Mandala Coloring Therapy

From Donica

Mandala Coloring Therapy

Size: Any size, any age

Equipment: Printer or digital graphics program like Paint Shop. For printed copy you'll want coloring gear like felt markers, watercolor paints, pencil crayons, glue and sparkles etc. Good posture is highly recommended while coloring; find a coloring location/posture that supports this.

Objective: Many people find meditation incredibly hard to get into, even though the benefits are well documented. With Coloring Therapy, a state of meditative awareness is easily attained, because the focus needed to gain observation of our inner dialogue occurs in the coloring.

SUMMER TIP FOR PARENTS: Going on a roadtip this summer? Looking for something to entertain the kids on those summer days when it's too hot to send them outside? Download some of these coloring pages and have a contest of who can color them the most elaborate. Or color it with only three colors. The possibilities are endless! 

http://www.free-mandala.com/en/start.html

http://www.doodle-art-alley.com/

P.S. Post some finished Mandalas in the comments so we can enjoy your artwork!! :)

Let's Make a Leisure List!

From DONICA

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Leisure Lists

Size of Group: 4-12

Equipment: Pencil, paper, and leisure categories

FOCUS AREA: Benefits of Leisure

Description: Break the group into 2 to 3 groups. Begin discussion on favorite activities. On a large sheet of paper or white board, list the participant's favorite activities. Then, beside each person's favorite activity, list the + benefits they obtain from their preferred leisure.

Following discussion, begin the game of Leisure Lists. Break the group into 2 or 3 groups. Give the groups one minute to list as many Winter Activities on their sheet of paper. After one minute, turn the paper over and have the groups list as many "things found on a picnic."

This game is reminiscent of "Scattegories." After the 1st round, have the group with the most items listed read their list. If the other team(s) have the same item on their list, that item is crossed off on everyone's list. If no one else has an item (e.g., snow boarding), then the team gets one point. After team one has finished reading their list, the next team(s) read their list. The team with the most listed items wins the round.

You can continue with additional round with different leisure topics (things related to football, names of dances, things people collect).

Complete the activity with feedback from participants on what choices they might make when feeling depressed, bored, etc. and tie it in with the benefits they listed earlier.

EXPECTED OUTCOME: Participants will better understand how engagement in preferred activities can positively affect their feelings, moods, and thoughts.

SUMMER TIP for Parents: Use this to help your kids think of fun activities to do over summer break! Then create a master list and see how many of the activities you can do before school starts again! 

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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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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Mind Bending Maze

submitted here by Brigette Siegel on Monday, July 28, 2003

Size: works best with 16 or more

Equipment: wooded area (or around campsite) and two lengths of rope, each 50' or longer.
-two flags for end of maze, two blindfolds

Objective: participants will experience the confusion of hearing many conflicting directions at once
-participants will work together in constructing a maze
-participants will experience healthy competition between two groups
-participants will recognize the importance of short, specific directions
-participants will have fun

Description: First have each team construct a maze either by arranging desks throughout the room or by using the rope and a stand of trees.

The best mazes have lots of turns and dead-ends; they also have several directional choices (such as an area where the maze maneuver could take either a right or a left. After building the maze, each team places their flag at the end-point or goal area of their maze. Both teams then select a maze maneuverer. This person is blindfolded.

Now, the fun part. You deal with one maze at a time.

Both teams stand together in a spot designated as an area where there will be no contact with the maze maneuverer. Team A's maze maneuverer stands blindfolded in Team B's maze. Both Team A and all of Team B stand together off to the side. Now, Team A's job is to shout commands (forward, turn right, turn back, etc..) to their maze maneuver in order to reach the flag. Team B's job is to shout the opposite commands to try to get the Maze Maneuvered off track.

This is a loud and fun initiative. 

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