Film programs can be a lot of fun, although sometimes not stimulating. Wouldn’t it be great if there was a way to immerse seniors into a full sensory activity while appreciating a great film? A few years ago I decided to take my love of good food and love of movies and combine it into a hands-on activity. I called it “ Lights, Camera, Appetite

For example, Wizard of Oz. You can make rainbow cupcakes and as seniors are watching the film they can also enjoy a tasty treat! Let’s try to stray away from just showing a movie and let’s make it an experience they will be raving about ! Here are just a few fun films you can pair with these recipes to make a full sensory experience:


Serendipity- This film sets in NYC and is about two people ( Kate Beckinsale and John Cusack) meeting in a very serendipitous manner. One star of this film was the Frozen Hot Chocolate sold at a store named, you guessed it, Serendipity. Amazon does sell the packets of their frozen hot cocoa mix online but you can also...

Quite recently I have seen many disheartening comments on activity director based Facebook groups. June was National Pride Month and many people were happy to share their celebrations and stories. One activity director explained how they would be educating seniors on LGBT history and having discussions on the topic. While I’ve seen many people saying that this topic may not be appropriate for seniors, like many things it is an attitude resulting from our society infantilizing our seniors.

Our senior communities are a direct reflection of our society and will have members of the LGBT + community. Consider that the Stonewall Riots, a Hallmark moment in LGBT history happened in 1969, almost fifty years ago. That means many people of that era are now part of the senior community. Some things we should consider are that many of our seniors may have grown up in a society that wasn’t as accepting of people in that community or refused to acknowledge (or demonize) their existence. In that scen...

Every year the American Healthcare Association comes up with fun and meaningful themes for National Skilled Nursing Care Week. This year’s theme, “ Live Soulfully” should be quite a treat. As activity professionals go, I always say we are the “soul” to the building. We know the benefits of a joyful life filled with art, culture, nature, leisure and joy. This theme is an amazing way to foster what we always plan when making our monthly calendars and going the extra mile. Each day you can focus on each element that nurtures the soul.

Here is a day to day guide for Monday through Friday to give you some inspiration.

Monday/ ART: Painting can be extremely relaxing. Host a painting party and have residents paint on a canvas while enjoying a glass of wine ( if permitted). If you are unable to hire an artist to lead the class, there are many Youtube paint classes online that you can have as your virtual instructor with the use of a smart TV.

Tuesday/ CULTURE: Celebrate the diversity of your many...

My Activity Resources has been providing monthly activity calendars to nursing home and assisted living facilities for nearly two years throughout the US, Canada, Australia and the UK.  Recently, providers from the Adult Family Home community have reached out to us in hopes of creating monthly activity programs for their locations. We were glad to oblige.  

We have created fun calendars with seasonal backgrounds that are sure to be a fabulous marketing tool for AFH providers. We are currently offering six month subscription packages which include

-made monthly activity calendars that come accompanied with day-to-day guides. The guides help care workers by offering instructions on how to perform each activity whether it be a cooking class, a craft or even exciting socials.

Quality of life is important to not only those you serve, but also yourself. By having six months worth monthly calendars, it allows you to focus on whats truly important- spending less time on the computer pla...

Many residents look forward to vendors coming to their home. Some seniors are bound to the facility due to illnesses and other physical restrictions, so it is always nice to have a store come to them if they are unable to go on outings. As an activity professional, have you ever seen a vendor come in with up charged items? Or perhaps vendors who work for overpriced cosmetic and jewelry companies? I once had a handbag salesperson come to a previous home I had worked for that was selling bags for that cost $80.00 and over. It was absurd as many of the seniors living there would only have an allowance of $50 to $100 a month. Some residents only receiving Medicaid had a strict $50 a month budget. I tried putting myself into their positions and how discouraging it must feel to have all of these lovely items in front of you and not being able to buy them. One time I even had a vendor who had marketed themselves as a traveling dollar store but overheard them trying to sell items in a hair acc...

Legend has it that Punxsutawney Phil is given “Groundhog Punch" that he's fed every summer at the annual Groundhog Picnic (just a sip) that apparently extends his life for another seven years. So even if Phil misses out on six annual sips, he's still good to make weather predictions for the time being. That's some magical punch—the kind that foresees potential snags for nearly a full decade.

