Have you ever taken part in a spelling bee? Most likely it was part of our school days when we were learning to spell and write. Well, spelling bees are not just for kids. Did you know AARP used to sponsor a Spelling Bee? Many adults still enjoy spelling words and other cognitive games.

The Benefits of a Spelling Bee for Older Adults

Spelling Bees offer many benefits like improving or strengthening intellectual functioning and memory. Many adults also enjoy a challenge which a spelling bee offers as well. Some folks may want to even come to just watch and cheer on their friends. Either way a spelling bee can be fun.

Starting a Spelling Bee

If you work with seniors in a senior home, you may make this as formal as you want or you may want just to make this a relaxed and fun activity. You can ask your residents which they prefer. If you choose to go the formal route, then you may want to give them time for preparation and even give them a list of words to study. 

If you are a family member or family caregiver, this might be a fun activity to do with children in the family when you are gathered together. 

Your choice of a word list in either case will be different for each setting. You can find many word lists online or maybe when children are involved you may use their spelling word lists from school to help them practice.

Conducting a Spelling Bee

In a senior care setting, after gathering your residents, you may form a half circle. If this is an informal spelling bee, ask each resident to spell a word. Use the word in a sentence if needed, in order to understand the meaning. If the word isn’t spelled correctly, you may provide the correct spelling and move on to the next person or you can ask another member of the group for the correct spelling and then move on. This can all be done in fun.

If this is a formal spelling bee you might play this in rounds. Each word spelled correctly would move the person on to the next round. If a word is incorrect the person is out. Keep giving words during each round until there is one person left. 

It’s really your choice in how you would like to conduct your spelling bee. There are many other resources online for how to conduct spelling bees.

Spelling Bee Certificates

You can give out spelling bee certificates or other prizes as you wish. Here is a spelling bee certificate along with spelling words in the Caregivers Workshop. Most of all just have fun!