Western Day

I've long since had "Western" on my list of possible theme days. I've just been waiting for the weather to get cool enough to warrant flannel. The idea behind theme days is that I am required to have one activity a month to celebrate birthdays and other accomplishments. Rather than making cupcakes each time, I decided we would have an entire day devoted to it. Days previous we would spend getting ready and on the actual day each activity would adhere to the theme so that by the time the "party" began we would all be in the mood to celebrate. Also it would mean each was unique.

 This day I asked everyone to wear plaid and we began the day with a cowboy chat. I brought in two books with lots of descriptions of real cowboy life for us to discuss. Next we "redecorated the ranch" with horseshoes I brought in. Also, we finished painting the picture props I have been working on for weeks.

After lunch I got the residents who were most dressed up to help with passing out the weekly calendars. While we visiting each room I reminded people about the things that were happening a little later. The first of which was turning afternoon drinks into the "Saloon". Then we made our "Mix for the Trail" which included ranch rice snacks, harvest cheddar sun chips, sweet chili snacks, acorn cookies (of hershey's kisses and peanut butter sandwich cookies), and s'more bites (marshmallows plugged with pretzels, smothered in chocolate and rolled in crushed graham). The food was good, singing happy birthday in Western accents was better, but I think the best was taking pictures.

The four picture props included a wanted posted, a jail, a cowboy, and a cowgirl. They were worth the work because the residents didn't need to dress up, buy clothes, or hire someone to come in for "antique photos".

Since I wanted at least one physical game we also lassoed  a stuffed horse with craft rope which turned out to be pretty entertaining.