Butterfly Day

GINGER'S CREATIVE COSTUMES AND ACTIVITIES
Theme Days
By Ginger Bonner

Butterfly Day

There is a story about a little boy who watched a butterfly struggle to break out of its cocoon. Not wanting the little creature to suffer, he took a pair of scissors and helped him out by cutting the cocoon. The
problem was that in trying to be kind, he actually handicapped the butterfly and it crawled around the rest of its life instead of flying. Things happen for a reason and sometimes in life, we have to struggle but remember that everything will be all right if we just "Let it be". This is the message behind butterfly day. I love my theme days to have a message, especially when I can play the guitar and sing it to them! Let it Be is one of the few songs I can play!

Since my beautiful butterfly wings you can see in the picture are yellow, I have signs all over a week ahead of time for people to wear yellow. It gives a nice uniformity to the day and a togetherness between the residents when a lot of people wear the same color and I blow up a lot of balloons. Most of the residents love having a balloon tied to their walker and the whole facility is cheery on a day like
this! Of course, any color is fine. It is your day, have fun with it. Since butterflies come in many colors, one year, I chose two or three colors for everyone to wear. It is up to you.

This is a link to one site where you can find some fun facts about butterflies. http://www.thebutterflysite.com/facts.shtml. I prefer sites like this compared to the encyclopedia site. It is easy to look at the paper and teach the residents the information and sound like you're a genius! The trivia is simply listed. Some sites are too wordy to do this so I search the internet by writing in the subject and
"fun facts" next to it and usually come up with some interesting tidbits on whatever my subject of the day is.

I love the "incredible edible" on butterfly day as shown in the picture.Pretzels are used for the wings and cream cheese or peanut butter is used as the glue. In the past, I have used those little chocolate piece for the eyes, a thick pretzel stick for the body and an almond for the antennas . It is fun to be creative. You never know what you may find in the candy aisle at the supermarket. Pay attention to the shapes. I have come up with very interesting "incredible edibles" through the years. I am sure you can, too.



On butterfly day, you can play stretch-a-word. Write it on the board and the residents can come up with smaller words within the word. You can also find a video of the butterfly emerging from the cocoon. This year, during "Butterfly Bingo" I gave out little pins shaped like butterflies I found at the dollar store. My eye is always open for special prizes to give out on my theme days during bingo. Butterfly Day is truly a way to make an ordinary day extraordinary and a reminder that sometimes we have to struggle, but everything will be okay!" Lastly, some people believe that when you see a butterfly, it is a a sign that someone special is watching over you. I believe that, too. Happy Butterfly Day!


Ginger conducts her rockin’ themed programs for the young fashioned senior with love, learning, music and laughter, her ingredients for a great day! Her mission is to empower incredible senior citizens to feel young by creating a youthful attitude, because attitudes are catchy! Do you like Ginger's creative costumes and activities but don't have the time to coordinate these programs yourself? Learn more about Ginger's business, "Created Young", where she brings her themes right to you. Contact Ginger at CreatedYoung@gmail.com

See more of Ginger's wonderful themes at http://www.recreativeresources.com/Gingers-Creative-Costumes.htm

July 2011 STARS Winner: Katheen Taylor

The July Re-Creative Resources Inc. STARS winner is Ms. Kathleen Taylor. Kathleen, otherwise known as Mimi, is the Activity Director at Good Shepherd Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Jaffery, New Hampshire. Last year Mimi won the New Hampshire Healthcare Association’s Star Award for her work with the elders in Seniors Aid NH. Seniors Aide NH is a group of elders in assisted living and long term care that work to raise money for NH Food Banks and creates awareness in legislature that directly affects the elderly. She currently works with her company’s home office on a committee to change the entire view and process of care planning to reflect resident centered care and she is also on a committee to identify and enhance residents' spirituality in more than just faith-based ways. Mimi has also provided articles for the Re-Creative Resources’ Activity Swap Meet Blog and proves to organize and facilitate creative and unique programming!

The STARS Award (Superior Therapeutic Activity and Recreation Services) will feature outstanding Activity and Recreation professionals and practitioners. Recipients of the STARS Award will receive a certificate and a mention in the Rec-Room and an induction into the Hall of STARS on the Re-Creative Resources Inc website. If you know of anyone that should be featured, please let me know!

