Reminiscence Activities for Seniors

Guide: running a reminiscence activity

Reminiscence means bringing back memories through pictures, objects, scents or music. It honours each person's life story and builds connection, even when recent memory becomes difficult.

Choosing the right tool

• Pictures: photo card and DVD series on the seasons, farm life, animals and past decades.
• Scents: scent games to recognize coffee, soap or spices.
• Games: memory bingo and conversation cards to energize a group.
• Reading: short books about life in earlier times and well-known figures.

Facilitation tips

• Start with a familiar theme: school days, maple sugar season, mother's cooking.
• Ask open-ended questions and allow time to answer.
• Welcome every answer without correcting: connection matters more than accuracy.

Going further

The Remin'Action guide offers a complete approach to building reminiscence into your activity program.