Activities for Men

Men’s activities are challenging! They often don’t care for the sorts of activities that women enjoy. They have different interests and needs.

The best way to find meaningful activities for men is to uncover past lifestyle choices and history - you can gather this information from residents and their families.

Related: Activity Ideas for Men

8 Tips for Engaging Men in Meaningful Activities

1. Find out what your clients did for a living. Remember that most of the generation in your care worked very hard and many were the sole breadwinners of their families.

For example a man that worked in an office and wore a shirt and tie may have shone his shoes daily. Enable him to shine his our shoes!

A man who worked with his hands on a farm will find satisfaction and a sense of purpose by helping out around your facility. Encourage him to do small tasks, help clean or fix things in garden or yard.

2. Find out what interested them. Just as women love to chat about children and cooking, men love to chat about things that interest them. This may be sports, politics or hobbies like fishing or golf. Just having an opinion heard can make a man feel fulfilled and valued.

3. Provide social opportunities. Interacting with other men will help reduce social isolation and provide men with an opportunity to build friendships.

Men's groups can be hard to establish but they are well worth the effort. You just need to keep trying. If you get two to come along, think of that as a positive achievement and keep persevering.

Related:
Men's Group Ideas

If possible, see if you can find a male volunteer to run the group. It does make a difference. Ask a man working at your facility - the maintenance man, the chef, even your boss!

• Breakfast club. Start the day off on a pleasant note. Ask them to choose what they would like to have for breakfast - maybe something they haven’t had in a while.
• Happy hour. Happy hour is a great opportunity for men to bond with lighthearted trivia, quizzes and discussion. You could also read the newspaper together and discuss current events.
• Pub Crawl. This is fun and entertaining way to spend a few hours. Visit two or three pubs for a cider or beer (or a cup coffee).
• Garden Club. Many men love to garden. Try raised garden beds and grow some vegetables or strawberries. They will enjoy planting seeds and tending to them with water.
  Related:
  Gardening for Men
  Weather Station Activities

4. Volunteers add a fresh perspective. Seek men in the community to lead a discussion with your men's group. For example, many elderly men have served in the military and would enjoy a discussion with an active military man. Find men who had similar occupations or interests - businessmen, farmers, mechanics or truck drivers.

5. Everyone loves children. Try to get a local daycare or school group to visit. Men love interacting with children and playing games with them. The mere presence of children is uplifting.

Related:
Fishing Competition
Paper Planes Reminiscing Game
Bean Bag Toss
More Intergenerationl Activities

6. Outings are revitalizing. Gather a small group with similar interests and spend half a day away from the facility. Visit a railway or aircraft museums or attend a car convention.

Related: Men's Business Outings

7. Send Personal Invitations. Advanced notice seems to really help. Send men personal invitations to attend specially programmed men’s activities. Special touches make them feel valued.

8. Brain Activities for Men. Keep men engaged and stimulated with fun and challenging brain games like quizzes, spot the differences, hangman and more. Men usually enjoy games involving strategy like card games and board games.

Related:
Cars Quiz, Trivia & Word Search
Name the Aircraft Quiz
Spot the Differences
Hangman
Creative Thinking Exercises
Word Games
Quizzes