Squeaky Clean in 2013

The first thing we did on the last day of the year was finish up the 2012 scrapbook. It was great to look back on all the memories we've made and fun things we've done.

Next we did a word guess (hangman) with new year's resolutions. I looked up the top 10 which were things like "tame the bulge", "stop smoking", "learn something new", and "spend time with family". After all 10 resolutions were guessed we played "Putting the Past in Order" for the first time and the residents really got into it.

Before dinner I sneaked into a corner and decorated to look like a 50's soda shop. These were decorations I found in a closet but served to make the area look special for our party.  To go with it, I played 50's music they enjoyed.

 After dinner we had our party. I brought drinks and pretzels and handed out word searches to start. I have found these sheets are great for activities because they give people something to do while waiting for the other residents to arrive. They are also great cognitive challenges that can be done on an individual basis.

For the main event in our party I wanted different balloons with various mini-activities to help celebrate the end of the year/ beginning of the new year. The balloons were tied to every chair and read by the resident sitting it in. Three were marked: the 1st was "Come up with a phrase for 2013", the Count Down, and the last was "find out who is the oldest person here and let him or her select a game to play to keep the party going". We also had New Year's trivia, talking about traditions, looking at the scrapbook, New Year's jokes, and Guess the Resolution.

The party turned out really well and I think everyone who came was glad they did.

Putting the Past in Order

I'm excited about an activity we put together today. Using index cards and a list of historic events we put a description of the events on one side, and the year it occurred on the other.

A game could be played with this by randomly drawing 4 cards and setting them up to show only the description. Then you "put the past in order" by moving the cards into a chronological sequence. You can check accuracy by turning them over to see the dates. I tried this out with a resident with memory difficulties and he did well because it was a matter of shuffling cards on the table rather than come up with exact dates on his own.

One reason I'm excited about this is it's an activity we can build on all year long. For instance, I added a card about Texas joining the union because of the Lone State trivia we had yesterday.

Another reason I'm excited about this is it can be personalized to include history about the residents themselves or simply the information they are most interested in. For instance, Joe might want cards about US presidents while Jennifer might want ones about famous painters.

The last reason I'm excited is this is another example of a fun thing I can use in my own life. For friends it can be a game we play that can be tailored to our preferences in many ways.

6 Flags

Once in a while I get a glimpse of what life on a stage is like. Wanting to please a diverse crowd is no easy task but being an activities person means you can't just run away. Unlike an actress, thankfully, I can change my "lines" and adapt the activity as needed.

On this day in 1845 Texas joined the union and hung the last of its Six Flags. On this day in 2012 I learned that 6 Flags is not just the name of an amusement park but succinctly describes the history of Texas under Spain, France, Mexico (remember the Alamo?), itself as a republic, the Confederacy, and finally the Union we recognize today. My job allows me to learn about all sorts of interesting things, fortunately.

We began the day with a walk to pass out calendars and then had an activity for the "State of the Day". As I handed residents their calendars I let them know about the activity and then mentioned that if they wanted to know the state of the day they'd have to come out. I used this order of things because this was the first time that I was doing an activity like this and I was nervous about how it would go. Reminding and inviting people individually is a great way to ensure good attendance and it definitely worked today.

To begin the "State of the Day" activity I gave them hints like "Lone star", "6 Flags", "Everything is Bigger" until they guessed which state it was. Then I read some trivia questions and gave 1 point for a correct answer. In between questions I asked things like who had visited the state or knew people who lived there. One question was about armadillos and a woman had a funny story about getting one as a present from her army husband. There weren't too many questions so I had the chance to ask about what they would guess the motto of Texas was (oddly enough: friendship) and if anyone had been to a rodeo.

Talking is not always a good way to keep everyone involved so we also played a game involving index cards. I taped pictures of cows to 2 cards and a picture of the flag to 1. The rest were blank and worth 0 points. Then I played songs about Texas ("There's a Girl in Texas" and "Texas" by the Charlie Daniels band were the only ones I could find at the library) while they passed the cards one at a time in a circle. When I stopped the music the person holding the flag got 2 points and anyone holding a cow got 1. This worked okay but what worked even better was allowing 2 people to pass them between each other for a "tie breaker".

There were so many residents there that we were able to keep the conversation going for a while and by the end everyone learned something new about the State of the Day.

Merry Mimosas

Working holidays can be bittersweet. You miss your biological family yet are glad to see the family you work for. Many of the residents are out for the day and some who remain are relieved to have activities to look forward to while others are depressed that they are not "home".

To begin the day I brewed good coffee and we decorated donuts to dunk in it or drink with milk instead.

reindeer and snowmen

 There was a big church service and during that time people who stayed behind made tree ribbon ornaments.

After lunch we had a big Bingo that was special because rather than tickets that go toward a drawing at the end of the month, residents won a present such as the throw blankets we made in November.

I made mimosas (orange juice and sparkling wine).

Finally, I visited everyone in their rooms to wish them a merry day and to remind them I am glad they are in my life.

a last minute snapshot of my antlers

Stages of Santa

The Four Stages of Life:

1. you believe in Santa
2. you don't believe in Santa
3. you are Santa
4. you look like Santa



This past week I got a wonderful gift: a new person in activities in my department. Now that she has joined we shouldn't have any days when the activity calendar is mostly resident-led. She's done a great job so far, has not been shy about joining in any of the activities, and makes me relieved to have someone to work with for ideas and bigger events.