Punxsutawney Phil has an “inner circle,” a club that is devoted to planning events around Groundhog Day and also for ensuring he has his special punch each year.  

The largest Groundhog Day celebration is held in the Pennsylvania town of Punxsutawney, where crowds big as 40,000 gather each year. The tradition of watching a groundhog emerge from his burrow began as a custom among the German “Dutch” community in PA in 1887.And there are no other Phil’s but him to predict if spring will come in six weeks, just him. 

HOST A MOCK WEDDING ON VALENTINES DAY!

Have a male resident and female resident volunteer to pose as the mock bride and groom... Hold a fake ceremony in which the groom “high fives” the bride. Afterwards serve cake, play wedding music and make toasts!

PLAY THE LOVE AND MARRIAGE GAME

 (Not R Rated)

With this program, be sure to have participants in advance. Ask staff members if they would be willing to participate with their spouses for this special game show! You will need three couples and one activity member to host.  Below are the questions to ask the couples.

The rules are the same as the Newlywed Game:

Have each couple predict what their final score will be. This information will be used if the game ends in a tie.

Send the wives offstage into the “isolation area”.

Ask the husbands three questions about their wives, Example: "What will your wife say is the movie monster that best describes her mother?") Record the husbands' answers on cue cards and place them in their laps.

Bring the wives...

Finish the Holiday Lyric

Directions: Fill in the blank word from the lyrics to popular holiday songs. 

1. Santa Baby, hurry down the __________ tonight.  Answer: Chimney

2. And if you ever saw it, you would even say it ___________. Answer: Glows

3. I'll be home for Christmas, if only in my ______________. Answer: Dreams

4. Dashing through the snow, in a one horse open ___________. Answer: Sleigh

5.  Jingle Bells, jingle bells, jingle all the __________. Answer: Way

6. Through the years, we all will be ____________. Answer: Together

7. Walking in a winter ________.  Answer: Wonderland

8. On the Twelfth Day of Christmas my ________  ________. Answer:  True Love

9. Make my wish come true, all I want for Christmas is _______. Answer: You 

10: Where the treetops glisten, and children _____________. Answer: Listen

Holiday Films: Did You Know???

1.When Jim Carrey played the famous Christmas villain, "The Grinch", it took three hours every day to put together his prosthetics and makeup. They were...

Every activity director has a month that truly shines when they create their activity calendar. Some activity directors love December, with carolers coming by almost every day, throwing fun holiday socials- and best of all-giving out presents to residents. Other activity directors can’t wait for fun trips during the summer time. I have personally always loved October. On crisp nights you can smell the smoky air of people using their fireplaces. The fall leaves show off their beautiful shades of red, yellow and orange, kids are deciding what Halloween costume to wear. It’s a very exciting month with so much going on. I would love to share some fun programming ideas to help spruce up your October calendar and to help you take advantage of all the great things this month has to offer! Here are seven things you have to try this season:

1. Visit a pumpkin patch! There are tons of farms that open their fields for pumpkin picking during October. Some even offer fun and friendly hayrides. Make s...

Please enjoy this collection of program ideas, trivia, fun facts and more for the Month of October! 

THE HOW MANY WORDS GAME: 

On a chalk board or large dry erase board, see how many words residents can make out of the featured word :

"Supernatural" 

(Example: Super, Pat)

The This or That Game

Halloween Candy Edition!!!!

Instructions: Have residents shout out their preferences!

Snickers or Milky Way?

Candy Corn or Skittles?

Milk Chocolate or Dark Chocolate?

Frankenstein or Dracula?

Candy Apple or Caramel Apple?

Scary Costumes or Funny Costumes?

Zombie Movies or Comedies?

Kit Kat or Reeses Cup?

Sweet or Salty Snack?

Lollipop or Chocolate Bar?

Zombie Juice Recipe:

Have a non-alcoholic drink social. Make this Halloween themed drink:

Add grenadine to pitchers of sprite to give it a bright red coloring. Place drink into clear plastic cups and garnish with a gummy worm on the side of each cup (depending on special diets/choking risks)

Share A Scary Tale, Here is the Story of the NJ Devil:

The Legend of The New Je...