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Here’s another special day you’ll want to add to your activity calendar for July. Since 2005, we’ve celebrated National Day of the Cowboy on the 4th Saturday in July. It’s a day to recognize the vital role of the American cowboy and cowgirl in our national heritage.
Do you celebrate National Day of the Cowboy at your nursing home? I would love to see you add your activity ideas in the comment section!
Enjoy a bit of entertainment
- Invite a local dance group to come in and perform Country Western dances for your residents. Line dancing or square dancing are two fun options. They might enjoy teaching your residents a few dance steps, too.
- Ask your residents if they have a favorite cowboy/cowgirl actor. Possibilities might include John Wayne, Amanda Blake, Clint Eastwood, Barbara Stanwyck, or Paul Newman. Find a few of their movies and enjoy an afternoon of old-time Westerns.
- Invite a group or individual to come in and entertain your residents with country songs. Well-known songs are best because then your residents can sing along.
- If you’re lucky enough to have real, modern-day cowboys & cowgirls living in your area, ask one to come in as a guest speaker. I’m sure they’ll enjoy sharing their role today, as well as how cowboy life has changed over the years.
Dress the part
I love to get staff involved in little-known holiday celebrations. Invite your residents, staff, and volunteers to dress like cowboys or cowgirls for the day.
This need not be complicated or expensive. For example, you can wear blue jeans, bandanas, plaid shirts, sheriff’s badges, big belt buckles, fringed clothing, or cowboy hats. It’s even more fun if you hold a friendly competition for the staff and ask residents to choose a winning outfit.
Learn about cowboy history
- This article from Owlcation offers lots of excellent cowboy history.
- Your residents will get a good chuckle out of this cowboy slang. For example, did you know that a pie baked without a top crust was called a “boggy top”?
- Have you heard about the cowboy code of conduct? Ask your residents if they feel this is still good advice for today’s world.
Enjoy cowboy food
This is the perfect day to host an outdoor barbeque complete with lots of cowboy food. Options include slow-cooked pork or beef, sourdough bread, BBQ beans, canned peaches, donuts, and strong coffee.
I know your residents will also get a kick out of these old-time recipes. Maybe you’ll even want to try making some of these delicacies!
Play some games
With a bit of creativity, you can adapt many popular games to a cowboy theme. The games are even more fun if you invite the kids from your onsite childcare center to join the residents. Here are a few examples:
- Play beanbag toss into a cowboy boot or cowboy hat.
- Use a nerf gun or water gun to knock over bottles or cans.
- Play a game of horseshoes.
- Lasso a rocking horse or a big stuffed animal by using a hula hoop.
- Let the kids entertain the residents with an old-fashioned gunny sack race.
Are you looking for even more little-known holidays to celebrate? Then you’ll want to check out my master list of fun holiday activities.
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