BLUEBERRY DAY
Official Blueberry month for US is in July and Canada is in August
Blueberry picking – If you cannot take the residents to a farm, then how about a Farmers Market or to the fresh produce stand to let them pick out a small container of blueberries for them to use in their cooking class. If none of these are options for your residents, then how about letting them help plant a blueberry bush in the courtyard or somewhere next to a window so the residents can watch it grow. It may take a couple of years for it to produce, but in years to come you can share the fruit of this year’s labor with them or future residents.
Cooking – There are a list of ideas the residents can make with blueberries such as blueberry pie, blueberry mixed with yogurt, plain blueberries with cool whip, blueberry muffins, blueberry cake,blueberry smoothies, etc.
Game – Name That Blue – Play like name that tune, except use songs that have the word blue, blueberry or berry in the title. Suggestion for songs to use, but see what you can find too:
• Blueberry Hill by Fats Domino in 1956 (earlier version are listed on Wikipedia)
• Blue Suede Shoes first recorded by Carl Perkins in 1955, by Elvis Presley in 1956
• Blue Velvet by Tony Bennett in 1951
• True Blue by Madonna in 1986 (they may not know this one, but give it a try)
• Forever in Blue Jeans by Neil Diamond in 1979
• Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain by Roy Acuff in 1945 and later others see Wikipedia.
• Memphis Blues by W.C. Handy in 1912
• Crazy Blues by Mamie Smith in 1920 (ref: redjotjazz.com under Mamie)
• I Guess That’s Why They Call It The Blues by Elton John in 1983
INDEPENDENCE DAY - July 4th
Reading – Start off by reading “The Midnight Ride of Paul Revere” by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. It would be really fun if you or someone else would dress up as Paul Revere.
Word Search - Have a bell ringer walk the halls and stop by each room to pass out a word search. Tell them to take five minutes to talk to the residents and explain the word search.
Sing-a-long – Sing the patriotic songs in honor of our country's independence.
State Capital Time Zone (Play it like Bingo, but a little different) – You will need enlarged copies of the USA map that has the state names and has the zone outline to break down which states are in a particular time zone. Search for “USA Maps with Time Zones” online so see color coded maps images you can choose from. On each copy cross out one state from three of the time zones leaving only one time zone with all the states. Each copy will have to have a different state crossed out so you don’t have everyone calling out Time Zone at the same time. Write out the names of each state and its capital on individual index cards. Place in a container for shaking so the card will mix well. Draw out one card at a time and call out the state with the capital name. The residents need to place a flag button or chip on it to mark the matching state. The first to fill up one Zone calls out “Time Zone” and then you need to ask which time zone they have filled. They win a prize just like in Bingo. Keep going until the next time zone is filled so each time zone is filled and there is at least one winner per time zone. This takes some prep time, but well worth the time.
WORLD POPULATION DAY - July 11th
Discussion – Search for world population information so you can have information to discuss with residents. This day is about family planning, human rights, family values, and the population is all about numbers, so this should start some good conversations with the residents.
Community activity – Invite speakers to discuss issues on family values and human rights to address the community. Invite all staff and residents families and extend the invitation to the community. You can offer light refreshments too. This will be news worthy activity to publish in the local paper. You could also contact local business for donations for a drawing. A free drawing always brings people in. Beside free restaurant coupons for two, see if a local gas station will donate gas cards or maybe a grocery store will donate free grocery shopping cards for the drawing. Just have the guest attending the event fill out their name on paper and at the end of each speakers time draw out a winner and present the prize. I would have a drawing after each speaker and the guest must be present to win, this saves on having to hold a prize and track down a winner.
Resident Council – This would be a good day to promote your facility resident counsel. Post all the responsibility of the counsel and their purpose to remind residents that they do have rights and they have a personal counsel to discuss issues with. Encourage all residents to get involved with the resident councill.
Game – Numbers count - This game will require sale papers of any kind that have large print. Give a sale paper to each resident and ask them to first find a sale price that when they add the numbers together it totals to equal a specific number. Ex. You ask them to find a sale price that will total the number 12. They look on their sale paper and find an item on sale for $1.29 and when they add 1+2+9=12. You can come up with lots of numbers so they can add up numbers. Keep score so the person finding the most numbers total wins a prize.
