Activity Ideas

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Several of you have asked for suggestions on how to help your residents celebrate the new year. So, it seems like a good time to repost these eight ideas I shared back in 2018.

1.  Staying up until midnight to see in the new year might prove challenging for some folks. Instead, celebrate with another part of the world. Find a time that works best for your residents, then use this time chart to find a city/country that corresponds. For example, when the new year begins in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, it will only be 8 pm here in North Dakota. That’s the perfect time for our residents to celebrate!

[Read more…] about 8 Fun Activities For New Year’s Eve

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 enjoy celebrating the 12 Days of Christmas in your senior living community? If so, do you celebrate during the twelve days leading up to Christmas—or the twelve days after Christmas?

Interestingly, according to tradition, the 12 Days of Christmas begin on Christmas Day and extend through January 5. If you or your residents wish to know more about the history behind these twelve days, you’ll find lots of information in this article from Christianity.com.

In the spirit of the season, I’m sharing a “giving” activity you can do at your nursing home during each of the twelve days. These ideas encourage both the residents and the staff to get involved.

[Read more…] about How To Celebrate The 12 Days Of Christmas

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. 

When you think about the Monday after Thanksgiving, what pops into your mind? It’s probably Cyber Monday, the day when online retailers offer special promotions, encouraging people to shop for the holidays.

But what if you’re not interested in online shopping? That’s okay. You can celebrate Cider Monday instead!

Cider Monday came about when a bookstore owner in New Hampshire created the event as an alternative to Cyber Monday. He enticed people to shop at his stores with the offer of free apple cider and treats. The idea caught on and is now becoming popular among other small businesses.

I think Cider Monday is also a terrific event to celebrate in your senior living community. It’s an easy, low-key activity to do after the busy Thanksgiving holiday.

[Read more…] about How To Celebrate Cider Monday

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. 

(Updated for 2021)

Do you ever feel sad that Thanksgiving often gets lost in the shuffle between Halloween and Christmas? I know I do.

This year I hope to help solve this problem by coming up with one simple activity you can do with your residents each day in November leading up to Thanksgiving.

So here goes!

1.  Have you heard of the Butterball turkey hotline? Your residents will enjoy these stories of hilarious cooking questions fielded by Butterball experts.

[Read more…] about 24 Easy Activities To Prepare For Thanksgiving

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 think September is one of the toughest months to come up with fun activities at your nursing home? I’m asking because I recently received questions from three of my readers who are struggling to fill their September calendars.

In response, I directed them to my “little-known holiday” post where you can find four enjoyable activities for September. Today I’m adding one more: National Coffee Day on September 29.

Even if you’ve finished your calendar for next month, I know you can sneak in a few of these activities involving coffee:

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