Digital activity boards for care homes — a practical guide
A well-maintained activity board helps residents feel orientated, families feel informed, and inspectors see evidence of person-centred care. This guide covers what to display, how digital boards compare to paper and whiteboards, and how to set one up without a technical team.
Why activity boards matter in care homes
Activity boards serve four distinct audiences — and the best ones serve all four simultaneously.
For residents
Many care home residents, particularly those living with dementia, benefit from regular, clear reminders of the day, date, and what's happening. An activity board provides orientation cues throughout the day: what time it is, what's coming up, and what they can look forward to. This isn't cosmetic — research consistently links routine, predictability, and social engagement to improved wellbeing in older adults.
For families
Visiting families want to know their relative is engaged and stimulated. A visible, up-to-date activity board signals that the home is organised and proactive about activities. It opens natural conversation: "I see you had a garden party on Thursday — did you enjoy it?"
For staff
A shared, visible schedule reduces the number of times staff are asked "what's happening today?" It also ensures that bank staff and agency workers know what activities are planned, even if they haven't been briefed by a senior colleague.
For regulators
The Care Quality Commission assesses whether homes demonstrate person-centred care and meaningful activities. A well-maintained activity board is visible evidence that the home takes activities planning seriously.
CQC and activity evidence
CQC inspections under the new Single Assessment Framework assess whether people "are supported to pursue the activities, interests and goals that are important to them." An up-to-date, accessible activity board — particularly a digital one with a record of past programming — supports this evidence base. It's not a substitute for person-centred activities documentation, but it contributes to the overall picture inspectors form.
What to display on a care home activity board
The most effective activity boards combine orientation information with programme information. Here's a practical content checklist:
Orientation information (always visible)
- Day and date — displayed prominently; valuable for residents with dementia
- Time — a live clock, large enough to read from a seated position at a distance
- Season and weather — brief, cheerful; contributes to temporal orientation
- Today's meals — breakfast, lunch, dinner, and afternoon tea; meal times
Activities programme (rotating throughout the day)
- Morning activities — exercise class, reminiscence, gardening, crafts
- Afternoon activities — entertainment, games, visits, music
- Evening programme — films, social events, music
- Visiting entertainers and special events
- Outings and trips (with dates and times)
Social and community content
- Resident birthdays and anniversaries
- Staff on duty (with photos) — helps residents learn names
- Seasonal events (Christmas, Easter, Bonfire Night)
- Community news relevant to the local area
Paper vs. whiteboard vs. digital — how they compare
| Method | Cost | Update ease | Visibility | Multi-location | Professional appearance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Printed paper board | Near zero | Reprint required | Limited to one location | No (print per location) | Basic |
| Whiteboard / noticeboard | £30–£150 | Manual (pen/magnets) | Limited to one location | No | Basic; can look untidy |
| Digital screen (signage software) | £700–£1,000 (hardware) + £10+/month | Remote update from any device | High contrast; large format | Yes — one dashboard, many screens | High; branded templates |
| Smart TV (browser only) | £300–£700 | Depends on content source | Good if maintained | Difficult | Moderate |
Digital boards win on every dimension except upfront cost. For a single home, the total cost of hardware and 12 months of software is typically recouped within a year in staff time saved maintaining paper boards — and the resident and family experience benefit is immediate.
How to set up a digital activity board — 6 steps
Choose your screen location
The most effective locations are communal areas where residents spend the most time: the main lounge, the dining room, and any corridor between bedroom wings and shared spaces. Avoid positioning screens where direct sunlight causes glare. Mount at a height readable from seated position — typically 1.2–1.5m to screen centre.
Select your hardware
For a care home activity board, a 43"–55" commercial-grade display is ideal. Commercial displays are built for extended daily operation, have better warranty terms, and typically include features like automatic brightness adjustment. Pair it with a low-cost Android media player (£60–£120) or choose a screen with built-in SoC processing. A consumer TV is acceptable for a single lounge screen if budget is the primary constraint, but plan to replace it within 3–4 years of continuous use.
Choose your signage software
Look for a platform with care home-specific templates, simple content editing (non-technical staff should be able to update activities without training), scheduling capabilities, and remote management. NowBoard is built with care homes in mind: large-format time and date widgets, activity schedule templates, and updates that propagate within seconds from any browser, anywhere.
Design your board template
Start with a template that includes: day and date prominently at top, time (live), today's meals, and the activities schedule. Use large, high-contrast text — at least 36–48pt for key information. Avoid italics for body text (harder to read for people with visual impairment). Use a warm, friendly colour palette rather than clinical white-on-black.
Establish an update routine
The board is only valuable if it's current. Assign clear responsibility — typically the activities coordinator — for updating the programme each week. The best digital signage platforms allow updates from a smartphone, so changes can be made as plans evolve throughout the day. Set a recurring reminder for Monday morning to publish the week's activities.
Review and iterate
After the first month, gather feedback from residents, families, and staff. Are residents engaging with the screen? Do families mention it? Is staff asking about activities less? Use this to refine the content mix and display format. Digital boards can be updated instantly — there's no print run to commit to.
Activity ideas by category
If you're building out your programme to display, here's a structured list of activities across the key categories most care homes use:
Physical & wellbeing
- Chair-based exercise
- Gentle yoga / tai chi
- Walking group
- Garden sessions
- Hand and nail care
Creative & arts
- Painting and drawing
- Pottery / clay work
- Flower arranging
- Knitting / craft circle
- Seasonal decorating
Cognitive & social
- Reminiscence sessions
- Quiz and games
- Reading group
- Board games / cards
- Current affairs discussion
Music & entertainment
- Live music visits
- Sing-along sessions
- Film afternoons
- Music bingo
- Dance / movement to music
Seasonal & community
- Holiday celebrations
- School visits
- Intergenerational events
- Outings and day trips
- Themed food events
Spiritual & reflective
- Religious services
- Reflection / meditation
- Memorial events
- Chaplaincy visits
- Individual quiet time
Where NowBoard fits for care homes
NowBoard was built with care home activity coordinators in mind. The platform includes:
- Care home templates — pre-built layouts with day, date, time, meals, and activities sections
- Simple editing — update today's activities from your phone or desktop in under two minutes
- Scheduling — set activities in advance and publish the whole week's board on Monday morning
- Multi-screen support — push the same (or different) content to screens across multiple lounges, dining rooms, and corridors
- No technical staff needed — if you can use a web browser, you can manage NowBoard
For care groups with multiple homes, NowBoard's centralised dashboard lets head office push shared content (group events, training notices, seasonal campaigns) while each home manages its own daily activities independently.
Pricing starts at £10 per Location per month with a 14-day free trial and no credit card required.
Key takeaways
- Activity boards serve residents (orientation), families (reassurance), staff (coordination), and regulators (evidence of person-centred care)
- Digital boards beat paper and whiteboards on every dimension except upfront cost — and that gap closes within 12 months in staff time saved
- Commercial-grade hardware is worth the extra cost for displays that run 12+ hours per day
- The most important factor is update ease — a board that's difficult to maintain will fall out of date, undermining its value
- Start with one screen in the main lounge; add more once staff are comfortable with the workflow
Set up your care home activity board today
NowBoard is designed for care homes. Templates, scheduling, and remote updates — all from your phone or desktop.