Hey, you incredible Activities Professionals! Guess what? September is here, and so are we with some sizzling hot tips to make your resident programs the place to be. Hold onto your clipboards because we're about to dive into a wonderland of game and activity pairings that will leave your residents craving for more!
1️. Trivia Night + Guided Meditation
Why It Works: Balance the mental workout of trivia with some relaxation for the mind.
Pro Tip: End your trivia night with a guided meditation to help everyone wind down and celebrate their victories, big or small.
2️. Kitchen Mixin' + Fitness with Paul Eugene
Why It Works: After some light exercise, residents will love "cooking up" something fun.
Pro Tip: Do a 'Healthy Recipe' challenge where they make virtual healthy recipes right after a fun workout session with Paul Eugene!
3️. Sequence It + Visit Familiar Places
Why It Works: Sequencing events and recalling familiar places are both powerful memory-boosters.
Pro Tip: Allow residents to sequence events related to the familiar places you 'visit.' Memory lane, here we come!
4️. Plinko Party + Chair Yoga with Sherry Zak Morris
Why It Works: The mindfulness from yoga pairs beautifully with the focus needed for Plinko.
Pro Tip: Incorporate some of the same deep-breathing techniques from Chair Yoga when dropping those Plinko chips.
5️. Word Search + Travel the World (Video)
Why It Works: Enhance word recall by adding some geographical zest!
Pro Tip: Show a ‘Travel the World’ video and have residents find related words in the Word Search game.
6️. Grocery Grab + Explore Places of Worship (Interactive Video)
Why It Works: Shopping for groceries and exploring places of worship both involve elements of planning and spatial awareness.
Pro Tip: Create a grocery list of items related to a recently explored place of worship. Think: matzah for a synagogue or lotus flowers for a Buddhist temple.
7️. Spooky Spiders + Explore the Globe (Interactive Tour)
Why It Works: Both activities demand hand-eye coordination and keen attention.
Pro Tip: Make up a fun story that the spiders are from the same global destination they just 'visited.'
Bonus: Off-Platform Pairing Ideas
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Have an Arts & Crafts day where residents can make their own Plinko board or trivia cards.
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Outdoor Scavenger Hunt after playing Sequence It to keep the theme of 'following steps.'
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Bake some cookies after playing Kitchen Mixin’. Recall the steps involved in the game.