Getting men involved in aged-care activities can take patience. Some residents enjoy joining a group straight away, while others prefer to watch first, talk one-to-one, or take part when the activity connects with an interest they already have.
Over the years, I have found that a men’s group works best when it feels relaxed and purposeful rather than like another scheduled class. A group called a Men’s Club, Men’s Business, or simply a regular men’s get-together can create a comfortable place for conversation, food, friendly competition, practical projects, and shared interests.
If you are building a broader activity calendar, our collection of free activities for seniors is a useful place to find printable games, creative activities, and social ideas for group or one-to-one sessions.
How to Start a Men’s Club
Begin with a regular time, even if the first group is small. Fortnightly or monthly meetings can work well. Some residents may need a personal invitation or encouragement from a friend before they decide to come along.
Set up a comfortable space with a clear purpose. A table, comfortable chairs, refreshments, newspapers, sports on the television, or a hands-on project can make the group feel welcoming. The aim is not to create a club that suits every man in the same way. It is to offer different ways to participate.
A welcoming Men’s Club can begin with a small group, a comfortable table, refreshments, conversation, and more than one way to take part.
The Men’s Breakfast Club
A Men’s Breakfast Club is a simple way to bring residents together for food, conversation, and shared interests.
Quick setup
- Meet fortnightly or monthly.
- Schedule the breakfast a little later than the main meal service, if suitable.
- Use a smaller table to encourage relaxed conversation.
- Add a tablecloth, crockery, napkins, and simple decorations.
- Use model cars, trucks, or miniature machinery as table decorations.
Breakfast ideas – Choose an approved breakfast option such as:
- Bacon and eggs
- Toast
- Cereal
- Fruit
- Tea, coffee, or juice
Breakfast may be prepared by kitchen staff or by the activity team using approved appliances, food-safety procedures, and your facility’s usual kitchen arrangements.
Invite a guest speaker – A guest can give the group something interesting to talk about. Consider inviting:
- A firefighter or police officer
- A local business owner or publican
- A farmer or fisherman
- A returned service member
- A community leader
- Someone with an interesting story or skill
Choose someone who is suitable, familiar, and comfortable for your residents.
A small breakfast table with simple food, familiar decorations, and informal conversation can create an easy starting point for a Men’s Club.
Keep the conversation relaxed
- Allow plenty of time for questions.
- Encourage residents to share their own stories.
- Invite the guest to stay for breakfast, if appropriate.
- Avoid making it feel like a formal presentation.
- Let residents listen quietly if they prefer.
A smaller table, simple food, and an interesting guest can create a warm Men’s Club morning.
Games, Tournaments, and Friendly Competition
Men’s Club activities do not need to be complicated. Use what is already available in your home. A pool table, dartboard, card table, chessboard, draughts set, or indoor putting game can become the centre of a regular social session.
Print on A4 paper and use it at the activity table or during staff planning.
A friendly tournament can run over several weeks, with a simple certificate, small prize, or homemade trophy at the end. Other options include:
• Card games, chess, draughts, dominoes, or board games.
• Indoor mini golf or putting challenges.
• Remote-control cars on a simple table-top course.
• Sports on the big screen with conversation before and after the game.
• Safe foam-target games using soft equipment and clear boundaries.
• A horse-racing game using tokens or pretend money rather than residents’ personal money.
Keep competition light and voluntary. Residents can be players, scorekeepers, commentators, helpers, or spectators.
For a practical conversation starter, try our Tool Shed Quiz for seniors, which can be run around a table with residents answering together or taking turns.
Consider introducing unique activities like horse racing simulations or woodworking projects. These can tap into existing interests and create opportunities for shared experiences.
Trivia and Conversation Afternoons
Trivia is an easy way to offer something for different interests. Try sports trivia, classic television, vintage cars, transport, local history, occupations, tools, music, or “guess the object” questions.
If cars are a popular topic in your group, our classic-car logo quiz offers an easy visual activity that can be used as a group discussion, a friendly quiz, or a one-to-one option.
A Men’s Club can also finish with a familiar film or documentary. Classic car films, westerns, travel programs, comedy, or a favourite sports match may work well, depending on the group. Serve tea, coffee, cool drinks, cheese, crackers, or another suitable snack. For more ideas on choosing films, setting up the room, and providing refreshments, see our guide to planning a movie night for seniors.
One facility may call its regular session Man Cave Monday. Another may choose a different name. The important part is that residents recognise the time as a relaxed opportunity to come together. You can also browse our wider collection of social activities for seniors in aged care when you are planning a mixed program for different interests.
Practical Projects and Woodworking
For residents who enjoy making things, organise small, manageable projects such as simple timber items, model kits, painting, sanding, decorating, or assembling pre-cut pieces. Local hardware shops, community groups, Men’s Sheds, and carpenters may be able to donate materials or suggest suitable projects.
The same principle can be used for painting, decorating, and other safe hands-on projects. Our guide to hosting a creative workshop for seniors includes practical ideas for setting up the room, materials, guidance, and participation at each person’s own pace.
Choose projects that match the group’s abilities and your facility’s safety requirements. Staff should prepare sharp tools, heavy materials, and difficult steps in advance. Finished projects can be displayed, taken home, or donated to a suitable fundraiser with the residents’ agreement.
