has an enormous impact on both the individual’s life and their family’s lives. With the post-stroke
The recovery process is an incredibly arduous and difficult time for stroke sufferers and their
families.
The rehabilitation process can be a difficult time both physically and mentally. To assist and help
stroke patients improve their current post-stroke abilities there are fun family-orientated activities
you can all do together. Which can assist stroke patients with their rehabilitation and recovery.
Here are 10 examples of activities that can improve stroke patients’ overall well-being, and can
involve the whole family.
1)JIGSAW PUZZLES: Putting together the pieces of a jigsaw puzzle is a great mental
the challenge, that requires both concentration, and motor skills.
2)TRIVIA GAMES: multiple player games like trivia, are not only great for socialisation, but
they are also good for stroke patients’ memory, and critical thinking, as well as being heaps
of fun.
3)COOKING/BAKING: Cooking and baking is a practical activity that is not only tasty but
is also a great way to engage stroke patients in supporting their post-stroke recovery. With
simple easy-to-make recipes, stroke patients are able to get back to the day-to-day tasks that
they would have completed before having a stroke. Simple and basic recipes with around 5
ingredients are a great place to start, building confidence in the kitchen. And if specific
utensil modifications are needed there are adaptive kitchen tools, that can assist with
different levels of mobility/ability.
4)DANCING/MOVEMENT ACTIVITIES: taking a dance class, dancing around the house,
or moving to Xbox/ PlayStation games such as Dance Dance Revolution, or Wii sports, are
great for socialisation, and improving mental and physical coordination.
5)GARDENING: getting outside in the garden to grow your own fruit/vegetable plants is not
only great for mental health, and vitamin d. But is also great for physical coordination, and
balance. And has the added benefit of being able to reap the products of your work, by being
able to go into the garden and use some of your homegrown vegetables/fruits in making
homemade meals.
6)YOGA/MEDITATION: Taking simply 10-15 minutes a day to practice yoga, either
individually or as a family, is great for mindfulness, mental health, and flexibility. This
activity also has the added benefit of improving balance (2).
7)BOARD GAMES/FAMILY GAMES: playing multiple player games such as Battleship,
Jenga, Dominoes, Monopoly, and Uno, are all great games for stroke patients to enjoy with
their families. As games such as Jenga involve physical and mental coordination and other
games such as Battleship involve precise motor skills, which are good for repetitive practice,
and are fun to play as a family (3).
8)DRAWING/ SKETCHING: going out either solo or as a family to draw/ sketch a landscape
is a great day activity, that does not come with a cost, and is great for improving physical
movement skills and memory.
9) WALKING PHOTOGRAPHY TRIP: Spending the day outside, going for a walk, and
photographing nature is not only good as a mindful practice, but photography is also a skill
that can be improved upon. And being outside and walking also has the added benefit of
improving cardiovascular fitness and health.
10)JEWELLERY /BEADING: Threading bracelets and necklaces from beads, is a great activity
that can be fun, as a family, or as an individual activity. And is a task that involves precise
motor skills, and can be improved upon over time (2).
All 10 of these activities are low-cost/fun activities that can be completed either at home or
within the community. And involve physical and mental skills that can assist and aid with stroke
patients’ recoveries.
1)AIHW, 2020, Stroke – Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (aihw.gov.au)
2)Hoffman, H (2017) 35 Fun Rehab Activities for Stroke Patients, Saebo,
(https://www.saebo.com/35-fun-rehab-activities-stroke-patients/)
3)Flint Rehab, 2020, Activities for Stroke Patients to Try at Home: 45 Fun Ideas
(flintrehab.com)