Rock hunting is a growing hobby in which people decorate rocks and leave them in public places for others to find. Check online to see if your community has a rock hunt to join, or start one yourself!
For this activity, you’ll need rocks that your residents can decorate which you can collect outside or purchase from a craft store. Your residents can use acrylic paint or stickers for less mess. Just make sure to seal the rocks with Mod Podge to make them weather-resistant. Then, write a hashtag or your social media handles on the bottom of the rock so people can let you know when they’ve found it.
Your residents can leave the rocks in a public place like a park or nature trail for others to find. This is a great way to get involved with your community and spread some positivity!
Skip the classroom and continue your education from your couch! If your residents have the knack to keep learning, and would love to do it from the comfort of their home, introduce them to online classes. Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) are free online courses available for anyone to take. They provide an affordable and flexible way to learn new skills. Also, visit the Khan Academy and sign up for access to free online course, or if you're looking for something a little more informal...check out these free online courses.
Check out the original idea here.
Records are in renaissance these days. However, a record player and records can still be had affordably. Purchase a record player for your community and gather requests for music genres and specific records to get for a record music night. Residents can relax and socialize while listening to a new record every week. Combine music from the record player with other activities to give a different, nostalgic feel to your community for your residents.
This is a fulfilling and long-term activity residents can start on their own. Plenty of resources exist online now to help residents do research for their family tree! The best way to start this kind of project is to help them jot down the family connections they can remember as a start. After that, use online resources like Ancestry and FamilySearch to deepen your search and keep track of your findings digitally. The beauty of a family tree is that it can be as involved or as relaxed an activity as residents want. Some services even provide DNA kits which residents can use.
Check out the original idea here.
Hosting a poker game for residents can be a good plan for a hands-off activity residents can indulge in with little supervision. To make an evening of card playing more enjoyable and smooth, make sure to plan out the evening: select some music, have snacks and drinks ready, make sure interested residents are aware of the place and time of the game, etc. Also, to keep everyone in good spirits, make sure all residents know the intensity of the game. Is everyone in agreement to bet their change, or is it purely for fun? Either is fine, but make sure everyone is informed beforehand to avoid unpleasant surprises for residents. Finally, make sure to have a decent understanding of the game to help residents and ensure the night goes more smoothly. This will avoid the choppy and bumpy feeling when people are learning the game as they play.
Hosting a Trivia Night can be a great standalone activity to entertain and promote socialization, and it can enhance a bunch of routine activities. For example, hosting a trivia night dinner is a fun twist to a normal dinner hour, and lets residents stretch their brain muscles while spending time with friends. Three important points for organizing a successful Trivia Night are: have well written questions, know your audience, and have prizes. Mastering these will ensure a smooth night and happy residents. For more guidance on how to organize a trivia night, read this blog post.
Aquariums don't come cheap! However, starting one aquarium for your community with residents as an activity is much more affordable. Residents will be able to learn and teach their neighbours about what it takes to take care of fish in the community aquarium, like what's involved in feeding and cleaning. Residents will find it enjoyable and more rewarding if they can pick the fish that will be in the community aquarium themselves! A beautiful aquarium displayed for all to see is also a fantastic addition to any community's décor.
Friendship bracelets are not only for the young! Spending an hour in the afternoon making braided bracelets is a great way to relax, practice dexterity, and create something thoughtful for a loved one. Braided bracelets are easy to make and very affordable. Here is a post detailing how to make a braided bracelet.
You can never get enough DIY and crafts activity ideas. Making a Rope Basket is a simple activity that will yield something useful at the end. Making a rope basket is very easy. All you need it rope, hot glue, leather stips or other material for handles, and a bucket to act as a guide. The type of rope used, its gage and texture, will determine the look and feel of the finished product. So, using a different rope is all it takes to make a different type of basket.
Watch this video as a tutorial to get you started!
Residents will appreciate the opportunity to enjoy the fresh air by participating in a camping trip! Some might fear what "roughing it" might entail. Rest assured, camping allows you to adjust the number of luxuries you keep with you. For example, a campsite can be rented overnight with cabins and places to pitch tents. Residents can choose their accommodations, but all will be able to gather around the campfire and see the stars come out at night!
