Cups

Here is an activity submitted by Molly Gilbert, an RT intern at Sycamore Springs in Lafayette, IN.  

Objective/Goals: ­­To improve skills in the areas of stress and frustration management.

Population: ­­higher functioning patients dealing with mental health and substance abuse 

Materials Needed: one plastic cup per patient

Activity:

This is an activity based on the routine/song “Cups” by Anna Kendrick. 

Begin by discussing how patients currently deal with stress and frustration.  Discuss the difference between positive and negative coping skills and ask each patient to identify a positive way of dealing with stress and frustration.  Ask the patients to keep this in mind as they complete the activity, as it has the potential to increase their stress and frustration. 

Before passing out the cups, explain that the group will be learning a routine with the cups and that their end goal is to be able to do it all together as a group. (For even higher functioning groups, you can identify the goal as being able to do the routine along with the song).    Show them this video as an example (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v2mawaBrvFg – Anna Kendrick Cup Song Audition - Pitch Perfect).

Teach patients the cup routine step by step:

·         Clap, clap

·         3 hits on table (right, left, right)

·         Clap

·         With right hand, lift cup and set back down

·         Clap

·         Grab cup with upside-down right hand

·         Opening of cup to palm of left hand

·         With right hand, tap bottom of cup on table

·         Place cup, up-right, in left hand

·         Right hand on table

·         Place cup upside-down on table to the right of your right hand

Once the group has the concept, practice the entire routine continuously.  Slowly increase the speed as patients become more confident.  As patients improve, add the challenge of passing the cup to the right at the end of each set.  When done correctly, the cups are passed around the circle.  For higher functioning groups, play the song and have them try to do the routine along with the music.  

Debriefing:

Review the positive coping skills patients identified at the start and discuss any that were used during the activity.  If negative coping skills were used, discuss why those were negative and brainstorm more positive coping skills.  End with a discussion on how it feels to be stressed/frustrated by something, but to keep working on it and then accomplish it. 

Advertising

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From Donica

Advertising

Size: 2-10

Equipment: Magazines, Scissors, Glue, Construction paper, Markers, Pencils

Objective:

• To promote increased self-esteem
• To identify positive personality traits

Description: Introduce the group to advertisements. Talk about their purpose and the method in which ads get the message across - visually and with words. Ads promote the positive aspects of a product, the finer qualities. Ads also persuade a person into buying the product. The individual's task in this project is to come up with and advertisement persuading someone to be their friend. Individuals should depict positive aspects of themselves through pictures, words, or a combination of the two.

If an individual has a difficult time thinking of reasons someone would want to be their friend, have them think of characteristics they look for in a friend. At the end of the session have participants share advertisements with one another. Let other participants confirm the positive qualities of the presenter.

Senior Adult Prom

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submitted here by Melinda Dykes of Lincoln Residential Center, Brookhaven, MS on Tuesday, January 07, 2003

Size: large group

Equipment: decorations, finger food, music, a specific place to take pictures

Objective: Socialization

Description: Decorate as you would for a school prom. Invite area high school students to come wearing their prom attire. Dress clients in nice clothing (e.g. old prom or wedding dresses collected from staff). Decorate an area for taking pictures. Play music appropriate for the age group. Have a great time!

Blanket Names

Spend a short amount of time introducing everyone in the group.

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Separate the players into two teams.  Have each team form one line.  Each team chooses one player and does not reveal whom they chose.  One person from each team volunteers to hold up a blanket between the two teams.  The chosen players face the blanket directly.

The players who are holding the blanket should drop the blanket.  The first player to name the person they are facing correctly wins.  The other player is out.  

Continue selecting players to represent each team and naming them until an entire team is out.

Bucket Lists

Explain the idea of a bucket list to patients.  Assist patients in creating their own bucket list of things they want to do in their lives.  Have them share their lists at the end.

Talk about the importance of setting goals and discuss how we can work to achieve these goals.

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You Are Special: Stars and Dots Drawings

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Give patients the picture with a dot in the upper corner.  Have patients draw their negative traits, weaknesses, things they don’t like about themselves, etc.

Read the book “You Are Special” with the patients.  Talk about the book and how people judged each other by giving dots or stars out.

Give patients the picture with a star in the upper corner.  Have patients draw their positive qualities, accomplishments, things they like about themselves, etc.

Compare the two drawings.  Ask patients which one they like better, and their reasons for that choice.

Talk about how we are sometimes judged by our diagnosis.  Explain that we can choose if we will let it be a dot or a star in our lives. Ask for examples of each scenario.  Discuss with patients ways in which their diagnosis makes them unique and how they can turn their diagnosis into a strength and not a weakness.

Activity Night: Bowling

Bowling is always a hit for "Activity Night," especially with the geriatric unit!!

Materials:

·         Bowling equipment

Procedure:

During this activity night patients will bowl. Pt. will divide into teams of 4. There should be 4 teams. Two teams will bowl first, and the other two teams will stand at the end of the lane by the pins (they will reset the pins after each player has bowled). One person will bowl at a time, getting two chances to get all the pins down. Once each player has had a turn each teams switches sides.

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