| The Activity Director's Office Presents Activity Ideas That Work by Gina Salazar, AD |
APRIL ACTIVITIES |
| APRIL FOOLS TRIVIA AND JOKES: On April 1st is April Fools Day,its a day for jokes and fun. In France,April 1 is called Poisson d'Avril- which means April Fish. Children tape a paper fish onto their friends backs and when the friends notice it the prankster calls out "Poisson d' Avril". In Portugal, April 1st is celebrated on the sunday and monday before Lent,pranksters throw flour at their friends. Here in the U.S.pranksters like to change the sugar in the sugarbowls with salt,get some friends together and point up to the sky and act like there is something up there and see how many people they can get to look up or put a whoopee cushion under someone just before they sit down. What ever you decide to do on this April Fools Day, just play it safe and have fun! Jokes: Why are people so tired on April 1st? Because they just finished a 31-day March. APRIL FOOLS TRIVIA AND JOKES: On April 1st is April Fools Day,its a day for jokes and fun. In France,April 1 is called Poisson d'Avril- which means April Fish. Children tape a paper fish onto their friends backs and when the friends notice it the prankster calls out "Poisson d' Avril". In Portugal, April 1st is celebrated on the sunday and monday before Lent,pranksters throw flour at their friends. Here in the U.S.pranksters like to change the sugar in the sugarbowls with salt,get some friends together and point up to the sky and act like there is something up there and see how many people they can get to look up or put a whoopee cushion under someone just before they sit down. What ever you decide to do on this April Fools Day, just play it safe and have fun! Jokes: Why are people so tired on April 1st? Because they just finished a 31-day March. Whats the best day for monkey business? The first day of Ape-ril Whats the difference between Thanksgiving and April Fools Day? On one youre thankful and the other your prankful. Ha,Ha.... Have fun! Whats the best day for monkey business? The first day of Ape-ril Whats the difference between Thanksgiving and April Fools Day? On one youre thankful and the other your prankful. Ha,Ha.... Have fun! |
| Flower Power Welcome spring with this easy-to-create garden of beautiful buds. What You Need: • 2 1/2 to 3 cups white icing • 1 baked 13- by 9-inch cake • 4 baked cupcakes • 5 baked mini cupcakes • 1/4 cup green icing • Green gel icing (optional) • Candy for decorations, such as spearmint leaves, • colored sugar, colored nonpareils, LifeSavers • Gummies, sour rings, jujubes, M&M's Minis, and Jujyfruits Instructions: Step 1: First, frost the 13- by 9-inch cake with the white icing. (Tester's Tip: To avoid dark crumbs in the light- colored icing, we used a white cake and cupcakes.) Arrange the cupcakes and mini cupcakes (you can cut them in half horizontally for thinner flowers if you wish) on top of the cake, wherever you'd like a flower. Cover them with the white icing as well, including the sides. Step 2: Using a pastry bag (or a plastic bag with one small corner cut off), pipe a green icing stem for each flower. If you'd like, you can also add green gel icing grass. Place spearmint leaves along the icing stems, then decorate the cupcakes with colored sugar and candies to create a garden of colorful blooms. You can also pipe on dollops of icing, as we did with some of our flowers. |
April Dates to Celebrate:
National Humor Month-hire a comedian from a local comedy club to come in and
entertain your residents or have your residents have a comedy hour where they tell
their own jokes.
National Garden Month- plant a small herb garden with your residents.
Keep America Beautiful Month-hold a recycling contest throughout your facility,
have each dept. Recycle cans and give a small prize to that dept. that collects the
most cans.(you can use the money from all the cans for the activity dept. to buy
something for your residents too!)
Easter- Hold an Easter Buffet for your residents and families, have an Easter egg
hunt before the buffet, you can also buy or make a huge Easter basket to raffle off.
Have your residents make the place mats for the tables (see craft idea below.)
