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How to Organise Activities in Your Care Setting – Without Spending a Penny

How to organise activities in your care setting without spending a penny with care control

Running engaging, meaningful activities in a care setting is a vital part of promoting wellbeing, reducing isolation, and supporting person-centred care. But with time and budget pressures facing many care providers, organising regular activities can often fall down the priority list.

The good news? You don’t need to invest in expensive resources, external entertainers, or printed packs to make activities work. There are plenty of free, accessible tools that can help you plan, deliver and record stimulating experiences for your service users and most of them you already have access to.

In this blog, we’ll share some creative (and completely free) ways to organise activities within your care setting – from AI tools to our own Care Control Activity Hub. Whether you’re running a residential home, supported living service or community-based care, there’s something here to help lighten the load.

1. Use AI to Help Plan and Personalise Activities

If you haven’t explored free AI tools yet, now’s the time. Tools like ChatGPT offer a quick, simple way to generate activity ideas tailored to your service – all by typing in a short prompt.

Need a week’s worth of dementia-friendly activities? Want a themed calendar around the seaside, animals, or music? Need to simplify activities for those with limited mobility or visual impairments? AI can help you build a plan in seconds.

Try asking:

  • “Give me 5 simple sensory activities for older people with dementia.”

  • “Create a weekly care home activity calendar themed around summer.”

  • “List 10 craft ideas using only recycled materials.”

You can also use AI to:

  • Write newsletter updates

  • Draft posters or invites

  • Create reminiscence questions

  • Adapt instructions for different ability levels

Bonus tip: Save your best prompts so you can quickly repeat or tweak them when planning next month’s calendar.

2. Download Free Packs from the Care Control Activity Hub

If you’re a Care Control user, you have instant access to our Cloud Activity Hub – a growing library of downloadable activity packs designed specifically for care providers.

There’s a huge variety of free resources covering quizzes, arts and crafts, memory games, baking sessions, creative writing, seasonal events and more. Whether you need something last-minute or want to build a full calendar for the month, it’s all just a few clicks away.

Our packs are:

  • Completely free for everyone

  • Ready to download and print

  • Easy to tailor to your residents or clients

  • Updated regularly to keep things fresh and seasonal

Explore the Activity Hub – Cloud Activity Hub – Care Control Systems

3. Tune Into Cloud FM – playlists for any era!

Looking for something uplifting, calming or nostalgic to fill the background in your lounge or communal spaces? Care Control Radio is a dedicated online station created for care settings, and it’s completely free.

Care Control Radio features:

  • Classic songs from every era

  • Themed playlists (60s, 70s, show tunes, etc.)

You don’t need any special equipment – just a device with internet access and a speaker. You can use it to support:

  • Reminiscence activities

  • Movement and dance sessions

  • Calm, relaxing afternoons

  • Social get-togethers and tea breaks

It’s a simple way to bring life and energy into the home – without having to plan anything yourself.

Listen here – Cloud FM – Care Control Systems

4. Tap into YouTube for Movement, Music and Mindfulness

YouTube isn’t just cat videos and cooking hacks – it’s one of the most powerful (and free) activity resources out there. You can find full-length sessions designed specifically for older people, including chair-based movement, singalongs, and memory games.

Here are a few great starting points:

🪑 Seated Exercise

  • “10-Minute Chair Workout for Seniors”

  • “Move it or Lose it – Seated Routines for Care Homes”

🎤 Singalongs & Music

  • “Golden Oldies Singalong with Lyrics”

  • “Reminiscence Music Hour – 50s, 60s, 70s”

🧘 Calm & Relaxation

  • “Gentle Guided Meditation for Beginners”

  • “Nature Sounds and Visuals for Dementia Care”

📺 Themed TV & Memory Support

  • “Reminiscence TV – 1950s Britain”

  • “Vintage Adverts Compilation – 60s & 70s”

You can even create your own playlists to make it easy for different staff to run sessions – no planning required.

5. Involve Your Clients, Staff and Families

You don’t need to come up with every idea yourself. Getting clients, staff and family members involved in suggesting or planning activities builds engagement, creates a sense of ownership, and often leads to brilliant ideas you may not have thought of.

Try setting up:

  • An Activity Suggestions Jar in the lounge

  • A whiteboard with a “What would you like to do next week?” section

  • A monthly vote on themed days or special events

  • A family feedback survey asking what their loved ones enjoy most

Many families are keen to get involved – even if it’s just emailing over some old photos for a reminiscence session or helping to lead a game or story time.

6. Make the Most of What You Already Have

Finally, take a look around your setting. You probably already have everything you need to run creative, low-cost sessions. Some examples include:

  • Magazine collages from donated magazines and newspapers

  • Board games or puzzles stored in cupboards

  • Crafts with recycled materials (bottle tops, toilet roll tubes, old cards)

  • Gardening sessions using existing pots, soil and tools

  • Photo memory books using printed images from past events or family visits

  • Baking clubs with basic ingredients

  • Theme days using staff costumes, music and a few props

With a bit of imagination, you can turn even the simplest of materials into engaging activities.

Bringing It All Together

Activity planning doesn’t need to be costly, time-consuming or stressful. By using free resources like AI, YouTube, and our Care Control Activity Hub, you can create varied, stimulating activity programmes that make a real difference to the lives of those you support.

And if you’re already using Care Control, don’t forget that your team can record, evidence and reflect on every session directly in the system. That means better visibility, easier reporting, and more confidence when it comes to inspections.

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