For her training we've done a lot of activities to get ready for Christmas. We made giant snowflakes as door decorations that have been remarked upon so much that I think we'll make extra for the executive director and Chaplain, among others.

We had a happy hour with seasonal puzzles and a matching games between all the names of Santa Claus and the countries that use them.

We also made a variation of crispy rice treats with o-cereal and marshmallows, green food dye, and sprinkles for ornaments. For this I would suggest cooking spray on the foil or surface you are using to mold and spray on hands or gloved hands so that it doesn't stick to you in frustrating ways. The results of this were not only tasty but decorative and I think the employees we made them for were happy with them. 

Winter Brunch

Almost a week later, I am still impressed with our winter brunch. For this event we invited residents' families and had a very popular local musician come in to sing and play for the duration of the 2 hours.

The kitchen made delicious brunch food and decorated the dining room for a buffet style meal. There were eggs to order, breakfast meats, and a variety of pastries. I made Belgium waffles, mixed with green food coloring and stacked with points up, in the shape of Christmas trees. We had cookies, fruit, quiche, and eggnog. Really, it would have been hard to leave hungry.
 While I was busy getting things ready that morning (extra chairs, table cloths, extension cords) I set up Wii bowling for families to play with the residents, and after the party and a bit of a rest, we had a sweater party to celebrate December birthdays. There was still a lot of food left over for it, and we gave out superlative pins for "cutest", "most unusual", "most holiday spirit", etc. My sweater was "most British" since it was given to me by a friend as she studied abroad in England. 

The best part was watching the families interact in a setting purely orchestrated to have fun. Although these events are a lot of work, they always feel worth it.

What's in the Gift Bag?

 I was a bit sneaky and hid our event today under the title of "what's in the bag?" Instead we made holiday gift bags for the employees to give to them during their pot luck tomorrow. The bags were put together by the residents and contained a candy cane, pen on a rope, carabiner, pencil, and pencil sharpener. Just a small thank you for all the wonderful care that they take. 

Candy Cane Day

Today was a beautiful example of how assigning a theme can give flow and purpose to an otherwise ordinary day.

We began the morning with a visit from our friends in the daycare. How to keep eighteen 4 year olds entertained and on track? They handed out mini candy canes to the residents... because it was candy cane day.

We added a scarf of wrapping paper to our fridge snowman... because it was candy cane day.

I gave out sharpened striped pencils to residents who dressed for the day ... because it was candy cane day.

We drank candy cane tea, regular tea, or hot chocolate with red and white sugary garnish... because it was candy cane day.

 The employee who dressed with the most spirit for the day was awarded peppermint lip gloss... because it was candy cane day.

We made ornaments for our tree. I turned this into a cognitive as well as a fine motor skill activity when I started a pattern and challenged them to continue it ... because it was candy cane day.

 We discussed fun things to do with candy canes, the history of the treat, and took pictures with the huge "cat in the hat" hat I brought in for the occasion. The day gave the residents purpose starting with a chance to choose festive attire, gave them a fun direction to take their thoughts, and gave them dignity in small ways such as changing ornament making on pipe cleaners from a childish hobby to a rational ending to a themed day.

National Cookie Day

Sometimes I make cookies like it is my job. Actually, sometimes it is my job. Today was national cookie day and to celebrate we made brownie cookies and peanut butter cookies. Sometimes it is fun to celebrate things that are not quite so weighty and the day easily turned into "decorating cookies", "cookies and cocoa", "cookie trivia" and tomorrow you can guess what will come up for our taste testing.

No Sew

The thing about supplies for activities... sometimes things get left behind. Things are ever shifting in retirement communities. Residents, employees, expectations, time, money. When I first saw the abandoned stash I was incredulous that anyone could bear to part with such materials. In the closets we have leftovers, half-completes, and never even touched.

Many moons ago I found some fleece cuts and set them aside without even scrutinizing them. This month I figured out their purpose. As an activity we looked at them today and found that one was pre-cut to make a nice no-sew blanket and the others needed a bit more work. It took the afternoon but we completed them all and now have three beautiful lap blankets.

On Christmas they will go in a pile of prizes to be won by playing BINGO that day. Which means the residents who worked so hard on them might be able to enjoy them later on. It was a great activity, cost nothing, and freed up space in the closet. Hopefully whomever left them behind would be happy we were finally able to use them.

Trimming

When I think of trimming, I think of my overgrown bangs, my parents' dog's toenails, and the out of control plants on my porch.

Some people think of trimming and it means the opposite: making things fuller, longer, and more festive.

"Trimming" is a verb to describe decorating the Christmas tree. After much hard work we accomplished not only that but also we trimmed above the cabinets, various ledges, tops of tables, backs of doors, a few love seats, and even a piano with holiday spirit.

Bom-Da-Ti

I invited two other sections of the building to come for a large drum circle and it turned out well. The residents get a choice of drums and percussion instruments and they play along to various songs. The theme this time was Native American because November is the month to celebrate that heritage. It is a change of pace and allows the residents to be a part of the music in a much different way than singing along.

Afterwards, the performer taught a small class for those interested in performing their own drum circles and it gave me a lot of food for thought in regards to an activity I already do. It is something I never expected to be doing, but the new ideas he gave us actually have me excited.