This Thanksgiving, give your residents a holiday to remember with Paul Eugene’s exercise videos and Food & Football Trivia! These ideas are perfect for PT, OT, SLP therapists, and Activities Directors, to get residents moving, laughing, and connecting.
🎉 Physical Therapy: Turkey Day Moves & Grooves
Help residents work off those Thanksgiving treats with strength, balance, and coordination exercises.
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“Shake the Stuffing Out” Session: Use Paul Eugene’s videos as a warm-up before exercises focusing on reaching, stepping, and gentle squats.
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Turkey Walk Challenge: After the video, have residents “Turkey Trot” around the room. Add a festive touch with light bands for “carrying a pumpkin”!
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Gobble & Stretch: Between exercises, ask a trivia question. Each correct answer earns a stretch break or a fun turkey sticker.
🍂 Occupational Therapy: Functional Moves with Festive Flair
Add Thanksgiving-inspired activities to build functional skills for everyday tasks.
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Thanksgiving Table Set-Up: After warming up with the video, practice reaching and bending by setting a mock Thanksgiving table.
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Pumpkin Pie Scoops: Practice scooping motions like serving pie, reaching to transfer small objects from one surface to another.
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Trivia Toss: When residents answer trivia questions correctly, let them toss a beanbag or small ball, adding coordination and fun.
🥧 Speech Therapy: Thanksgiving Talk & Play
Encourage memory, conversation, and engagement with Thanksgiving-themed trivia.
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Turkey Talk Warm-Up: Start with trivia to get residents talking about favorite memories or holiday traditions.
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Food for Thought: Use trivia to discuss flavors, Thanksgiving foods, and traditions. This makes for great conversation and recall.
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Thanksgiving Taboo: Describe a Thanksgiving word without saying it (e.g., “It’s orange and served with whipped cream!”) to practice recall and description.
🎈 Activities: Thanksgiving Festivities for the Whole Group
Make Thanksgiving a festive celebration for everyone with these group ideas.
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Thanksgiving Dance Party: Begin with Paul Eugene’s video, then let residents request their favorite songs for a celebration and dance.
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Thanksgiving Trivia Quest: Launch the Thanksgiving Trivia game. Each correct answer moves teams forward along a “Thanksgiving Quest” path.
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Pumpkin Pass: In a seated circle, pass a soft pumpkin or holiday item (like a plush turkey or leaf) each time trivia is answered correctly.
🌍 Bonus Feature: Visit Familiar Places
Let residents “visit” memorable spots with the Visit Familiar Places tool! They can type in an address like a childhood home, park, or past holiday destination for a virtual “visit.”
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Memory Sharing: Residents can share stories about that location, creating a connection.
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Holiday Road Trip Map: Create a Thanksgiving map, adding a “feather” or “leaf” for each place residents “visit,” celebrating shared memories.