SPACE DAY
In honor of First U.S. Spacewalk by Ed White in 1965
Discussion group – Ask the residents if they remember the first spacewalk. Have open discussion on what they remember and give them some facts and pictures about this historical event.
Movie – Show any space related movie like Apollo 13
Cooking class – Make Moon Pies (my own recipe)
• Marshmallow fluff
• Chocolate squares melted in microwave
• Chocolate graham crackers
Let residents take two square halves of the chocolate graham crackers and spread a layer of marshmallow fluff on it. Place on wax paper then drizzle melted chocolate over the graham cracker with filling to coat as much as possible. Let cool and enjoy! Have a lot of paper towel wet and dry because they can get messy, but worth it.
Moon walk dance – Show off some of the fancy footwork with the moon walk dance. If you can do it then see if someone else can. Play songs with the name moon in it, like Blue Moon, Shine on Harvest Moon, Blue Moon of Kentucky, It’s Only a Paper Moon, Dancin’ in the Moonlight or Moon River.
GINGERBREAD DAY - June 5th
Listen & Learn - discussion – Learn the history of gingerbread by highlighting key words which will later be used in a word scramble game. After reading the history, then circle the words you want to use in the word search game.
Word game – use the words you circled from the Gingerbread history lesson to play with the residents.
Cooking – Make gingerbread - You can find lots of easy gingerbread recipes to make sheets of gingerbread for a gingerbread house or cut out gingerbread men shapes.
Craft – Use the gingerbread that you made during the cooking activity to make and decorate gingerbread houses or if cut out gingerbread men then decorate them.
Contest and social – Some residents love competition so let them enter they gingerbread houses or cookie in a contest for the most creative decoration. Display the entries on a table with numbers not names and ask staff, residents and family members to vote for the most creative enter. Give about 30 minutes count all the votes and announce the winner. Serve gingerbread and drinks (decaf tea, decaf coffee or milk afterwards for all to enjoy.
NATIONAL SMILE POWER DAY - June 15th
Today is all about smiling! Do things you know make your residents and staff smile. Here are a few suggestion:
• Smile first when you see someone.
• Give compliments, without expecting any in return.
• Do a small task to help out one of the staff (ex. pick up any trash around facility, take fax to owner when you are picking up yours. Help clear off dishes from the dining table.
• Offer to brush a resident’s hair.
• Take out the garbage and clean your activity room so the maintenances do not have to.
Game – Sensory game – put different fun things in boxes so they can’t see them, they can feel or smell them, then let the residents guess what they are. (Ex. soft fur, scented roses, shoes…)
Rewards – If a resident or staff member tells you that someone made them smile today, then give that person a smiley face. Have plenty of smiles ready to pass out because you will be giving them out all day!
Game - Have fun with a smiley face balloons in a game of balloon volleyball. If you want use the pool noodles for extra fun, but if you don’t have them let the residents hit the balloon anyway they can as long as they move, stretch, or bend to get some body movement. They have to smile when they hit the balloon! Work them face muscles!
Social – Make a list of at least one favorite treat the residents like and serve it at your social. Let each tell the group what they favorite treat is and why. This should make an interesting and fun treat tray that all can enjoy, but ask the residents to get their favorite first and after they tell why they like it, then everyone can try the treats that are left. If you have a very large group maybe you could break them up into several small groups so everyone has a chance to communicate.
Sing-a-long – Sing happy songs that make you smile. Ex. You are my Sunshine, If You're Happy and You Know it…clap your hands, stomp your feet, say amen!
Craft – Make smiley faces out of flour and water dough or clay. Use a circle cookie cutter or the top of any type of round container. Glass usually works best. Let them decorate the smiley faces with paint or glitter or whatever embellishments your have on hand. Make sure to poke a hole at the top so after they hard dry, then add a ribbon so the residents can hang them up in their room each time they need a smile.
Cooking – Make sugar cookies so they can decorate them as a smiley face with icing. They will smile as they eat their treat.
Movie – There are a lot of movies that bring smiles to our face, so pick one or ask the residents which movie brings a smile or even makes them laugh.
Book Time – Read out loud short stories from any “Soup for the Soul” books. They all bring a smile to your face. You can also tell jokes or read funny stories.
JUNETEENTH - June 19th
A celebration of the end of slavery in the US and a time for assessment, self-improvement and planning the future.
Listen and Learn – Read and discuss the history of Juneteenth and ask questions to get a discussion group. Check the internet for information.
Picnic – Serve it out doors of the facility, or take the residents to the park.
Sing-a-long – Song suggestions found on Wikipedia are: Swing Low, Sweet Chariot, Lift Every Voice and Sing or you can play songs for them to listen to and I suggest the CD called “The Sound of Blackness”.
Poetry reading – Read from African-Americans authors like Maya Angelou. She has many poems and short stories.
FATHER'S DAY - 3rd Sunday in June
• Miniature Gulf - Set up a mini gulf course in the court yard for the residents to play.
• Basketball - Set up a basketball hoop for the residents to play Nerf basketball.
• Horseshoes – Set up horses to let the residents play a couple of games.
• Dinner – Have a special dinner in honor of all the resident Fathers.
• Movie – Play some of the “Father knows best” shows.
• Rewards – Give special gifts to the oldest resident father and the father with the most children.
Visit the Men's Activity page for great ideas.
NATIONAL PINK DAY - June 23rd
Facility activity – Ask everyone to wear pink, anything pink and to say things like “Have a pink day!” or any kind of funny, cute phase relating to pink. Give each staff and resident a pink flower to wear if you don’t want to ask them to wear pink. If flowers are too expensive, then make a pink ribbon like the Breast Cancer ribbon and give it to them to wear.
Community project – Since it is National Pink Day, they take up a collection and donate the money to the local Breast Cancer Society from your facility resident and staff. Make a large card for all to sign to give along with the donation. If you don’t have a local unity, then see if the hospital or Red Cross knows someone that has breast cancer that is having a hard time and send the donation to them. Your facility is making a difference in someone’s life and that is a worth wild cause.
Craft – Decorate a hat, tie or apron with anything pink. Paint, gems, feathers, ribbon, string, pompoms, just want ever you have on hand that is pink and can glue it on.
Fashion show – Show off their handy craft work with a fashion show where everything is pink!
Cooking – Make pink lemonade and pink cookies.
Game – see how many words they can make using the letters P I N K…they can add letters or rearrange them, but must use all the letters from the word pink in their new word. Ex. sprinkle or Peking. This is harder than you may think, so get a list of words before you start for just in case.
Movie – suggestions – Pretty in Pink, Pink Panther, Legally Blonde (that girl really loves pink.
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