Movie – A good movie that teaches family values on education, trust, respect and friendship such as Akeelah and the Bee or The Ultimate Gift.
CIRCUS DAY
In honor of PT Barnum's Birthday (July 5, 1810)
Bring on the clowns – Have a visit from some clowns to get the staff and residents in the circus mood. They can also make room to room visits to encourage residents to participate (if possible) in the activities. If they can make at least five minute visits then this can be a 1:1, besides it will make the room bound residents smile.
Toss the ring – If you don’t have a ring toss game, you can make one. All you need is two litter soda pop (coke) bottles weighted down with sand and rings big enough to go over the bottles. You can make them out of plastic tops from large butter containers, just cut out the middle leaving the outer ring.
PT Barnum Quotes
• "Money is a terrible master but an excellent servant."
• "More persons, on the whole, are humbugged by believing in nothing, than by believing too much”
• "Those who really desire to attain an independence, have only set their minds upon it, and adopt the proper means, as they do in regard to any other object which they wish to accomplish, and the thing is easily done."
• "Without promotion something terrible happens, nothing!"
• "Every crowd has a silver lining.”
• "Many persons are always kept poor, because they are too visionary. Every project looks to them like certain successes, and therefore they keep changing from one business to another, always in hot water, always 'under the harrow'."
• "Engage in one kind of business only, and stick to it faithfully until you succeed, or until your experience shows that you should abandon it."
• "Those who really desire to attain an independence, have only set their minds upon it, and adopt the proper means, as they do in regard to any other object which they wish to accomplish, and the thing is easily done."
• "Men who drive sharp bargains with their customers, acting as if they never expected to see them again, will not be mistaken. They will never see them again as customers. People don't like to pay and get kicked also."
• "Politeness and civility are the best capital ever invested in business. Large stores, gilt signs, flaming advertisements, will all prove unavailing if you or your employees treat your patrons abruptly."
Penny in the cup – Line up different size coffee cups and let residents toss the pennies to get them in the cup. Make sure they are at least five feet away from the cups.
Magic Show – Have a magician come to do some magic for the residents and staff. Make sure to serve some popcorn and/or cotton candy.
HOT DOG DAY
July is National Hot Dog month proclaimed by National Hot Dog & Sausage Council
Hot dog lunch – Serve hot dogs and chips
Sing-a-long - Can you sing the Armour Hot Dog song they use to sing on the commercials? Let residents sing it if they remember it. Other songs may include:How much is that doggie in the window?, Take me out to the ball game, Hot Dog by Buck Owens, etc.
Cooking – Make root beer floats to enjoy.
Movie – The latest dog movie worth watching is “Hotel for Dogs” it was really a cute movie!
SUMMER CAMP THEME
This is a theme, not an official holiday.
Animal discover – Contact a local park ranger to see if they would come out to teach the residents about how to identify animal by the tracks they leave in the mud. A Boy Scott leader will have this knowledge too, if you don’t have a local park ranger in your area.
Archery – There are many types of bow and arrows that the residents can use that are very simple and if you are unsure of safety issues, then there are lots of bow and arrow sets that do not have the sharp points on the arrows.
Bird watching – Learn to identify birds by their markings and the songs. You may want to check into some inexpensive binoculars so they can look for the birds. There are also great bird watching videos on Youtube.
Plant & Insects – See if someone in the area is an expert in plants and insects such as a Boy Scout or Girl Scout leader. If you can’t find someone to volunteer then check out the website gaintsleepover.com and look under competitions and challenges to find at the bottom of the page a free download on how to make your own nature trail as well as a guide to animal and plant facts. You can be your own nature guide if no one else will help out.
Hiking – Okay, so maybe it will be more like a walk, but get them out and moving in the park or around the facility.
Basic Camping skills – Let the residents talk about when they went camping and the skills they used to set up tents, build a fire and how they cooked while camping. Then let them try their hand at setting up a tent, stacking fire wood for a fire and if you do this outdoors light the fire.
Cooking – Make S’Mores
Craft – Make a plaster animal track and let them paint it or they can paint a wooden fishing lure.
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CHRISTINE'S THEMES: 