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Do you ever start to feel a bit burned out by all of the holiday activities at the nursing home during December? I know I’ve felt this way.
Now, don’t get me wrong. I love celebrating the beautiful Christmas season. But when we have nonstop Christmas activities, it starts to feel a bit overwhelming.
That’s why I like to toss in a few activities that are completely unrelated to Christmas. One example is World Monkey Day on December 14.
Apparently, Monkey Day started as a joke at the University of Michigan in 2000. Over the years, it expanded to become a day to raise awareness about protecting monkeys as an important part of nature.
Check out these ideas for activities your residents are sure to enjoy on Monkey Day:
Eat monkey-themed foods
There are so many fun foods you can share with your residents on Monkey Day. Of course, you can always try out a recipe that includes lots of bananas.
Another option is monkey bread. Check out this easy recipe from Pillsbury.
Or, you can share my favorite Monkey Day snack: Chunky Monkey ice cream! I’m sure you’re familiar with Ben & Jerry’s version. It’s also fun to get out the ice cream maker and try this homemade recipe.
Watch a monkey movie
Here are a few monkey movies that I know your residents will enjoy:
- Monkey Trouble
- Dunston Checks In
- Curious George
- Tarzan
- King Kong
- The Monkees TV series
- Bedtime For Bonzo
Learn about monkeys
If you’re fortunate enough to have access to a zoo at this time of year, a visit to the monkey exhibit would make a perfect outing. If that’s not possible, consider inviting a zookeeper or veterinarian to come in and talk with your residents about their experiences with monkeys.
You can also share these 101 Facts where you can find just about anything you could want to know about monkeys. For example, did you know that the oldest monkey lived to be 52 years old?
Draw a monkey
Bring out the artist in each of your residents by offering a class on how to draw a monkey. The How2Draw Animals website offers a video as well as written instructions for drawing a realistic capuchin monkey. Or, if you want to draw a cute, cartoon monkey, check out this How to Draw website.
I think art sessions are so much fun because we often discover hidden talent among our residents. And the classes always result in a lot of good-natured laughter, too!
Have you ever celebrated monkey day at your nursing home? Please share your activity ideas in the comment section!
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