The only supplies you need for this fun party game are pens and paper. The goal of the game is to score points by coming up with the same answers as everyone else.
Split your residents up into two teams and give everyone a pen and some paper to write down their answers. Call out a category like “Things that are yellow” or “Song with a person’s name in the title.” Each player writes down three answers. Make sure there’s no peeking! The teams score points for words they have in common.
Click here for the rule sheet and some sample categories. You can come up with more categories on your own or use Scattegories lists for inspiration.
This idea comes from Wesley House Assisted Living Facility! Click here to see the original. For this game of “Twister with a twist,” you’ll need a Twister mat and spinner. Number the coloured circles on the mat and number the spinner to match. Place a candy bar on each of the coloured circles. When your residents spin the spinner, they have a chance to win the candy bar that matches the number the spinner lands on. If they can throw a bean bag and have it land on the right circle, they win the prize!
You can play a similar game without the Twister mat by writing prizes on index cards. Place the index cards face down on the ground and have your residents throw bean bags on them to win their prize.
Creating a memory box with residents in memory care is a great way to spend meaningful time together. A memory box is filled with items and photos that hold a special significance to the resident. For example, something as simple as an old baseball glove may remind someone of fond childhood memories. These items can be used to prompt conversation and provide mental and emotional stimulation. For more information about the benefits of a memory box and how to make one, click here. You can also create a memory box around a theme and pass it to residents in a group to start a conversation.
To play this game, show your residents a photo of a celebrity they may recognize from the golden age of cinema and see if they can come up with the person’s name. Talk to your residents to find out their favourite film genre or do some research to see which films they may have grown up with. You can print out pictures of familiar actors, actresses, and musicians, or you can purchase the Familiar Faces Bingo Game. This is sure to spark conversation as your residents take a walk down memory lane!
With a little planning and preparation, holding an auction for your residents can be a great way to get them out of their rooms and trying new things. Before you hold your auction, start giving residents board game money for participating in programs and activities. You can even use it as a reward for healthy behaviours, like doing a certain exercise. It’s up to you to decide what you’d like to encourage your residents to try more.
Once you’ve given your residents time to get some auction money, you can see if they have any items they’d like to donate. To make the auction more exciting, turn to your community and ask for donations. Then, hold the auction and let your residents bid on the items!
Doing a resident’s nails for them is a great way to make them feel pampered and spend some quality one-on-one time together. Have your resident choose from a list of nail art designs you feel comfortable with and chit-chat together while you paint their nails. Even if you’re a beginner, there are many guides available for simple nail art designs. Here’s a video tutorial of 10 easy designs to get you started and a list of 40 simple tutorials for more inspiration.
If renting a campground seems daunting or you're facing bad weather, why not hold an indoor camping trip? You can pitch a tent, set up some lawn chairs, and pass out s'mores while your residents reminisce about past camping trips. Many classic camp games such as ring-toss can also easily be played indoors. Your residents can even share their best ghost stories around the campfire - though we’d suggest making the campfire out of tissue paper.
In this take on the classic duck-hunt carnival game, your residents use water pistols to shoot at rubber ducks. Line the rubber ducks up on a ledge so they can be knocked off by the spray. Then, arm your residents with water pistols like these foam soakers from Amazon and stand back!
Click here to see the original idea and a video demonstration by Marham House Care Home!
Kites are a great DIY project that can be made using simple materials. This website has many classic kite designs to choose from and uses tools as simple as a pair of scissors and a ruler. Choose from a range of designs and difficulty levels, follow the instructions, and take your residents outside on a windy day for the test flight!
For a fun activity this summer, bring your residents outside and let them create their own custom tie-dye shirts. Fill up some spray bottles with different colours of tie-dye paint, which you can purchase online or from a craft store. You can also put the paint in water pistols for added fun! Hang up plain white shirts on a clothesline so your residents can spray them and create their own designs.
If your residents don’t want a t-shirt, you can swap out another textile or they can spray a canvas to create an abstract painting. The great part about tie-dye is that it’s so versatile!
