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Trick or Treat Bingo
Your favorite game by another name! Just click the link below the picture for a FREE download!
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The Butterfly Mom Project
Introducing The Butterfly Mom Project: Spreading Love and Encouragement Dear Love Laugh and Bingo Community, Today, we are excited to introduce you to a very special project that has been close to my heart and is an extension of the Love Laugh and Bingo LLC family – The Butterfly Mom Project. While our usual focus revolves around supporting activity directors in senior living homes with resources and ideas, The Butterfly Mom Project carries a unique mission. It’s all about spreading love, encouragement, and support, but for a different audience—mothers who have experienced the unimaginable loss of a child. The inspiration behind The Butterfly Mom Project is deeply personal. It all…
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Generations in Ink: A Pen Pal Project
Hello fellow Activity Directors, I’m excited to share an incredible project that I believe can bring some warmth and connection to your senior living community— “Generations in Ink: A Pen Pal Project.” As activity directors, we’re always on the lookout for meaningful ways to engage our residents, and this program has been nothing short of magical. In a world driven by digital communication, we sometimes forget the beauty of a handwritten letter. “Generations in Ink” is our way of rekindling that magic and forging bonds between our residents and school-age students. It’s a heartwarming experience that fosters understanding, empathy, and friendships that span generations. How It Works: A Bridge Between…
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Easy Soap Making Activity
This has very quickly become a favorite activity among my residents, in fact some have taken to it as a hobby in their own apartments. I like this activity because it is meaningful & purposeful to them as they can use the soaps themselves or give as gifts to family. All materials were chosen with sensitive skin in mind. I got all my materials at Hobby Lobby (because it has a weekly 40% off coupon and I gathered my materials over a couple of weeks to maximize my budget) Soap Materials : *Shea Butter Soap Base – There are other types of soap bases, I chose shea butter because it…
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Speed Friendshipping Activity: Forging Friendships in Senior Living Communities
In the world of senior living communities, building connections and nurturing relationships among residents and staff are key to a fulfilling and enriching experience. Enter “Speed Friendshipping,” a playful twist on traditional speed dating, designed to help seniors form friendships rather than seeking romantic partners. This innovative product, tailor-made for activity directors in senior living communities, offers a delightful way to promote socialization and enhance the quality of care. In this blog post, we’ll dive into how Speed Friendshipping revolutionizes social interactions, fosters staff-resident connections, and elevates the overall care experience. Creating Bonds through Speed Friendshipping: Speed Friendshipping serves as a catalyst for seniors to forge bonds and develop meaningful…
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Easy Easter Egg Scavenger Hunt
This scavenger hunt is a twist on the classic Easter Egg Hunt. You can make this very silly & fun or very grown up, all depending on the prizes you choose. This prize key uses money because my group likes to play Bingo with dimes, so this was the most appealing prize for them. Feel free to use it as a guide and change up the prizes however you’d like! You could do Bingo Bucks or prizes from the Dollar Store with each Egg representing a different prize. Simply download the link below and enjoy! Instructions are included in the download.
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St. Patrick’s Day Fact or Fake Trivia Game
This is a fun and interactive trivia game I play with my seniors and they love it! They love to see if they can tell if I’m telling something true or made up. I love to see the surprise on their faces when they find out what is Fact and what is Fake. How to play: First download the free packet, link located below the picture. After downloading the packet, go ahead and make however many signs you need. I created the sign in such a way that you shouldn’t even have to cut it out, you can just fold it in half and secure it with tape. You can…
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Mardi Gras 2 Truths and a Lie Game
Try this fun activity with your residents! To put your activity over the top, serve King cake/punch, adding a little fun by passing out Mardi Gras beads or masks for all the right answers! Free to download, link below
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Most Creative Activity Carts
Hello! I hope everyone is surviving Lockdown at their homes. It has been a truly crazy, crazy year. I can definitely say we have all learned to get a little …creative. With many of us unable to conduct group activities as we are used to, we have started a Creative Cart Revolution and I’m here for it! I do hope that if you haven’t joined this revolution, you will find inspiration here. I’m so thankful to all the wonderful men and women that have shared their lovely creations with me for this post. There are truly a LOT of creative people out there, cheers to you! I won’t ramble on,…
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10+ Cognitive Activities To Keep Elderly Mentally Stimulated During Lockdown
One of the biggest concerns I have for my residents during a lockdown situation is not only their physical health, but their mental health. That includes their cognitive functioning. Often in a lockdown, activities are reduced and socializing is greatly reduced, this means that our elders are not getting the mental stimulation they are accustomed to. Without that regular cognitive stimulation, they can experience dramatic cognitive decline, and surprisingly quickly. To combat this risk, I’ve compiled a list of several stimulating activities to get those neurons firing. Of course, please don’t neglect crafts, self care and other activities; you’d be surprised how many cognitive skills you can work on with…
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10 Crafts To Do During Lockdown
As cases of the virus become more and more common, our daily routines become more and more uncommon, we are all searching for ways to cope. Here is a list of simple crafts that you can do in small groups or one on one to help boost morale among your elders as well as provide some mental stimulation. Please note, I have included links to resources (with permission) where I can, as well as pictures. These are not affiliate links in this article, I’m just trying to provide as much resources as I can. I will be adding more pictures and resources in the coming days as I acquire permission…
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Easy Soap Making Activity
This has very quickly become a favorite activity among my residents, in fact some have taken to it as a hobby in their own apartments. I like this activity because it is meaningful & purposeful to them as they can use the soaps themselves or give as gifts to family. All materials were chosen with sensitive skin in mind. I got all my materials at Hobby Lobby (because it has a weekly 40% off coupon and I gathered my materials over a couple of weeks to maximize my budget) Soap Materials : Step 1 : Using the Soap Cutter, cut the soap into 1 inch blocks (doesn’t need to be exact…
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Interview With Cart Creators
Since my post highlighting creative activity carts, I’ve gotten lots of questions about how to create said carts. Thankfully some very wonderful Activity Professionals from Connecticut reached out to me and accepted my offer of an interview. (interview was conducted via video call, answers to questions have been summarized/paraphrased and approved by all participants) Meet Kathleen, Jordana and Sharon from Glen Hill Center in Danbury, CT. Kathleen – Director of Recreation at Glen Hill Center. She has 23 years experience working in recreation and a total of 35 years working in the senior population! She began her career, working as a CNA for 12 years in a skilled nursing facility.…
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6 Craft Youtube Channels You Should Be Following
I don’t know about you but I am always scrambling to find the right craft for my group, especially finding one that is AGE appropriate. For my memory care group, it’s hard to find crafts that are not childish. For my assisted/independent group it’s hard to find crafts that are purposeful and useful because they don’t want clutter. Then there’s the added complication of their physical abilities. The memory care group is very limited both physically and cognitively (following multiple steps). Anything too complicated will be frustrating and not enjoyable. For my independent/assisted living group, even though cognitively they are sharp, physically they often have difficulties ie. fine motor issues…
