You're in charge of arranging activities for residents in a care home. What are you going to plan? Unusual ideas welcomed

[AlpacaAPicnic]

This is a private retirement village with a very healthy budget for activities. They do all the usual things you might imagine - flower arranging, crafting, baking, rambling for those who are able, various talks arranged and various evening dos

But what can I suggest that's outside the box? They're very good at having some excellent ideas and have recently had therapy penguins (yes really), Caribbean evenings, barbershop quartets etc

It's my new role and I wondered if you could suggest something that might work. Of course I've got my own ideas but wondered if there was anything you'd like an older relative to experience

A mix of independent folk, those with dementia and those with care needs. We can do individual activities and tailor them to all residents

I nearly fell off my chair at the therapy penguins! And yes, you can hold them!!

Not long after my dad moved into his care home, he announced to my mum that yesterday he was 'holding a little pig on my lap' and my mum was laughing because she thought he'd got confused or had been hallucinating on his medication, which happens a lot. Then the next day, lo and behold, there on the care home's Facebook page is a photo of my dad. Cuddling a piglet.

Other animals he's been pictured with include various dogs, a Shetland pony (yes, indoors), various rabbits and guinea pigs, a ferret and, perhaps most surprisingly of all, a wallaby.

Bat walks - your local bat group probably does them. If you have bats in the grounds of the home even better.
Falconry display
Does the home have any pets? Fish in a large aquarium might be nice

Basket weaving
Life drawing
Water colour painting
Oil painting
Weaving (could use the small hand held looms)
Making rag rugs
Crocheting
Knitting
Pottery painting
Patchwork or quilt making
Photography club. Could do some dabbling in photoshop as well which might be fun
Suspect some of the residents might be quite skilled at some of these things already, do they have access to art materials so they can continue doing these kind of hobbies?

Book club, libraries do sets of books for bookclubs
Debating society
Science talks (like the Pint of Science clubs)
Drama group (I know our local theatre do movement classes for older people but you could maybe get them to come to you)
Aquafit or aquatherapy (not sure how easy it is to have regular trips out? Assuming you don't have a pool. Am now think all care homes should have easy access to a pool)

My MIL, late 70s recently attended a gong bath, and absolutely loved it. Absolutely agree regarding being aware that WW2 nostalgia stuff is the previous generation of residents long since departed.

Tie dying T Shirts? Ceramic painting? As you have grounds could the local Scouts or similar set up camp for a night? The residents might like S’mores and songs around the camp fire! (and there might be a badge in it for the kids!)

I thought of some more.

For the garden, what about large games? Giant jenga, connect 4 etc. Or a wheelchair swing https://www.gljones-playgrounds.co.uk/playground-equipment/swings/abilityswing-wheelchair-swing-detail

Trip to the seaside

The care home sounds amazing OP and I assume VERY expensive. Extensive grounds, lake, visiting penguins! Its not called something like Buckingham Palace Care home is it? 🤔

Sorry - didn't read the whole thread but my DD's nursery used to perform nursery rhymes at a care home, then they handed out biscuits and gave out paintings they had made. Everyone loved it.
Later at primary school the school choir and the signing choir performed in care homes. It's a win win.

Contact local childminder groups - ours does visits weekly to 2 different local care homes, kids & residents get so much out of it.
Not all the children have grandparents & not all the old folks will have grandchildren, weve paired them up with specific children for activities & works really well.
Simple things like playing with balloons, singing old nursery rhymes, doing crafts together, dancing etc.

My DDs brownie group used to also visit monthly & did things like carol singing, helping with planting flowers/bulbs etc

What about a fashion show with the residents as the models.
A casino evening or horse racing night.
Wine and cheese tasting

Haven’t read through the whole thread so apologies if I’m repeating ideas already given but get in contact with local children’s nurseries and animal shelters.

having visits from the children and dogs is always a huge hit.

