Interactive Group Activities for Care Home Residents

Keeping a care home activities programme varied means having different options to draw on, including activities residents can take part in together.

Quizzes, games, music and creative sessions are already familiar parts of many activity programmes. Increasingly, technology is providing another way to deliver these kinds of shared activities, with interactive screens allowing several residents to see, respond to and take part in the same content.

For Activities Coordinators looking for something different to introduce into a group session, we've explored what interactive activities can look like and where technology fits.

An interactive activity gives residents something to actively take part in rather than simply watch.

That can take plenty of familiar forms. A group might answer questions in a quiz, play a game, contribute to a creative activity or interact with music and images. Technology doesn't fundamentally change that idea. What it can change is the way the activity is delivered.

A paper quiz can become an interactive quiz on a touchscreen. A traditional game can have a digital equivalent. Maps, photographs and other content can be explored together on a larger display. The technology becomes the format for the activity rather than the activity itself.

One of the advantages of digital content is the range of activities that can be brought together on the same device. Depending on the platform being used, an interactive screen might provide access to:

• Games and quizzes
• Puzzles and memory activities
• Drawing and creative applications
• Music-based activities
• Movement and coordination games
• Maps and virtual exploration
• Photographs and video content

For an Activities Coordinator, that brings different types of content together in one place, with options to draw on for different sessions. It can also make it easier to move between activities. A group might start with a quiz, move onto a game and then explore somewhere using a digital map without changing the physical set-up.

A standard tablet can provide access to many digital activities, but its size naturally lends itself more towards individual or one-to-one use. Shared interactive technology takes a different approach.

A larger screen gives several residents a clear view of the same content and provides more physical space for people to interact with it. With multi-touch support, multiple participants can touch, play and interact with the screen at the same time.

Rather than simply taking turns, residents can solve puzzles together, collaborate on activities or take part at the same time. This shared interaction can encourage participation, conversation and social interaction between residents.

The positioning of the technology can matter too. Interactive screens designed for shared use may be height adjustable or able to tilt into different positions, rather than requiring residents to gather around a fixed display.

If you're considering this type of technology for your care home, our guide to Interactive Touchscreens for Care Homes: What to Look For covers the key things to consider when comparing different systems.

Group use doesn't mean the technology needs to be limited to group sessions.

A large touchscreen can also be used with an individual resident or one-to-one with a member of staff, depending on the system and activity.

That flexibility gives activity teams different ways to use the same technology across their programme, rather than having equipment that only works for one particular type of session.

For a broader look at where technology can fit within an activities programme, see Technology to Support Resident Engagement in Care Homes.

A qualitative study published in the Nordic Journal of Nursing Research in 2026 followed a 12-week digital gaming intervention across three Finnish nursing homes.

Researchers interviewed 18 members of staff about their experiences and observations. Staff described residents gathering around the technology, playing together and encouraging one another during gaming sessions.

The study also reported examples of residents who typically spent more time in their rooms coming into communal spaces to participate. In some cases, staff felt the activities revealed abilities in residents that they hadn't previously recognised.

As a qualitative study based on staff observations, the research doesn't demonstrate that interactive gaming will produce the same outcomes in every setting. It does provide a useful real-world account of how residents interacted around this type of technology in the nursing homes involved.

Read the Study

Remark Group is the official UK partner for YetiCare. YetiCare is an inclusive care technology solution that combines dedicated hardware and easy-to-use applications. The YetiCare solution is built around the Yetitablet, a large Android tablet featuring a durable panzer glass interactive touchscreen developed for care and educational settings. Its adjustable mobile stand allows the screen to be used vertically or lowered into a table position, creating space for several people to gather around and take part.

Through YetiApps, care teams can access a range of ready-made games and activities covering areas including quizzes, creativity, memory and movement.

The same screen can be used for a group session, one-to-one or with an individual resident, giving Activities Coordinators different options depending on the session.

Explore YetiCare for Care Homes