Coloring prevents boredom and has health benefits
Boredom in older adults can contribute to issues such as anxiety, depression, or challenging behavior in someone with Alzheimer's or dementia.
Plus, seniors who have recently moved in with relatives or into assisted living are more likely to be bored because their lifestyles have changed so much.
As a bonus, coloring may sound like a simple activity to ward off boredom, but it can actually improve health.
A research study found that adults 65 or older who engaged in creative activities had better overall health, made fewer visits to the doctor, used less medication, and had fewer health problems.
It's also a helpful way to boost mood and relieve stress – making it a perfect activity for caregivers too.
We share 5 coloring book suggestions that cost about $5 each.
Being so inexpensive, these gorgeous coloring books are definitely worth a try. They could bring hours of relaxing fun!
5 beautiful senior-friendly coloring books
We found some inexpensive, non-childish coloring books that seniors will love. The pictures are realistic and beautiful and the subjects will interest many older adults.
These fine art coloring books are also perfect for people of all artistic skill levels – anyone can get the joy of creating a beautiful work of art.
Colored pencils, crayons, or watercolor paint can be used on the high-quality paper. And the pages are perforated so they’re easy to remove for display.
Plus, the guiding lines are gray, so they’ll basically disappear after the pictures are colored in, making it look even better and suitable for display.
Here are 5 coloring books we especially like:
- America the Beautiful – 23 majestic scenes from all across the U.S.
- Classic Movie Posters – 30 timeless classics like Casablanca, High Noon, It's a Wonderful Life, and West Side Story
- Nautical Scenes – 23 lovely scenes from rowboats to luxury ocean liners
- Dogs – 23 realistic pictures of dogs
- Flower Gardens – 23 gorgeous floral portraits
Next Step See more fine art coloring books from Dover Art Publications
Recommended for you:
- Activities for Seniors: Jigsaw Puzzles!
- Music Seniors Love: Top Songs from Every Generation
- 10 Fun, No-Fail Activities for People with Dementia
By DailyCaring Editorial Team
Image: Dover Publications
This article wasn't sponsored, but does contain affiliate links. We never link to products or services for the sole purpose of making a commission. Recommendations are based on our honest opinions. For more information, see How We Make Money.
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About the Author
Connie Chow
Connie was a hands-on caregiver for her grandmother for 20 years. (Grandma made it to 101 years old!) She knows how challenging, overwhelming, and all-consuming caring for an older adult can be. She also knows how important support is — especially in the form of practical solutions, valuable resources, and self-care tips.
my only comment is, please stop calling us ‘seniors’. It makes all of us (and these days ‘senior’ includes, can you believe it, anyone over 50) sound elderly, nearly incompetent, and in serious need of Watching Over. It ages us in the eyes of younger people.
Beyond that, the coloring books sound good, but only if someone enjoys coloring anyway. I’d be inclined to ask first before you invest too much money in anything…now, these are nice, but I’d much prefer the more complicated pattern designs over doggies and cute birds. Lol.
We mean no offense by the term senior. We only use it because it’s a commonly-used word that usually refers to a person who is over 65 years old. We also use the term older adult. Our website is intended for families taking care of older adults who are ailing and need assistance, not just because they’re older. But caring for someone who is near or over 65 is very different from caring for someone who is young, so our practical tips are focused on topics that are more relevant for older adults / seniors.
It’s wonderful that you enjoy coloring, there are so many great coloring books available today in a variety of designs 🙂
“Seniors” seems like a perfectly valid word to me. We have Children, Teenagers, Millenials, Boomers and Seniors fits right in. Elderly is the one that seems a little too intense to me until one is infirm, requires complete care, etc.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts!
The reviews of this coloring books make me think they are not easy to color and therefore difficult for seniors or other people with other neurology problems.
You’re correct, these are more complex coloring books that may frustrate people who have cognitive impairments. Some may like them, you’d have to give it a try to know for sure. But for people with Alzheimer’s or dementia, I’d also recommend this coloring book called Connecting Memories — http://amzn.to/2gqgJZX
I do think your remark is correct: a lot of the adult coloring books might be too complex. I also wanted to draw your attention to another coloring book aimed at persons with dementia. It is called “The Colorful Past: A 1950’s Coloring Book: Everyday objects and people to color in and talk about from the 1950’s!”
(find it on Amazon – http://a.co/h5kPaGR). The coloring book holds a series of coloring plates depicting objects of the fifties. It tries to combine color plates that aren’t too complex to color in with images that aren’t perceived as childish. Each image in this book includes a short text description which turns the image from a simple coloring book into a conversation starter about the past.
* Disclaimer: I have created this coloring book. We are a team of an American graphic designer and a Belgian researcher working on design and dementia projects.
Great coloring book! The images are simple, but help seniors reminisce about life when they were young.
If you are interested, we could send you a copy.
Thank you, that would be great! We’d love to give it away as a prize in our monthly Facebook giveaways and credit your company for the sponsorship. Email us at friends@DailyCaring.com.com and we can discuss it further.
please send me info as I am doing recreation for seniors at a seniors home right now..looking for activities and puzzles
Hi Lori,
We’re so glad you like these coloring books! Please check out all the senior-friendly activities we’ve recommended here: https://dailycaring.com/category/daily-care/activities-older-adults/