April Birthdays:
4-2 MARVIN GAYE (MOTOWN SINGER)
4-3 DORIS DAY (ACTRESS)
4-5 BETTE DAVIS (ACTRESS)
4-7 BILLIE HOLIDAY (JAZZ SINGER)
4-9 WC FIELDS (ACTOR)
4-13 THOMAS JEFFERSON (PRESIDENT)
4-14 LORETTA LYNN (COUNTRY SINGER)
4-16 CHARLIE CHAPLIN (ACTOR)
4-19 JAYNE MANSFIELD (ACTRESS)
4-23 WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE (WRITER)
4-26 CAROL BURNETT (ACTRESS)
April Crafts:
Easter Place mats:
Materials Needed:
Paper place mats (spring colors)
Magazines
Glitter
Markers
Crayons
Glue sticks
Clear Contact paper
Instructions:
Give each of your residents a paper place mat and a magazine and tell them to find
pictures that remind them of Easter (eggs,bunnies,chocolate,kids,etc.)
let them write whatever they want on their place mats or use the glitter,
have them cut the pictures out and place onto the place mat and glue.
then cover it with the clear contac paper(it works as a laminate).
These place mats are very easy to make and lets the residents use their
imaginations.
Jelly Bean Carrots
Here's a bunch of carrots you will definitely want to nibble on. These make a sweet
favor for a party or a welcome treat in any Easter basket. To change the size of the
carrot, simply adjust the amount of beans in the bag.
Materials Needed:
Disposable clear plastic icing bags
(available where cake-decorating supplies
are sold; about $4 for a dozen bags)
Orange jelly beans
Scissors
Green tissue paper
Twist ties
Instructions:
Fill an icing bag with orange jelly beans,
leaving at least 3 inches unfilled at the top.
Cut out two 8-inch squares of green
tissue paper and lay one atop the other. Pick up the squares from the center and
give them a little twist so you have a cone-shaped carrot top.
Place the tissue, twisted end down, into the bag. Gather the bag at the top of the
jelly beans and secure with a twist tie.
Trivia:
Famous Bunnies:
Peter Rabbit: The Easter Bunny is famous, no doubt, but probably the most
famous bunny is Peter Rabbit! He is known in many countries around the world. He
was created almost 100 years ago by an English woman named Beatrix Potter. He
first appeared in a letter that she wrote to a young friend. Eight years later, she
turned it into a book. There were many publishers that turned her down before it
was finally published in 1902. For another 10 years she wrote and illustrated many
children's books. After that, she became interested in the farm that she and her
husband worked, and had little time for writing or drawing.
Peter Cottontail: The song "Peter Cottontail" was written by Steve Nelson and Jack
Rollins about 46 years ago. These two men also wrote the popular story "Frosty the
Snowman".
Bugs Bunny: The Bugs Bunny cartoon character was created in the late 1930's. He
got his name from the person who created him, Ben Hardawary, whose nickname
was "Bugs". Bugs Bunny has starred in over 160 animated cartoons. Do you know
his famous saying?” What’s up Doc?" Who was the voice of Bugs Bunny? (Mel
Blank.)
Brer Rabbit: Most Americans know the story about Brer Rabbit and the Tar Baby
and Brer Rabbit and the Briar Patch. The folk hero of these tales was Brer Rabbit.
He outsmarted all the other animals, especially Brer Fox. Joel Chandler was the
first person to write folk tales about Brer Rabbit. Uncle Remus was an old
storyteller he created to tell the stories in his books.
The Easter Bunny: The Easter Bunny is an ancient symbol of the joy of new life that
spring brings.
Easter Games
Carrot Scavenger Hunt
What You Need:
• Orange construction paper
• Green construction paper
• Scissors
• Glue
• Snacks
How to play:
Step 1: Cut out 20 carrots from orange construction paper and glue on the green
construction paper tops.
Step 2: "Plant" them all around the facility--under sofa cushions, in the silverware
drawer, or taped to the refrigerator door, for example.
Step 3: Then send your participants around the facility to gather all the carrots. Let
them redeem their carrots for snacks, such as a small box of raisins, a pack of
gum, a bag of pretzels, or a piece of carrot cake.
