If your community already has a pool, you're ahead of the game! Most likely many of your residents are avid swimmers. Simply encourage the activity by dedicating specific times to swimming sessions. Communities without a pool can still introduced this beneficial physical activity to their residents by coordinating swimming sessions with their local pools. Try to book a time for your community to have access to a local pool, and organize safe transport for interested residents. Then, residents can relax or swim dutifully every week and get the benefits of this low impact physical activity!
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Chair yoga is a great alternative to traditional yoga. Developed in 1982, it is practiced sitting on a chair, or standing using a chair for support. The poses are often adaptations of modern yoga exercises. Staying seated means that even frail residents or those who aren't flexible can safely do the exercises. Yoga is an excellent way for older adults to loosen and stretch painful muscles, reduce stress, and improve circulation. In addition, increased physical activity reduces the chances of residents developing mental illnesses!
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Some residents may be avid animal lovers - they might enjoy an afternoon watching a Pedigree Dog Show. sometimes these events are live in your area, in which case interested residents might be able to take a Covid-safe road trip. Failing that, many national animal shows are broadcasted on TV. From their rooms or in a common area, play a live or re-ran dog show for residents. Provide snacks and drinks, and let the event be a time for relaxation for residents.
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Choirs aren't confined to schools and churches, they travel too! Try to get in touch with a local choir group to set up a performance for your community. The choir can be performed outside, so all residents enjoy the songs from the safety of their rooms. For a techy version of this activity, find a choir that livestreams their performances online and broadcast the show into your community for residents to enjoy digitally!
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Before social-distancing required most residents to stay put, dancing used to be part of the every day for many! Dancing is not only fun, but it helps keep residents fit. Plus, learning to dance while in isolation is the perfect skill to have when socializing becomes safe again. Find solo and simple dance choreography videos online to stream on a projector, TV, or laptop for your residents! Host a one-on-one dancing workshop to learn some basic steps and have fund with residents!
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The Settlers of Catan, or simply Catan, is a multiplayer board game that can be played online or in person! Consider getting this game to diversify board game options for residents.
It is played by taking on the role of a settler attempting to build and develop holdings while trading and acquiring resources. Players gain points as their settlements grow; the first to reach a set number of points, typically 10, wins. There's an online version as well so that residents can quickly set up a game with their friends from their own rooms. Keep in mind, their is a maximum of 5 players for a game.
Many residents are creative and artful writers! Others know of great works they'd like to read to their neighbours. If residents have created a book club or writing club, that's a sign of your community's creativity! Why not tap into this writing talent by soliciting residents to write something for a live reading night in the community! They can also read a work they love from another author! If there's enough interest in one type of material, such as poetry or short stories, you could even host a specific type of reading night! However, having a general reading night is always an option that intrigues!
Best of all, it can be arranged to be Covid-friendly either as a live event or online through a video conferencing app.
If live, the first step is to find a big wide open space, such as a cafeteria in which to set up the mic. Then, have tables placed at least 6 feet apart for residents to sit down and enjoy the show. Consider having a snack and drink table nearby too, so that residents can go and be served some food one at a time. Alternatively, a snack cart could be paraded through the tables. To increase the safety of the event, make sure to get the confirmation of the residents attending beforehand, to ensure enough distanced-seating is provided.
Setting up a karaoke night for your community is a great idea to get your residents socializing, enjoying food and drink, while listening to their neighbours singing. Best of all, it can be arranged to be Covid-friendly! The first step is to find a big, wide-open space such as a cafeteria in which to set up the mic. Then, have tables placed at least 6 feet apart for residents to sit down and enjoy the show. Consider having a snack and drink table nearby too, so that residents can go and be served some food one at a time. Alternatively, a snack cart could be paraded through the tables. To increase the safety of the event, make sure to get the confirmation of the residents who will be attending beforehand, to ensure enough distanced-seating is provided.
Purchase a croquet kit for your whole community to enjoy! This classic game is sure to have a host of residents wanting to play. The best part - there are indoor kits for croquet too! So whether the weather is warm and sunny, or rainy and wintry, there is always the opportunity to play this activity. Croquet is the best of both worlds when it comes to getting to most amount of residents active, as it requires dexterity and and-eye coordination without being overly exhaustive. Scale up this activity into a community-wide tournament for maximum resident participation, or simply set it up as a game between two residents - it's up to you!
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Horseshoes is a classic game that most seniors are familiar with! It is a perfect outdoor activity, especially as the warm weather rolls around. Setting up a horseshoe game can be made simple. Really, it doesn't have to be complicated! Simply purchase a horseshoe kit online or in store, plant the stakes in the ground 40' apart, and voilà - you have a horseshoe game in the making for residents to enjoy. This activity can be scaled up too, turning it into a tournament for more community involvement. Make sure to disinfect the horseshoes between resident use, and maintain social distancing to keep the activity safe!
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