| The Activity Director's Office Presents Activity Ideas That Work by Gina Salazar, AD |
| ROOM VISITS |
| ROOM VISIT CART: MAKE A ROOM VISIT CART THAT YOU CAN BRING ROOM TO ROOM AND HAVE EVERYTHING YOU NEED ON IT.DECORATE IT FOR EACH MONTH OR SEASON WITH COLORFUL PICTURES OR ART WORK MADE BY YOUR RESIDENTS.ITEMS THAT YOU SHOULD HAVE ON YOUR CART:MAGAZINES,BOOKS,TAPE/CD PLAYERS,MUSIC,LOTIONS AND PERFUMES FOR SENSORY STIMULATION,PHOTO ALBUMS WITH FUN COLORFUL PICTURES(BEACH PICS IN SUMMER,FLOWERS IN SPRING)BABY JARS FILLED WITH DIFFERENT SMELLS(VICS VAPER RUB,COFFEE,BABY POWDER,VINAGER,PEPPER,CINNAMON,ETC) SORTING STUFF(POKER CHIPS,BUTTONS,ETC)CLOTHES TO FOLD AND SORT,BOOKS ON TAPE FROM THE BRAILLE INSTITUTE(FREE!!!) PLAYING CARDS,STATIONARY(TO HELP RESIDENTS MAIL LETTERS TO FAMILY)AND ANYTHING ELSE THAT WORKS. Another Fun Idea: Ice cream sundae social I worked at a facility that had a rehab.and high percentage of room visit residents. This activity was great because the residents always looked forward to it each week. Just make up a cart from the kitchen and put ice cream,syrups,bananas,nuts,whipped cream,and cherries.you will also need a scooper,knife,spoons,napkins and small paper bowls. Go to each room and make individual sundaes for each resident,while your making them take time to chat about their day and anything new thats going on. Then when your done with the room visit residents go to the main activity room and hold your Ice Cream Sundae social for the rest of your residents. You can make it fun by giving "ice cream vouchers" during the week before each social as prizes for bingo or other games,pass out to your room visit residents for participating in other room visit programs. |
| Sensory Stimulation for all Seasons: SPRING: Make a box with fun spring items such as bright silk flowers, a kite, a small lion and a lamb stuffed animals, a small battery operated fan ( to stimulate the wind), a flower pot and seeds, a watering can, gardening utensils(a small shovel, hand rake, etc.) butterflies, a c.d. of rain showers, Easter items( colored eggs, Easter bunny stuffed animals, a cross, Easter basket) Shamrocks, a rock (blarney stone), hand lotions that smell clean like, flowers, rain, etc. Talk about what spring means to your resident. How do they know when it is Springtime? What is the weather like? SUMMER: Make a box with fun summer items such as sea shells, sand, starfish, a small aquarium with real fish, swim trunks, bathing suit, a c.d with sounds of the sea, red white and blue items for fourth of July, firecrackers, picnic basket, Barbeque items ( spatula, fake food-hambugers), red and white checker board tablecloth, ants( toy ants). Talk to your resident about Summer. How do they feel in the Summer? What is their favorite Summer Activity? FALL/AUTUMN: Make a box with fun fall items such as leaves, fall silk flowers, cornucopias, turkey stuffed animal, pictures of a Thanksgiving feast, pictures of families, apples, school books, pencils, a ruler, crayons, a chalk board eraser, letters/numbers(ABC’s,123’s), an old school yearbook and other school items, hand lotions that smell like apples. Talk to your resident about what they like most about Fall. How did they celebrate Thanksgiving? What did the town that they grew up in look like in the Fall? What was their favorite school subject? Who was their favorite teacher and why? WINTER: Make a box with fun winter items such as fake snow (cotton balls), pine cones, pines needles, Christmas decorations, candy canes, gingerbread cookies, cinnamon sticks, fake presents, a nativity scene, Santa Claus stuffed animal, jingle bells, New years stuff( a clock, horn blowers, confetti, champagne glasses, poppers), pictures of snow scenes, hand lotions that smell like cinnamon, pine, peppermint. Talk to your residents about what winter means to them. What was Christmas like in their home? What was their favorite Christmas present? Did it snow in their hometown in winter? What did they do for New Years Eve? |
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| Last Update: 21 MAR 2005 |
