Valentine’s Day and
retirement home activities
Looking for a simple yet exciting way to engage
your residents in activities?
Valentine's Day is coming up on the 14th
of February and is the perfect time to inject some fun and festivity into the
day's activities.
Did you know that Valentine’s Day is the second
most celebrated holiday throughout the world?
There are a number of different crafts and
activities that can be fun and engaging for seniors. For a few ideas to get
started, read more below.
Heart Shaped Boxes
Inexpensive heart shaped boxes can often be
found quite easily at this time of the year by checking local stores. Providing
a variety of different crafting materials, such as stickers, markers and lace,
that can be used to decorate the top of the box, allows the residents to make a
unique keepsake. For a non-toxic alternative to store-bought glitter, try this
recipe that uses salt or sugar with food colouring:
http://www.planetpals.com/craft-non-toxic-craft-supply-recipes.html.
If you worry that your residents might be stuck
for inspiration, this link has some more suggestions:
http://www.squidoo.com/valentine-crafts-for-seniors#module164673210
Valentine's Day Bingo
Bingo is a fun game that can be enjoyed by men
and women alike. Easily adaptable, retirement home residents will enjoy the
colourful change of this themed game. Only a few materials are needed to make
it. On construction paper, make a grid five squares wide and five squares high.
Label the middle square as a free space by writing "Free Space"
within a heart on it. On the other spaces on the board, write the saying from
one candy that is taken from a package of candy hearts, being careful not to
duplicate the location of these sayings on other boards that are made. The
caller uses these candy hearts to call out the sayings. The seniors can then use cinnamon candy hearts
to mark the called spaces that are located on their board. The first one who
gets five in a row calls out Bingo and gets candy as the prize.
(http://www.nursinghomeactivitiesresource.com/february-activities.shtml)
Schedule Some Entertainment
This idea is one that the residents are sure to
love. Line up some local talent to come in and sing some romantic songs,
perform a short skit based on a classic movie about love, read passages of
favourite love stories or all three. An alternative is to ask for volunteers
among the staff to provide entertainment for the residents. Perhaps there is a
budding actor and actress that would be willing to show off their talents. Or
maybe there is a star singer among the staff that enjoys belting out favourite
love songs.
These ideas above are designed to get the creativity flowing.
For more ideas and inspiration, click on the links below.
http://www.planetpals.com/craft-non-toxic-craft-supply-recipes.html
http://www.squidoo.com/valentine-crafts-for-seniors#module164673210
http://www.nursinghomeactivitiesresource.com/february-activities.shtml
http://www.ehow.com/list_6362557_valentines-make-nursing-homes.html
