Early stage2 pages15–20 minutes
The Kitchen We Grew Up In
A large-print word search of the things that sat on a mid-century kitchen counter. Forward directions only — nothing reads backwards.
Free to print, copy, and pass on
Memory Studio · A collection of 5 free sheets
When You Sit Down Together
An ordinary afternoon visit, an hour or so, just the two of you.
Some visits carry themselves. Others sit heavy in the room, and by the twenty-minute mark you have already asked about lunch twice. That is not a failure of love — it is what happens when the usual way of talking stops working and nothing has replaced it yet.
This collection replaces it. Every sheet here gives your hands and eyes somewhere to go, so the talking can happen sideways, the way it always did best. You are not testing anyone. You are giving the two of you a reason to sit close and look at the same thing.
Print one or two before you drive over. If a sheet is not landing, set it down without comment and pick up another. Nothing here needs to be finished.
How to use this set well
- Choose one sheet, not the stack. A single page reads as an invitation; a pile reads as a task.
- Sit shoulder to shoulder rather than across the table. Side by side is easier on someone who is searching for a word.
- Read the first item out loud yourself. Going first takes the spotlight off them and shows there is no wrong answer here.
- If an answer wanders somewhere else entirely, follow it. The story is the point; the puzzle is only the doorway.
- Stop while it is still going well. Ending on a good moment is what makes the next visit easier.
The sheets in this collection
Each one opens on its own page and prints on its own — one to three pages, large type, nothing to download and no email address to give. Print the one that fits today.
Early stage2 pages20–30 minutes
Everyday Things Crossword
A small, open crossword — short answers, generous squares, clues written about a life rather than a dictionary.
Free to print, copy, and pass on
Early stage2 pages10–15 minutes
Finish the Saying
Old sayings with the ending left off. These often arrive whole even when new words are hard — the rhythm carries them.
Free to print, copy, and pass on
Early stage1 page15 minutes
Then and Now
Pairs the way a thing used to be done with the way it is done today. It opens conversation rather than closing it with an answer.
Free to print, copy, and pass on
Middle stage2 pages10–15 minutes
Match the Picture to the Word
Large original drawings of household things from the 1950s and 60s, matched to their plain names. Nothing small, nothing crowded.
Free to print, copy, and pass on
Would you like a printed set? Come by and pick one up
If you are in Scottsdale, Paradise Valley, Fountain Hills, or nearby and you would rather not wrestle with a printer, call us. We will run this collection off and you are welcome to stop by the home to pick it up — there is no charge and nothing expected in return. If you would like to see the house while you are here, we would love that; if you would rather just take the pages and go, that is completely fine too.
Questions families ask
- What activities can I do with a parent who has dementia during a visit?
- Choose something you can do side by side that has no wrong answer — a large-print word search about the kitchen they grew up in, a picture-matching page, or a finish-the-saying sheet. The activity gives the visit a shape, and the conversation tends to arrive on its own once hands are busy.
- How long should a dementia activity last?
- Ten to twenty minutes is plenty for most people, and stopping while it is still enjoyable matters more than finishing. If attention drifts, that is information rather than a setback — set the page down and simply stay a while longer.
- Are these printable activities really free?
- Yes. Every sheet prints straight from the page with no email address and nothing to purchase. If you are near Scottsdale and cannot print at home, call us and stop by the home — we will run a set off for you.
Reading that goes with this
Other collections
As the Light Changes
For the late afternoon, when the light drops and everything feels less settled.
5 sheets
A Job That Is Still Theirs
For someone who has always worked, and who does not want to be entertained.
6 sheets
The Years They Were Young
For reaching the years that are still bright — roughly ages ten to thirty.
6 sheets
When Words Have Thinned
For the season when presence says more than conversation ever could.
6 sheets
For Someone Who Doesn't Know What to Say
For grandchildren, friends, and the family member who has been putting off the visit.
6 sheets