.

As for how to go about karaoke, a simple smartphone can be used to play the instrumental version of a song. Once the backing track is played, senior residents can be encouraged to sing along and dance. To make things more interesting, a karaoke machine can be rented and plugged into a large screen or projector. This way, everyone can better view the lyrics to a song and use a microphone to let their inner superstars out.

Live Digital Concerts

Enjoying a live concert does not require stepping out of an assisted living home. These days, seniors can listen to their favorite band live on TV or a computer by tuning into streaming platforms like Televada. This platform live streams a variety of activities for older adults, including concerts and orchestral performances, and also offers access to online music events and music lessons. Some live concerts use interactive and accessible formats that encourage senior participants to dance along.

Jam Sessions

If investing in a karaoke machine or organizing a virtual concert seems like too much work, nursing homes can simply play music and encourage their members to move and dance. For seniors, dancing offers many physical benefits, including improved agility, posture, muscle memory, balance, and strength. It can also help reduce dizziness and may prevent cognitive decline. Research supports these advantages; one study found that adults aged 65 and older who were trained to move in time to music experienced better balance and gait, resulting in 54% fewer falls compared to non-dancers.

Musical Chairs

Musical chairs is a lively game that combines movement and music. During the game, popular tunes play in the background as participants move around a circle of chairs. When the music stops, everyone quickly tries to find a seat. This game encourages physical movement, promotes social interaction, and fosters a healthy sense of friendly competition among senior participants.

For those with limited mobility, a virtual version of musical chairs can be played. One can set up a video conference room using platforms such as Zoom and then integrate tools like Twine into it to facilitate the game online. With the help of this arrangement, seniors can participate safely from wherever they are seated and still enjoy the social and physical benefits of the activity. Here’s a detailed guide from Twine on how to play musical chairs on Zoom by downloading Twine into a Zoom account.

Combine Music with Art

Music can also be a powerful tool for storytelling. For example, seniors can choose a song that reminds them of a particular event and share the story of that memory as the music plays. Another option is to play calming music, provide seniors with paper and crayons, and then encourage them to draw whatever the music evokes in them. Both of these are excellent music-based therapies for aging adults that help create a beautiful mood and nurture and improve cognitive function.

Caregivers in nursing homes can collaborate with healthcare experts to develop the most effective music and dance activities for elderly residents with limited mobility at the assisted living facility.

Songs for Every Mood

Depending on the mood and the activity being performed, caregivers may need to choose the right song list.

Sing-Alongs

Classic songs that everyone knows are always recommended for sing-alongs:

• “Fly Me to the Moon” by Frank Sinatra
• “My Way” by Frank Sinatra
• “White Christmas” by Bing Crosby

Songs to Soothe the Soul

Relaxation takes center stage with soothing, gentle melodies. Caregivers can create playlists with soft instrumental music. Pick up classical pieces, like:

• Beethoven’s Moonlight Sonata
• Pachelbel’s Canon in D
• Debussy’s Clair de Lune

Songs to Get Grooving and Moving

Strong, steady beats can make seniors want to tap their feet or groove to the music. Some popular hits from back in the day include:

• “Swinging on a Star” by Bing Crosby
• “Que Sera, Sera” by Doris Day
• “Hound Dog” by Elvis Presley
• “Sentimental Journey” by Doris Day
• “Walkin’ After Midnight” by Patsy Cline
• “Jailhouse Rock” by Elvis Presley