Learn more about the STARS award at
http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=8374854727313789032
Are the STARS out tonight in your facility?

SLIDERS: LET THE GAMES BEGIN (BASEBALL THEME)

By Christine Jennings


Learn & Listen – April 4th is the first Major League Baseball game of the year. You can find the regular season schedule on MLB.com and then check out lots of Major League History on Wikipedia to discuss with your residents. I recommend you print out the schedule so you can see which games will be aired on your local cable channels and plan an activity game party around your resident’s favorite teams to cheer them on.

During this activity talk to the residents about the information you read on Wikipedia (unless you’re a baseball fan and can talk the talk). Ask questions to get the discussion started such as: Have they ever attended a major league game? If so, who was playing and do they remember the score? Ask them question relating to the history information you reviewed on Wikipedia.

Game – Batter up! Play a game of baseball with foam noodles and a balloon or if you have a Wii get one of the baseball games to let the residents play. Make sure to divide up in teams and get the staff involved by letting them be on resident’s teams as well. Have fun playing American’s favorite pass time game!

Food –Make little hamburger sliders to incorporate the theme name. The mini hamburgers are quick and easy to make. Stores now sell the mini hamburger buns so you don’t have to cut bread slices into squares. No need to go overboard; just serve with cheese, ketchup, mustard or mayo.

OR

What else but peanuts, popcorn and hot dogs! Instruction on how to make boiled peanuts can be found on eHow.com under How Tos or just do a search on the website. Let residents make some popcorn or cook some hot dogs. Try to make decorate the kitchen with some baseball décor to get the residents in the mood or weather permitting take them outside to fix the hot dogs on the grill.

Exercise – Doing the exercise today try to incorporate some moves they use in baseball and if you can get enough baseball bats they would work for props to use for stretches and baseballs to do hand griping exercises. For residents that have difficulty with lifting give them a team flag to wave for movements instead of the bat. The main point is to incorporate today’s theme in your exercise program today with either music, props, moves, or include baseball trivia during rest time between each exercise.

Craft – Make baseball team pennants. Use the following materials:

poster board the color of their favorite team
construction paper
glue
Scissors
Markers
Printed pictures of the team’s mascot.
Cut out a pennant shape from color poster board.

Cut out strips of the second team color from construction paper.

Cut out two circles from white paper to use as baseballs for both sides of the pennant. Use a red marker to make the design on the white circles to make it looks more like a baseball.

Glue the second team color strips and the baseball circles on each side.

Now glue on the team mascot to finish the pennants.

If the residents don’t have a favorite team, then just let them decorate the pennant with words such as Cheer, Go Team, #1 or any other fun decoration.

Game – Name That Player

Check out baseball-almanac.com for historical player information that you can use to create status information to give to the residents so they can guess the players name. You can even print out some pictures when you go to the player’s page and click on the player’s name. Cover up the player’s name on the picture and see if they can name the player.

Movie – Oh, there are so many baseball movies out there to show but here are a few and as always preview the movie to see if it is appropriate for your residents.

Angles in the Outfield (fun light-hearted baseball movie) – 1994 – Tony Danza, Danny Glover
The Babe – 1992 – John Goodman, Kelly McGillis
Eight Men Out – 1988 – John Cusack, Clifton James
Field of Dreams – 1989 – Kevin Costner, Amy Madigan
A League of Their Own (a little something for the women) – 1992 – Tom Hanks, Geena Davis
The Natural – 1884 – Robert Redford, Robert Duvall
For more suggestions Google baseball movies and you will find a ton of suggestions if you don’t want to use any of these.


See more of Christine's Themes!

Rainbow Day

GINGER'S CREATIVE COSTUMES AND ACTIVITIES
By Ginger Bonner


Ever hear of ROY G BIV? It's an acronym for the colors of the rainbow.

