| The Activity Director's Office Presents Activity Ideas That Work by Gina Salazar, AD |
| OCTOBER ACTIVITIES |
| HALLOWEEN CRAFT IDEAS: Scary Spiders: You will need: black pipe cleaner wiggly eyes glue styrofoam ball black paint Directions: Have each person paint the styrofoam ball black.let dry.then glue on eyes.then poke the black pipe cleaners thru the black ball for each leg(four on each side).bend the pipe cleaners to look like spider legs.Hang up with fishing wire if desired. Bountiful Fall Bouquets Autumn gardens are filled with the makings for bouquets and arrangements that can be placed outside or, when it turns cooler and the holidays approach, brought inside for a centerpiece. Try an arrangement with the following late-blooming flowers, vegetables, berries, fruits, and leaves: Flowers Sunflowers, asters, dahlias, zinnias, hydrangeas, September flower, sage, autumn bugbane Vegetables and herbs Pumpkins, winter squash, gourds, peppers, winter wheat, dill, sage Berries and fruits Cranberries, beautyberries, nandina, baneberries, porcelain berries, crabapples, blue cohosh berries, apples, pomegranates, mandarin oranges Leaves Colorful leaves from trees such as maple, oak, and magnolia; bushes such as viburnum and burning bush; or vines such as grape leaves and porcelain vine Hollow out the pumpkins, gourds, apples, peppers, or squash to create a natural vase for the other items, or cradle the goods in a basket or bowl. You can create a more formal arrangement by using only one type of flower, or combine different flowers, berries, and leaves to create a mixed bouquet in the spirit of the bountiful fall season. |
| Alzheimers Activity for October: Pizza Hunt: Before your group meets, get a large white poster board and draw a large circle on the poster board(this is your crust).Then get different magazines and ask residents to find the "makings for a pizza". Things to look for: tomato sauce cheese olives bell peppers pepperoni onions ham pineapple chilis oregano garlic sausage mushrooms anchovies |
| Make a theme box for October, you might add: leaves masks candy corn small pumpkin scary music tape plastic spiders,bats,skeletons flashlight apple cider cinnamon sticks orange and black material pieces(different textures) |
| What's Cookin' Popcorn Party You will need: Air popper popcorn kernels carmel squares butter(1 stick) parmasen cheese salt cheese packet(from a box of mac n cheese) tapitillo hot sauce Directions: Just pop five different bowls of popcorn.set aside. For the first bowl sprinkle salt and melted butter on it. Second bowl- sprinkle the topitillo hot sauce on it and shake up the bowl. Third bowl-sprinkle parmasen cheese on it, shake up the bowl. Fourth bowl-sprinkle the cheese packet on top the popcorn,shake up. Fifth bowl-Sprinkle melted carmel on the popcorn (melt 1/2 stick of butter and carmel in the microwave to melt). Have your residents try each popcorn and tell which one they like best. Mini-Pizzas You will need: 12 english muffins,split in half, toasted. 1 bag of shredded cheddar cheese(16oz) 1 bag of shredded montery jack cheese(16 oz) dash of oregano pepperoni veggies(what ever kind you like) 1 large can of tomato sauce Directions: Put all the english muffins on a large baking sheet,put a tablespoon of tomato sauce on each one,sprinkle with oregano,top with cheese and the rest of your toppings.Put in oven at 425 degrees until cheese is melted(about 5-10 minutes).Let cool before serving.Enjoy! |
| Halloween Word Game Fill in the blanks. A witch rides on a -----Broom. The ghost says-----Boo. The colors of halloween are black and -----Orange. A pumpkin is also known as a ------Jack o' lantern Kids yell this when they are at your door-----Trick or Treat!! Don't let this cross your path-----Black Cat. The kids wear this on halloween-----Costume. You do this when your scared-----Scream. This person likes to suck your blood-----Vampire. The scary house on the hill is-----Haunted. A magician does -----Magic. |
| GHOSTLY TREE ice cream stick green tempura paint 6 or 7 brown chenille sticks in different lengths 2 12"-long brown chenille sticks black marker 1 white Kleenex tissue Paint ice cream stick green and allow to dry. Wrap 2 of the chenille stick around the bottom of the ice cream stick to create roots or feet for the tree to stand on. With remaining chenille sticks, create branches by wrapping around ice cream stick and then bending in different directions. Fold Kleenex at the seam. Holding seam in your fingers, cut along the seam, about 2 inches down from seam. You should end up with a piece as long as the original Kleenex, but only about 2 inches high that can be unfolded into a 4 inch strip. From this strip, cut into sections about 1 inch long each. From these small pieces, create tiny ghosts by twisting into a ghost shape. Using the chenille branches, carefully wrap the end of the branch around the ghost necks until there is a ghost on each branch. Move branches around so there are some in the front, back and on the sides to make your tree more dimensional. With black marker, carefully dot on eyes and a mouth for each ghost, draw an oval on the tree truck for the hollow effect, and draw a few lines up and down the trunk for bark. |
