New Activities needed!

[LisaRee 0]

Hi all. I was hoping to come up with some new ideas for group activities. I've been at this for 10 years now and feel completely out of new ideas. Help! My residents are very stubborn when it comes to changes...of course I won't get rid of BINGO!

[pkc 0]

I understand!

Yesterday we did a version of Pictionary. I drew the pictures and they had to guess what it was.

Also did "Hangman" Sort of a Wheel of Fortune type of a thing you might have done as kids.

Have you tried Horse Racing? I did a version of it with Cars during the Indy races.

Also what about baseball beanbag?

Maybe bingo with a beanbag? Have the numbers on the floor and where the bag hits is the number to be called? They could take turns throwing the bag.

[Jen 0]

I know what you mean & if we get bored with our programs, you know that the residents are. Our claendars should be based on the needs, interests, & abilities of each resident, so if our calendars look the same as they did 5 years ago, or even 1 year ago, they are probably not meeting the needs of the residents we have now. I have friends whose companies hand down how much of this, that, & everything else should be on their calendars-a one-size-fits-all-facilities kind of thing,but that can't work. Every area & every building for that matter, has their own culture. My facility is in a rural community with people who are often from farming backgrounds. They like to garden, cook, get out in the van & chck out the harvest, do lots of physical activities because they have usually been so active, etc. Probably some things that residents in cities might not want to do. Of course, many of mine still like bingo, but of course, not all of them do, & those folks interests need to be met also. It's all about knowing your residents & the assessment! Recently, in resident council, mine said they want some different things & with some discussion, we're trying History Club, with a different subject each month, & a travel destination each month-I'm thankful for the internet & public library! Well, what this rambling about is, trying different things keeps me excited about my work & the "burn out syndrome" at bay & after 17+ years at this, I need that.

[kelkat 0]

I know what you mean about finding new ideas. Sometimes I feel like I rack my brain to get something new and then noone wants to do it. It gets frustrating but I know they have the right to change their mind.

 

We started a Travel Club and it gets really interesting. The first meeting I asked attendees what states and countries they have visited. We marked them on a large wall map. We then started with a different state twice a month. I pull interesting facts about the state from online and I also try to get some pictures of things tourist visit in that state. I also find 2-3 foods that are staples or well known for that state and they sample it.

 

For example, Maine I served blueberry muffins and pancakes with maple syrup and crab cakes. Florida we had key lime pie and shrimp. This gives you an idea. It wasn't a large meal serving but just enough to give them a taste.

 

We stopped for the holidays during November and December. They have been asking when we are starting it again.

 

I find some have never been to any other states or very few states and this gives them a glimpse of the world. When we finish all 50 states we are then starting the countries. We will do them all even if noone has not been there to visit or live.

[jrsarandreajr 0]

Hi all. I was hoping to come up with some new ideas for group activities. I've been at this for 10 years now and feel completely out of new ideas. Help! My residents are very stubborn when it comes to changes...of course I won't get rid of BINGO!

 

Try playing games such as Word in a Word. Simply write a fairly large word on a dry erase or chalk board and have the residents find other smaller words within it.

 

Another great game they enjoy playing is the Supermarket Game. It's somewhat like The Price is Right. Take some household objects (the more food the better), and have the residents taking turns guessing how much each item is. Allow time for discussion of price differences between now and when they used to shop for their own families. The great thing about the food items is you can allow the residents to sample which is something they love to do. Just be sure to pay close attention to allergies of course before offering samples.

 

For a craft and reminiscing project tie in, you could have the residents make a timeline on large pieces of paper or poster board. They can cut out pictures or draw their own to represent specific important memories they have from when they are younger. You can also have them include their birthdays in the proper spots. Once finished, he time line can be displayed in a hallway of your facility. The residents and their family members will love to see the final product. It is interesting for the staff to read as well.

[jlpdimples 0]

It seems that you have had some very good imput when it comes to newer ideas. I had also tried a travel club or what we called destination imagination! But, depending on your resources like books and internet that might get alittle difficult.

 

One idea that might help..but will cause you to do some research on your own is "name that tune" and "name that year". You are able to group them together and have dicussions...one thing that I thought was very rewarding was the conversation starter it became! For the group session just divide into teams. You can show a picture, magazine clip, movie, or anything from that year and they will have to come up with a date..of course if the first group is not able to get it within a certain time they can ask for another clue. There are multiple ways to play the game and of course keeps them guessing and then towards the end they continue talking about that time period or what they had experienced during that time.

Hope this helps!!

[shirlee 0]

I find that sometimes an existing group simply needs a twist to spice it up.

 

Cooking groups: Pass out cook books and magazines, create the perfect meal from the recipes being read, have residents vote then write the menu on a white board for all to see. Create a cookbook/scrapbook with each week's recipe. While food is cooking let residents work with disposable dough that they can mix, knead, roll etc. Hope this helped.