Red
Orange
Yellow
Green
Blue
Indigo
Violet

I remember seeing a double rainbow stretched across the sky one evening at the beach. I
believed that it was my Grandma watching over me and that felt good. I've always loved rainbows and some people believe that they are a sign .There is a great story about how all the colors of the rainbow started arguing that they were each the best for various reasons and then it started to thunder, which caused them to bow down together. The colors realized that even though they were all different, they could be beautiful and get along together despite of their differences

To read the entire story, check out this site
www.rainbowpetsitting.com/story.htm
Rainbow day is another day that is easy to create. Have the residents (and staff!) wear a solid color of the rainbow that day. I have signs everywhere for a week beforehand. I have a tie-die rainbow shirt I wear and I have a few rainbow headpieces. One year, I could not find the shirt and ended up layering the right colored tank tops and had rainbow pig tails. All the rubber band colors come together on a little cardboard for a dollar at the dollar store.


The main event of the day is the art lesson. I put up white paper on the board and make palettes of all the colors of paint on paper plates. You can also use watercolor or crayon sets, also for $1 each. You may even have some already in your art and crafts closet. Set the tables and chairs so that everyone can see the board. You can tell the story as you paint the colors or use it at another time during the day. I slowly paint each color and wait until everyone is finished with that color before going on to the next. All rainbows are beautiful. There is no wrong. Act as if every painting is absolutely the most beautiful thing you have ever seen, and once these colors are together, you will be sure that there is no such thing as an ugly rainbow!

There are also awesome colorful quotes about rainbows at www.brainyquote.com/words/ra/rainbow209906.html One of my favorites is an old Irish blessing that I wish for everyone reading this:

May God give you...
For every storm a rainbow
For every tear a smile
For every care a promise and a blessing in each trial
For every problem life sends, a faithful friend to share, for every sigh a sweet song and an answer for each prayer.”

~ Irish Blessing

Wikipedia also has an explanation of what actually forms a rainbow and makes for a successful discussion group. The youthful country singer Dolly Parton who once said , "The way I see it, if you want the rainbow, you gotta put up with the rain." Dolly Parton knows that we have to take the good with the bad. But if we all work together, like the rainbow, there will be more rainbows than rain!

Happy Rainbow Day!

See more of Ginger's creative costumes at http://www.recreativeresources.com/Gingers-Creative-Costumes.rainbow.htm

April STARS Award Winner is Christine Jennings

Christine, author of Christine's Themes has contributed special activity themes for Re-Creative Resources since March 2009 and has written for Activity Director Today for six months. Christine received her North Carolina State AD qualification through Rowan-Cabarrus Community College, Continuing Education Health Occupations Program in November 2007. She has done volunteer work at several living assistant facilities, as well as an adult care center. She keeps current on the changes and issues that AD’s encounter in the profession through on-line webinars, newsletters and several AD group blogs. She is currently a full time care giver for her grand-daughter, however she continues to research, create and plan activities to offer AD’s that might have a need for an activity agenda with special themes. Learn more at http://www.recreativeresources.com/STARS.htm

REMOTIVATION: TAKING IT IN STEPS

By Denise Lima-Laskiewicz ADC/EDU, ICRmT

In these Remotivation therapy sessions the facilitator asks questions which is related to the topic at hand. The topic is determined by the Remotivational therapist. One question leads to another which is referred to as bounce questions. The Remotivational therapist also uses visual and audio cues during the session. If the clients are suffering with cognition deficits or A.D. there needs to be more visual cues. The facilitator creates an environment where the clients feel safe. In this environment whatever the client says is accepted by the Remotivational therapist in a non-judge mental manner. Thereby a trusting relationship is established between the client and the Remotivational therapist. The Remotivational therapist accepts and appreciates what the client provides which could be actively participating in the session or remains silent throughout the session. The gift of their presence is what the Remotivational therapist acknowledges.

Remotivation therapy is broken into five steps because each one serves a function for the client and Remotivational therapist. The first step is referred to as the Climate of Acceptance which is a very important step in the therapeutic context of the session. The clients are set up in a circle of 8-10 people. In the circle the Remotivational therapist goes around to each individual to greet the client. While the Remotivational therapist is doing this, he greets the clients by name. Then the Remotivational therapist compliments the individual on his/her personal appearance, jewelry or clothing. It is okay to touch the client in an appropriate way, such as a hand shake or laying a hand on his shoulder. In so doing, the facilitator is informing the client that I paid attention to you. It also informs the individual that you are important and the Remotivational therapist accepts the person for who they are; including the illness.

