Activity Ideas

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Back in August, I wrote a post about 25 Fun Outdoor Autumn Activities, and it proved to be popular with my readers. So this year I’ll continue to share special activities for each of the four seasons.

In our part of the country (North Dakota), it’s downright frigid during much of the winter, and it simply isn’t safe to bring residents outdoors. But on those precious days when it’s not too cold, there are lots of options to get outside and enjoy the fresh, crisp air.

[Read more…] about 16 Fun Winter Activities

This post may contain affiliate links, and I will be compensated (at no extra cost to you) when you make a purchase by clicking on my links. 

Do you find it challenging to come up with interesting activities for your male residents? Science experiments are always a big hit at our nursing home.

That’s why it’s great fun to celebrate National Baking Soda Day. There are so many cool experiments you can do with baking soda. This is also a perfect opportunity to invite children to join your residents for a project.

We celebrate National Baking Soda Day on January 30 in honor of the French chemist, Nicolas Leblanc, who produced baking soda for the first time in 1791. (Some sources list National Baking Soda Day as December 30 or January 3. However, with so many other activities going on around the holidays, I prefer to celebrate on January 30.)

[Read more…] about How To Celebrate Baking Soda Day

This post may contain affiliate links, and I will be compensated (at no extra cost to you) when you make a purchase by clicking on my links. 

Nowadays, every day is a national holiday. We designate specific days to celebrate everything from pizza to country music to frogs. Some days are quite cheesy (like National Cheese Puff Day on March 5), while others are patriotic or educational. Whatever the case may be, national holidays offer a wonderful array of ideas for nursing home activities.

This week I’ll share activity suggestions for two special days in January. The first is National Milk Day on January 11. We celebrate this holiday in honor of the first day glass-bottled milk was delivered to American homes in 1878.

[Read more…] about Let’s Celebrate National Milk Day

This post may contain affiliate links, and I will be compensated (at no extra cost to you) when you make a purchase by clicking on my links. 

One of my favorite holiday traditions is exchanging Christmas cards and letters. I know, in this age of social media that probably sounds old-fashioned. But when December rolls around, I love to run out to the mailbox and peer inside to see how many cards arrive each day. And I’ll admit that I feel a bit sad when the final card of the season arrives, turning the contents of my mailbox back into bills and junk mail.

I also love to compose a personal note for each person on my list. No form letter for me! (Okay, I do admit that my handwritten notes have given way to letters created on my computer.) Best of all, I cherish reading every letter tucked inside the cards I receive, and I especially enjoy finding a photo card.

[Read more…] about Sharing Christmas Joy Across The Miles

This post may contain affiliate links, and I will be compensated (at no extra cost to you) when you make a purchase by clicking on my links. 

Can you believe it’s only four weeks until collection time for Operation Christmas Child shoeboxes (November 13-20)? We’ve had so much fun gathering items for our boxes over the past few months. Now it’s exciting to think our gifts will soon be on their way to kids all over the world.

If you’re packing just a few shoeboxes, it’s easy to get a group of residents together and prepare the boxes as an afternoon activity. However, if you’re putting together many boxes, we’ve found it’s best to host a packing party. Here’s how:

[Read more…] about It’s Time For A Packing Party