[dinandez 0]

Hi all. I was hoping to come up with some new ideas for group activities. I've been at this for 10 years now and feel completely out of new ideas. Help! My residents are very stubborn when it comes to changes...of course I won't get rid of BINGO!

 

 

I've found at my center that participants enjoy doing activities that serve a meaningful purpose. For example, instead of doing regular trivia, I go to freerice.com and quiz them from that website. Each time the seniors give a correct answer, sponsors of that website provide the funds to give 10 grains of rice to people in countries like Cambodia that are living in starvation conditions. This activity leaves participants feeling like they're contributing, even just a little bit.

 

I also led a mystery brunch where the staff acts out roles and the seniors have to guess who the thief is. I'd pause the play at different points to allow them time to submit guesses. Seniors who guessed correctly won prizes. Mine was a Vegas themed mystery so all prizes were Vegas related. They really enjoyed this as did staff. I will share the play with you if you like. It was more improv than scripted, but I provided a very general outline of events for people to follow. This allowed staff personality to shine through the roles they played.

 

I hope these ideas help. Best of luck!

[cat356 0]

I have two ladies who volunteer. They went to a local store and asked the manager to donate old flowers at the end of the week. They bring them to the facilty and do a group of flower arranging ever Frdiay, the resident love it and they get to have fresh flowers every week. Cathy

[susanw11777 0]

Hi all. I was hoping to come up with some new ideas for group activities. I've been at this for 10 years now and feel completely out of new ideas. Help! My residents are very stubborn when it comes to changes...of course I won't get rid of BINGO!

 

 

 

 

Hello there.....god forbid we get rid of bingo, some of our residents are asking for more bingo. We have started playing alot of dvd game shows on the big tv (we have deal or no deal, 1 vs. 100, and The Price is Right). We also do a Day at the spa, table tennis, snowball fight, Wii tornaments, also our wii is hooked to WIFI so we hook it up to the big tv and surf the web.

[jledoux 0]

We usually like to include a lot of the other departments to lead some group activities. For example we have a nutrition presentation once a month led by our dieticians and a live cooking show once a month led by two of our chefs.

[abidlack 0]

My new favorite activity is called "Out to the Races" I have a very large whiteboard that I bring in. Other materials include a blue and red dry erase marker, magnetic horses, and 2 large dice (one blue and one red). First, I draw a large line up the board and number off 0 to 50. Then I have all the residents bet on which horse will win, blue or red and I write that on the board. The residents will roll the dice and the corresponding color horse will move up the scale. The first horse to 50 wins and everyone that bet on that horse receives a dime. However, if someone rolls a 1, the horse "takes a water break" and goes back 5 spaces. I get the residents chanting for their horse and they get all excited when they win.

[klockwood82 0]

I started doing weekly socials, we started with Root Beer Floats...and I can't stop doing them...they LOVE them. I continued with a try a pie social, where we sampeled different kinds of seasonal pies, ice cream sundaes, lemon social, a let them eat cake social, popcorn/home made cotton candy social, anything besides cookies and punch. They seem to like it, and i get a lot of residents to participate. I also try to play up ANY holiday.

 

I worked at a facility where i came up with a price is right game, including a home made plinko board, a hole in one or two, trivia, I made sure to be rod rodney and just get into it...it was a blast.

 

The Wii is always fun, however I find that my residents will be more apt to do this if I put it away every once and a while and then bring it back out after a month or so...it seems all new to them.

 

I like to do trivia scavenger hunts, where the residents have to asnwer different trivia questions placed in different parts of the building, this also helps with new residents to give them a little more fun tour of the building

[hannah22 0]

Hi... We actually started doing a Chef's Kitchen. It is where you bring stuff and show the residents how to make something and they get to help you mix it together and create it and then they get to eat it. This activity brings the most residents to the room. They love being able to still "cook" and then get to watch everyone enjoy it!

[TheEhlersGroup 0]

Know a senior couple whose life reads like a Danielle Steele novel or sounds like a Lifetime Television movie?

 

The Ehlers Group, which specializes in marketing programs for senior housing communities, has kicked off its quest for 365 Senior Love Stories for a new book.

 

To view submission requirements, please visit www.365SeniorLoveStories.Blogspot.com, call 954-726-9228 or email SeniorLoveStories@TheEhlersGroup.com.

 

Entries must be submitted by May 31, 2010.

[oscar51 0]

Do you have Residents who like to read? I go online and find one act plays, our receptionist types them for me. She then makes enough companies for all the actors plus one for me. She also highlights the individual parts for each resident that will be reading them.

[williewanda 0]

Hi all. I was hoping to come up with some new ideas for group activities. I've been at this for 10 years now and feel completely out of new ideas. Help! My residents are very stubborn when it comes to changes...of course I won't get rid of BINGO!