| Ghoulish Stick Figures If you are looking for last minute Halloween crafts, you've come to the right place! These adorable little monsters have personality of their own. Made from simple items such as ice cream sticks and tempura paint, they're sure to be a hit with your residents. TWO HEADED SNAKE ice cream stick with wide ends black tempura paint gold glitter glue 2" piece of thin red ribbon scissors tacky or hot glue 4 wiggle eyes Paint ice cream stick black and let dry. Cut 2" piece of ribbon into two 1" pieces. At one end of each piece, cut a tiny triangle out to form a forked tongue. Glue the ribbons to underside of each end of the ice cream stick, be sure that the forked end is sticking out. Using gold glitter glue, carefully apply 3-4 striped down snake's body. Glue a pair of wiggle eyes onto each end of the ice cream stick. CENTIPEDE ice cream stick orange tempura paint 6 12"-long orange chenille sticks red glitter glue 2 wiggle eyes tacky glue Paint ice cream stick and allow to dry. Wrap chenille sticks around body to form legs; bend legs into position. Glue on two wiggle eyes onto head. Fill in gaps on top of ice cream stick between legs with red glitter glue. HANDY HERMAN ice cream stick red tempura paint 2 wiggle eyes black marker 5" piece of red & white polka dot ribbon 6 12"-long red chenille sticks Kleenex tissue scissors tacky or hot glue Paint ice cream stick red and allow to dry. Wrap chenille sticks around center and lower portion of ice cream stick. Bend sticks to create 4 arms and 4 legs. Fashion a small bow out of red & white polka dot ribbon. Trim ends to make bow about 1-1 1/2" in length. Glue onto ice cream stick where neck should be. Glue wiggle eyes onto head. Cut a small square (about 1 1/2"-2") out of Kleenex tissue. Fringe one side of the Kleenex by carefully cutting small slits with scissors. Bunch opposite end of the Kleenex together and glue to the back of the head. Using black marker, draw on mouth and nose. GHOST ice cream stick white tempura paint black marker one Kleenex tissue 1 white chenille stick Paint ice cream stick white and allow to dry. With black marker, draw on eyes and mouth. Poke ice cream stick through bottom third of Kleenex. Using white chenille stick, wrap short end of Kleenex (back of ghost) around the ice cream stick to secure it in place. Fringe the front of the Kleenex tissue by carefully cutting slits up from the bottom. |
| Spider Pops Let guests make these leggy lollipops as a party activity and a take-home favor. Materials: 4 black pipe cleaners Lollipop Googly eyes Glue Holding all four pipe cleaners, center them at the base of the pop and wrap them around the stick once so there are four legs on each side. Bend the legs. Glue on googly eyes. Now, is it a trick--or a treat? |
| Pizza Facts The first pizzeria opened in New York on 53 1/2 Spring Street in 1895. Between 1948 and 1956 oregano sales increased 5200%. This was due to the growing popularity of pizza and other Italian specialties discovered by US servicemen stationed in Europe. Pizza Hut opens its first store in Kansas City in 1958. Domino's Pizza opened its doors in Detroit in 1960. The store was bought by a 23 year old investor named Thomas Monaghan, who borrowed $500 to buy the store. In 1994, total pizza sales in the United States exceeded $20 billion.¹ The 1995 Guiness Book of World Records lists the largest baked pizza on record was 37.4 meters in diameter (12,159 sq.ft.), in Norwood, South Africa December 8th 1990. Another notable pizza by size was a 10,000 sq.ft. pizza cooked by Lorenzo Amato, owner of Cafe di Lorenzo in Tallahassee Florida in 1991.¹ The first known pizza shop, Port 'Alba in Naples, opened in 1830 and is still open today.² The first pizzeria in North America was opened in 1905 by Gennaro Lombardi at 53 1/3 Spring Street in New York City.³ The first pizza delivery was in 1889, by Raffaele Esposito owner of the famous pizzeria Pietro il Pizzaiolo (Naples). The recipients were visiting King Umberto I and Queen Margherita. Refusing to go to the likes of a pizzeria, the queen ordered in, being anxious to try this food she heard so much about.² The first commercial pizza-pie mix was "Roman Pizza Mix", produced in 1948 in Worcester, Massachusetts by Frank A. Fiorello.¹ The mozzarella originally used in Italy for pizza, was made from the milk of the water buffalo.