The second step is called Bridge to the Real World. In this step the Remotivational therapist leads the session in a question and answer on the topic. The topic is normally broad then leads to a specific point. Normally there are three to four questions in Step II with four possible answers which the Remotivational therapist writes in advance. This way the answer leads to the next question. If a client chooses not to reply that is acceptable. Also the client may not know the answer to the question. If this is the case than thank the individual and proceed to the next individual asking the same question. The last question in step II leads into the poem which is objective in nature. The poem is provided by the National Remotivation Therapy Organization Inc. When one is certified as a Certified Remotivation therapist , then programs and poems can be written up by the individual. The poem is read the clients or the clients can read it aloud to the group. Do not forget to use visual and audio aids to augment the program. The lower the mental cognition the more visual and audio clues are better. Once this is accomplished the Remotivational therapist leads the session into Step III

Step III is called “Sharing the World in Which We Live”. In this part of the step the Remotivation therapist expands on the topic by asking 8-10 questions about the topic. The questions are not emotionally based but objective in nature. Each person in the group is asked the same question. The questions are asked in newspaper format such as:

What
When
Where
Why
How

During Step III if the group goes on a tangent or a conversation about the topic that is good. When the group goes off on an tangent it is sharing their experiences. For example, if the topic is camping. One of the questions that could be in Step III is “Where does a family go camping?” Each one in the group replies, a park, the beach or the backyard. Another client could reply that my family camped backyard one time per month. Then others could add to the conversation. Eventually the Remotivational therapist brings the group back to the discussion. However, the Remotivational therapist need not finish step III because the tangent took care of it. The Remotivational therapist moves on to step IV.

Step IV is referred to as Appreciation of the Work World. In this step the questions are related to the Work World and again the questions are objective in nature. The question begin with the newspaper format such as:

What
When
Where
Why
How

When moving from Step III to step IV the Remotivational therapist asks a transitional question. For example, to use the transitional question from the previous example about camping. The transitional question could be how many people have gone camping? The rest of the questions center around the work of camping. Such as where does one get camping supplies? What national parks or state parks allow camping? What type of equipment is used for camping? Again the facilitator prepares 8-10 questions to ask the group. The same question is asked from everyone. Remember that as the facilitator, whatever response you receive is okay. If there is no response it is okay.

The last step in the Remotivation therapy session is called “Climate of Appreciation”. This step is a reverse of step I. In this step the Remotivational therapist thanks each person individually for attending the group. Remember, even if the individual does not say a word, choosing to remain silent throughout the session that is perfectly acceptable. This individual is giving you the ultimate gift, the gift of his presence in your session that you’re acknowledging. Inform the group of when the next session occurs and invite the clients to attend. There is no need to tell them the topic. Also the facilitator can sum up the topic of the session that was held for the day. http://www.recreativeresources.com/RemotivationTherapy.htmVisit www.remotivation.com for more information.

Denise Lima-Laskiewicz, ADC, ICRmT is the owner of Heal Through Words, a NJ-based Therapeutic Writing program for Nursing Home and Assisted Living residents.

March STARS Award Winner

Helen Muller has brought new and innovative programming to the Menorah Center for Rehabilitation and Nursing Care, for the past 32 years. Residents and their grandchildren especially enjoy the slot machines, that are available for fun only! Helen arranges for an ice cream truck to come on to the facility's grounds during the summer months, and serve a familiar treat to all. She conducts lively discussion groups from a wide variety of topics. Helen is a CTRS and an Activities Director Certified with the NCCAP.

Helen's Acceptance Speech

"I am very proud to have been selected as the March, 2011 Re-Creative Resources Inc. STARS Award winner. The people in the field of Therapeutic Recreation do amazing work. We do make a difference in the lives of those we work with. Thank you."

Learn more about the Re-Creative Resources Inc. STARS Award at
http://www.recreativeresources.com/STARS.htm