I have done some karaoke and sing alongs with my residents and they have really enjoyed it.

Other ideas are a poker nite, beading, sorting, and making smores. Hope this is helpful to you!!!! Enjoy.

[pkc 0]

You mention sorting below. Do you mean sorting the beads? Or please expound on this.

 

THANKS!

 

 

 

 

 

 

I have done some karaoke and sing alongs with my residents and they have really enjoyed it.

Other ideas are a poker nite, beading, sorting, and making smores. Hope this is helpful to you!!!! Enjoy.

[robbinmcarling 0]

I am getting ready to ad the horse racing to my facility in April since they love Bingo so much where I am I thought they would like betting on horses. I also had a recommendation from my resident counsel to start a Poker Group/Texas Hold-em Group. I would try asking some of your residents about what they would like to see and what they would like to get rid of.

An idea that is sort of a sister idea to the Travel Club posted is a Pen Pals Club, but the group writes to other facilities and you keep a map with one color push pin of who you have sent letters to and one color push pin for who you have received a response from. The goal is to get a facility in every state to write you back.

[patkiely 0]

Hi all. I was hoping to come up with some new ideas for group activities. I've been at this for 10 years now and feel completely out of new ideas. Help! My residents are very stubborn when it comes to changes...of course I won't get rid of BINGO!

 

 

An evening program I started was "Pajama Party". It started off slow but has now become rather popular. Resident come in evening clothes or street clothes. We start witha game (Ad Libs is a big hit) or background information (ex the history of pajama). Snacks are a must and puff corn is a favorite. We end with a movie. Old time comedys work the best like the "Parent Trap" or "With 6 you get Eggrolls".

Pat Kiely

[cindylu 0]

Hi all. I was hoping to come up with some new ideas for group activities. I've been at this for 10 years now and feel completely out of new ideas. Help! My residents are very stubborn when it comes to changes...of course I won't get rid of BINGO!

[cindylu 0]

An evening program I started was "Pajama Party". It started off slow but has now become rather popular. Resident come in evening clothes or street clothes. We start witha game (Ad Libs is a big hit) or background information (ex the history of pajama). Snacks are a must and puff corn is a favorite. We end with a movie. Old time comedys work the best like the "Parent Trap" or "With 6 you get Eggrolls".

Pat Kiely

[cindylu 0]

Hello, My name is Cindy. I have been at it for a while too. Do you have facility bucks? We are Sagebrook so our bucks are Sagebucks. They get these for coming to planned activities. When calling bingo if they bingo they get a buck. At the end of bingo time when we do cover all(blackout) they get 5 Sagebucks. We ahve 3 ways to spend these bucks. 1st way is WheelChair Inn (we had a contest to name this store(yes their prize was Sagebucks)I go to the Dollar Tree and get items like bodywash,shampoo,lotions,socks,t-shirts, little nicknacks. Things I know my residents will like. We charge like 10-15 Sagebucks for a large container of shampoo. I know this sounds like a lot but They will accumilate many, many bucks. 2nd way is mom & Pop's candy store. munchies of all kinds small bags of chips, candy bars, cans of soda etc (they love this one). 3rd we have an Auction. I like to go to Goodwill and pickup original and different items or make baskets with goodies and small items. I understand about your residents not liking change. When I started the Sagebucks the residents didn't like me too well. the change. I gave it time and now they love their bucks. (If it doesn't work just change it haha). good luck. If you would like to e-mail me at cindylukno2@yahoo.com it would be nice to exchange ideas.

[martiniques_mommy 1]

I had success with our own version of The Price Is Right. The department collected empty food, beverage, personal care containers (i.e. shampoo bottles, cereal boxes, empty soda cans) basically any item you think you would find at a local grocery store. We made sure the containers were cleaned and empty and then assigned prices to the items using today's prices. We started each resident out with $30 in play money and they were to go "shopping" without going over the amount given. The person that came the closest would be the winner. We would not put out all items, but a small variety in which they could shop with. After we had a winner, we would rotate new items to be chosen. It is really fun to see how many residents would be in awe as to how much prices have changed over the years. This also leads to another activity programming discussion the change in prices of various items over the years and what the items were used for, etc.

[llee 0]

Hi all. I was hoping to come up with some new ideas for group activities. I've been at this for 10 years now and feel completely out of new ideas. Help! My residents are very stubborn when it comes to changes...of course I won't get rid of BINGO!

 

 

Try using a plug and play games you connect directly to the tv. Games such as Deal or No Deal, 1 vs 100, Wheel of Fortune, When we play Deal or No Deal I have each resident take turns choosing a case and it keeps them involved and a good cognitive game because they have to pay attention in order to choose the right case.