A Tricky Spoonful
Here is a variation on the classic egg relay.
What You Need:
• Hard-boiled eggs
• Spoons (wooden or large metal ones)
How to play:
Step 1: Create two teams of even numbers of participants.
Step 2: Split those teams in two and have each half stand at opposite ends of the
room or field depending on where you are playing.
Step 3: Give each person a spoon and each team a hard-boiled egg.
Step 4: Start the relay and then, as the participants begin passing the eggs to the
other teams, shout out "spin" or "walk like a duck." The players then have to
perform this action while crossing to the other player. Switch up the actions as
much as you like during play.
Variations:
Place obstacles on the course to increase the difficulty of the game.
National Humor Month-hire a comedian from a local comedy club to come in and
entertain your residents or have your residents have a comedy hour where they tell
their own jokes.
National Garden Month- plant a small herb garden with your residents.
Keep America Beautiful Month-hold a recycling contest throughout your facility,
have each dept. Recycle cans and give a small prize to that dept. that collects the
most cans.(you can use the money from all the cans for the activity dept. to buy
something for your residents too!)
Easter- Hold an Easter Buffet for your residents and families, have an Easter egg
hunt before the buffet, you can also buy or make a huge Easter basket to raffle off.
Have your residents make the place mats for the tables (see craft idea below.)
April Birthdays:
4-2 MARVIN GAYE (MOTOWN SINGER)
4-3 DORIS DAY (ACTRESS)
4-5 BETTE DAVIS (ACTRESS)
4-7 BILLIE HOLIDAY (JAZZ SINGER)
4-9 WC FIELDS (ACTOR)
4-13 THOMAS JEFFERSON (PRESIDENT)
4-14 LORETTA LYNN (COUNTRY SINGER)
4-16 CHARLIE CHAPLIN (ACTOR)
4-19 JAYNE MANSFIELD (ACTRESS)
4-23 WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE (WRITER)
4-26 CAROL BURNETT (ACTRESS)
April Crafts:
Easter Place mats:
Materials Needed:
Paper place mats (spring colors)
Magazines
Glitter
Markers
Crayons
Glue sticks
Clear Contact paper
Instructions:
Give each of your residents a paper place mat and a magazine and tell them to find
pictures that remind them of Easter (eggs,bunnies,chocolate,kids,etc.)
let them write whatever they want on their place mats or use the glitter,
have them cut the pictures out and place onto the place mat and glue.
then cover it with the clear contac paper(it works as a laminate).
These place mats are very easy to make and lets the residents use their
imaginations.
Jelly Bean Carrots
Here's a bunch of carrots you will definitely want to nibble on. These make a sweet
favor for a party or a welcome treat in any Easter basket. To change the size of the
carrot, simply adjust the amount of beans in the bag.
Materials Needed:
Disposable clear plastic icing bags
(available where cake-decorating supplies
are sold; about $4 for a dozen bags)
Orange jelly beans
Scissors
Green tissue paper
Twist ties
Instructions:
Fill an icing bag with orange jelly beans,
leaving at least 3 inches unfilled at the top.
Cut out two 8-inch squares of green
tissue paper and lay one atop the other. Pick up the squares from the center and
give them a little twist so you have a cone-shaped carrot top.
Place the tissue, twisted end down, into the bag. Gather the bag at the top of the
jelly beans and secure with a twist tie.
Trivia:
Famous Bunnies:
Peter Rabbit: The Easter Bunny is famous, no doubt, but probably the most
famous bunny is Peter Rabbit! He is known in many countries around the world. He
was created almost 100 years ago by an English woman named Beatrix Potter. He
first appeared in a letter that she wrote to a young friend. Eight years later, she
turned it into a book. There were many publishers that turned her down before it
was finally published in 1902. For another 10 years she wrote and illustrated many
children's books. After that, she became interested in the farm that she and her
husband worked, and had little time for writing or drawing.