² The tomato arrived in Naples, Italy around 1522 originating from seeds first arriving in Spain from Peru. Initially grown only as an ornamental plant, the 'golden apple', so called because they were small and yellow, were thought to be poisonous until around 1750, when it began to be used in cooking.³ The origins of focaccia, one of the oldest styles of pizza (without the tomato) can be traced back to about 1000 B.C.E., when the Etruscans arrived in northern and central parts of Italy from Asia Minor.³ Pizza is the number 2 entree in foodservice, outpacing the growth rate of all other food items. It represents more than 10% of all food sales and is expected to exceed the hamburger 1996.4 Tuna is one of the most popular toppings in Europe.4 North Americans eat more pizza than anyone else in the world, yet most are acquainted with little beyond the basic tomato and cheese style.³ There are three major regional styles of pizza in the US. In the East, pizza is the traditional Neapolitan type with a light, thin crust, tomato sauce, mozzarella cheese and a vegetable or meat topping. It is more commonly known as New York-style. On the West Coast, pizza takes on a sophisticated look. Individual pizzettes with light, chewy crusts and toppings ranging from sundried tomatoes to asparagus to boccocini cheese are the norm. The Midwestern states prefer the deep-dish Chicago style, a thick creation heaped with toppings requiring up to 45 minutes to bake. ³ Cookbooks specializing in Italian recipes have no reference to pizza prior to the 1950's.¹ In non-Italian communities in the eastern states, pizza can be heard to be referred to as "tomato pie".¹ 1 — Mariani, John - The Dictionary of American Food & Drink. Hearst Books 1994. 2 — Bruno, Pasquale Jr. - The Ultimate Pizza. Contemporary Books. 1995. 3 — Slomon, Evelyne - The Pizza Book. Random House. 1984. 4 — Pizza Today - Monthly publication of the National Association of Pizza Operators. |
| Pizza Trivia *Piz'za Defined! * piz' za, n. (It.) - A baked pie of Italian origin consisting of a shallow bread-like crust covered with seasoned tomato sauce, cheese, and often other toppings, such as sausage or olives. The Origins of Pizza Considered a peasant's meal in Italy for centuries, modern pizza attributes itself to baker Raffaele Esposito of Napoli (Naples), who in 1889 created a special pizza for the visiting Italian King Umberto and Queen Margherita. The pizza, named after the queen, was patriotic in it's resemblance to the Italian flag; red (tomatoes), white (mozzarella cheese), and green (basil). It received rave reviews, setting the standard by which today's pizza evolved. The idea of using bread as a plate came from the Greeks, who ate flat round bread (plankuntos) baked with an assortment of toppings. The tomato came to Italy from Mexico and Peru through Spain in the 16th century as an ornamental plant first thought to be poisonous. True mozzarella is made from the milk of the water buffalo imported from India to Campania in the 7th century. So, the Neopolitan baker, as the saying goes, put it all together. Also, in 1830 the world's first true pizzeria, Antica Pizzeria Port' Alba in Naples, opened and is still in business today! Pizza migrated to America with the Italians. Gennaro Lombardi opened the first U.S. pizzeria in 1895 in New York City at 53 1/3 Spring Street, but it wasn't until after World War II when returning GI's created a nationwide demand for the pizza they had eaten and loved in Italy that pizza went public. My first recollection of pizza is homemade "box" pizza (Chef Boyardee) with canned pizza sauce and parmesan cheese. In the late 1950's, Shakey's and various other mass production pizza parlors appeared and further popularized pizza. Pizza in this day and age is not limited to the flat round type. It's also deep-dish pizza, stuffed pizza, pizza pockets, pizza turnovers, rolled pizza, pizza-on-a-stick, pizza strudel, etc., all with combinations of sauce, cheese, and toppings limited only by one's inventiveness. However, the best pizza still comes from the individual pizzaiolo, a pizza baker, who prepares his yeast dough and ingredients daily and heats his oven for hours before baking the first pizza. Did You Know? 670 MILLION pounds of cheese is sold every year! 75 ACRES of cheese is eaten every day! 350 MILLION tons of frozen pizza is sold every year! 30 TIMES a year is how often the average family eats pizza at home! 96% of people buy pizza out. Only 4% never go out for pizza! 23 POUNDS of cheese is eaten every year by the average person 1.1 BILLION frozen pizzas were sold last year! 4 BILLION fresh pizzas were sold last year! What Your Pizza says about You Mercury News Wire Services |
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| Gina Salazar, AD |