A nice sing-song with all the old wartime favourites.

Not this, this is a shit idea, but it seems to be the only thing people think is acceptable for care home residents.

I'm 36 please can I live there!!!

Cookery demo?

The Radiotherapy unit (day) I was taking my mother to had a local restaurant chef in one afternoon and he made a few dishes, dished out a few samples. It was strangely entertaining whilst hanging around the waiting room. Perhaps if you have a nearby catering college one of the lectures would consider it ?

Whisky tasting

Soundbath

Zentangle

Sorry I got distracted by the penguins!

I take my daughter to friend in deed which is a regular weekly visit from baby's, toddlers or whatever age and they play and chat with the elderly, it's always a hit! Off the top of my head they also do...

Pamper night, get the hairdresser and nails lady in, facemasks and music.

Animal sanctuary visit.

Homework club (the teens come to chat and get help with homework)

Dance classes

Disco

Pottery class

Art class

Knit and natter

Book club (maybe it's just the residents here but it's hilarious discussing 50 shades, your guys might want something a little better!)

Cake decorating

1940s week (could do any date though really like 80s night)

Movie with popcorn and add own toppings.

'Campfire' stories. They talk about their lives or tell spooky stories.

In the home I work in we have.

Pimms in the paddling pool- small pool residents sit & put their feet in while getting slowly pissed on pimms.

A local toddler group holds a music session in the home that the residents join in with.

Local school come & sing carols

Residents visit local school to see dress rehearsal for plays

Pub visits

Decade theme weeks- films, food, music from certain decades.

Olympics with adapted games residents can take part in.

Bread, cake, biscuit making

Haven't read the whole thread, so apologies if mentioned, but would a florist come in to do a flower arranging session? If allowed, florist could hand out cards to drum up business, and give you a discount.
Wreath making, not just Christmas - autumnal would look nice.

Sorry, just seen floristry.
Are most of the residents local? If so pictures of the old town/area may spark a few memories and conversations

Sounds like the ideal place for a Thursday Murder Club

Apologies I haven't had time to read the whole thread. But I am very impressed by the activities organiser of a local care home in my town. She does things with the residents like planting tomato and other vegetable/salad seeds and they sell the excess plants to the local community. She then buys blank signs and the residents decorate them for Halloween/ and Christmas.

Haven't rtft
Local museum may do a "takeaway" box of objects to handle.
Pottery painting place may also do a takeaway box including paints etc, then you take the pieces back for firing.
Planting bulbs
Cheese and wine
There used to be an organisation providing professional musicians to do concerts at care homes. Alternatively call a local music school or sixth form college and ask if they have any students wanting to perform.
Poetry reading/ discussion
Play reading

Opinions like arseholes on this thread, everyone has one. Why don't you flip the script and give them the full on standard care home activities for a laugh, see how the other half 99% live and then they will forever realise how grateful they should be.

You could blow up a balloon and get them to whack it across the room to/from each other? Maybe add a tennis racket for added hilarity.
Serve industrial strength tea with added bromide and a catering quality biscuit on the side. Maybe a pink wafer.
Sing knick nack paddywack out of tune?
Get the cheapest Elvis impersonator locally and get him to sing his greatest hits.
A game of bingo, but with no actual gambling as it needs a licence.
Stick Sony Pictures TV on full blast in the lounge and hide the remote.

Really good idea. We had one in the workplace and it was great fun!

My dd, on an OT placement at a retirement village made paper aeroplanes with the men. Her partner got hold of lots of different designs which the men could choose from. Once made up, they took them to the top of the atrium to see which ones flew best. It was very much enjoyed and enabled the men to get together for a good chat. She discovered afterwards that a few were previously aircraft engineers!

While this is clearly crap, it’s ok to want to help OP with her new job.

Hopefully some of the ideas will work in places with a more constrained budget as well.

And the balloon idea isn’t crap. Playing with balloons is fun.