Vintage Cars, Motorcycles, and Transport
Inviting local vintage-car or motorcycle owners to visit can create a memorable afternoon. Residents can look at the vehicles, ask questions, take photographs where appropriate, and talk about cars or motorcycles they have owned, repaired, driven, or admired.
Serve afternoon tea nearby so the conversation can continue after the vehicle visit. If bringing a vehicle onto the property is not practical, use photographs, model cars, vehicle videos, or a transport quiz instead.
Food, Music, and Casual Social Time
Sometimes the best Men’s Club activity is a simple meal. Order pizza, hamburgers, fish and chips, or another approved takeaway option and play enjoyable background music. A casual meal can be especially useful for residents who do not usually attend craft or game sessions.
If you would like to make refreshments part of the activity, our snack cart activity for seniors offers another way to combine food, conversation, choice, and social contact.
You can also plan a café, pub, restaurant, or fast-food outing if suitable transport and volunteers are available. On the way back, take a gentle drive through the surrounding area if this is safe, accessible, and approved by your facility.
Horse-Racing Afternoon
A horse-racing afternoon can be run with a racing game, DVD, online video, or a simple homemade track. Residents can choose a horse, give it a name, commentate on the race, keep score, or help run the activity. For pretend bets and activity rewards, use tokens, counters, or our printable Bingo Bucks, which can be adapted for horse-racing games, tournaments, and other friendly competitions.
A retired jockey or racing enthusiast can make a wonderful guest bookmaker or commentator if someone suitable is available. Keep all betting pretend and never handle residents’ personal money. For another themed activity using pretend money and simple games, see our guide to Casino Day in Aged Care. Use only the ideas that suit your facility’s policies, risk assessments, and residents’ preferences.
Duck-Hunting Target Game
For a playful target activity, place toy ducks on cups, boxes, or buckets and invite residents to knock them down using a safe foam launcher or another approved soft-target method. Award points and offer a small prize or homemade duck trophy if the group enjoys friendly competition.
Use equipment that is appropriate for your residents, provide clear boundaries, and offer a non-projectile alternative such as beanbag throwing or soft-ball targets. Residents can also take part by keeping score or choosing the next target.
News and Current-Events Discussion
A Men’s Club can be as simple as a weekly conversation about the news. Bring a few suitable newspaper stories or printed articles and invite residents to share their views. Topics might include local events, sport, weather, transport, community news, or a story that affects the facility.
Choose material that is respectful and suitable for the group. Residents should be free to listen without speaking, change the subject, or leave the conversation. The goal is connection and participation, not debate or a test of knowledge.
Picture Quizzes and Nostalgia Topics
A picture quiz can use well-known entertainers, classic cars, famous buildings, sporting moments, travel images, or familiar household objects. Use images with permission, choose material appropriate for your residents, and avoid assuming that everyone will enjoy the same celebrities or topics.
Rather than presenting the activity as a test, invite residents to identify, comment on, compare, or simply look at the pictures. Staff can offer clues or share a little context when helpful.
How to Make These Activities Work Well
| If residents… | Try this |
|---|---|
| Prefer to stay in their rooms or keep to themselves | Offer a personal invitation and a short visit first. Let them attend for ten minutes without pressure. |
| Do not enjoy competitive games | Give them a role as commentator, scorekeeper, helper, or observer. |
| Have reduced fine-motor ability | Use larger equipment, pre-cut materials, adapted handles, and staff assistance. |
| Become overwhelmed by large groups | Offer a smaller table or one-to-one version. |
| Have different interests | Rotate the themes rather than repeating only sport or only games. |
| Enjoy practical tasks | Prepare real objects, tools, model kits, or simple building projects with safe supervision. |
Men’s Club activities can also be placed alongside gentle movement and table-based sessions. Our guide to morning activities for Baby Boomers in aged care includes walking, seated movement, table games, and other ways to start the day.
Safety, Dignity, and Choice
Participation should always be voluntary. Check your facility’s policies before using alcohol, takeaway food, projectiles, tools, vehicles, photographs, or gambling-themed games. Use pretend money rather than residents’ personal money, and adapt equipment for vision, hearing, mobility, and dexterity needs.
Some ideas may need careful adjustment for your setting. Keep the language and materials respectful, avoid sexualised or embarrassing activities, and make sure photographs are taken only with appropriate consent. A successful Men’s Club is not defined by how many residents attend or whether an activity is completed. It is defined by whether residents feel comfortable, included, and interested in coming back.
Final Thoughts
There is no single activity that will appeal to every man. Start with the interests already present in your home, listen to what residents suggest, and build a small rhythm of familiar gatherings. A breakfast, a car visit, a trivia afternoon, a building project, a casual meal, or a conversation over the newspaper can all become the beginning of a valued Men’s Club.
The best activity is often the one that gives residents a reason to come to the table and stay for a while.
Explore More Memory Lane Therapy Resources
For more practical resources, browse our free activities for seniors or explore the Memory Lane Therapy Premium Membership, which includes printable activity books, themed resources, sing-along activities, and planning support for aged-care teams.