Peter Cottontail: The song "Peter Cottontail" was written by Steve Nelson and Jack
Rollins about 46 years ago. These two men also wrote the popular story "Frosty the
Snowman".
Bugs Bunny: The Bugs Bunny cartoon character was created in the late 1930's. He
got his name from the person who created him, Ben Hardawary, whose nickname
was "Bugs". Bugs Bunny has starred in over 160 animated cartoons. Do you know
his famous saying?” What’s up Doc?" Who was the voice of Bugs Bunny? (Mel
Blank.)
Brer Rabbit: Most Americans know the story about Brer Rabbit and the Tar Baby
and Brer Rabbit and the Briar Patch. The folk hero of these tales was Brer Rabbit.
He outsmarted all the other animals, especially Brer Fox. Joel Chandler was the
first person to write folk tales about Brer Rabbit. Uncle Remus was an old
storyteller he created to tell the stories in his books.
The Easter Bunny: The Easter Bunny is an ancient symbol of the joy of new life that
spring brings.
Easter Games
Carrot Scavenger Hunt
What You Need:
• Orange construction paper
• Green construction paper
• Scissors
• Glue
• Snacks
How to play:
Step 1: Cut out 20 carrots from orange construction paper and glue on the green
construction paper tops.
Step 2: "Plant" them all around the facility--under sofa cushions, in the silverware
drawer, or taped to the refrigerator door, for example.
Step 3: Then send your participants around the facility to gather all the carrots. Let
them redeem their carrots for snacks, such as a small box of raisins, a pack of
gum, a bag of pretzels, or a piece of carrot cake.
A Tricky Spoonful
Here is a variation on the classic egg relay.
What You Need:
• Hard-boiled eggs
• Spoons (wooden or large metal ones)
How to play:
Step 1: Create two teams of even numbers of participants.
Step 2: Split those teams in two and have each half stand at opposite ends of the
room or field depending on where you are playing.
Step 3: Give each person a spoon and each team a hard-boiled egg.
Step 4: Start the relay and then, as the participants begin passing the eggs to the
other teams, shout out "spin" or "walk like a duck." The players then have to
perform this action while crossing to the other player. Switch up the actions as
much as you like during play.
Variations:
Place obstacles on the course to increase the difficulty of the game.
| Springtime Association Game: Have residents name things associated with Spring..... MARCH GARDENS BEAUTY FLOWERS BLOSSOM SUNSHINE BLOOM WIND BUDS EASTER LEAVES KITES BASKETS BONNETS SEEDS CLEANING BEES BASEBALL BUTTERFLIES WILDFLOWERS BIRDS PARADES BUNNIES SHOWERS April Word Games: Have residents Unscramble the Spring Flowers: rsis~Iris syaid~Daisy cuputtber~Buttercup pluit~Tulip ergnaimu~Geranium dafdilfo~Daffodil gladlusoi~Gladiolus glodarmi~Marygold natcarnoi~Carnation pnsadragno~Snapdragon |
| Easter Quiz: 1. Easter is a religious holiday that is celebrated in: summer. winter. spring. fall. 2. Easter is always celebrated on the first ______ following the first full moon that appears on or after the spring equinox. Monday Sunday Saturday Friday 3. Historians believe that the legend of the Easter Bunny originated in _______. Germany United States Mexico Sweden 4. The Easter ______ holds eggs or candy left by the Easter Bunny. nest cap bonnet basket 5. In the Western church, Easter is the celebration of the ___________ of Jesus Christ. death birth life resurrection 6. Good ______ is the anniversary of the Crucifixion, the day Christ was crucified and died on the cross Sunday Friday Monday Tuesday 7. Children find Easter eggs during an Easter ___ ____ egg hunt egg roll egg dye egg toss 8. Easter this year is on: March 22 April 18 March 30 April 11 9. The White House Egg Roll is held on the White House lawn on Easter ______. Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday 10. The eggs at the White House Egg Roll are made of ____. plastic syrofoam wood candy Answers: 1. c 2. b 3. a 4. d 5. d 6. b 7. a 8. d 9. b 10. c |
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