Winter Session Plan

I know I’m not wanting to think about this yet, but winter is definitely coming for those of us on Vancouver Island.  The air has been crisper than it normally is for November and the weatherman is reporting an unually snowy winter.  There are already ads on TV for Christmas goodies, and before you know it we’ll be in the throws of decorating and carols.  Here is a sample session plan to help get your residents all ready for winter!

Songs to Sing:

• Winter Wonderland

• Frosty the Snowman

• Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow

• Suzy Snowflake

• Marshmellow World

Sensory Cues:

• See pictures of snowy settings

• Hear and feel the crackle and warmth from a fireplace

• Taste a hot beverage such as hot chocolate or apple cider

• Smell cinnamon spices and Christmas baking

Reminisce About:

• Favorite seasons

• Winter likes and dislikes

• Wintertime activities

• Preparing for winter

Halloween Session Plan

Happy Halloweeeeen (insert scary sounds here!), to all of our followers!  Hopefully this sample session plan makes your Halloween work day a piece of pumpkin cake.

Songs to Sing:

• Bewitched, Bothered & Bewildered
• Puff the Magic Dragon
• Ghost Riders In the Sky
• Old Devil Moon
• Monster Mash

Sensory Cues:

• See pictures of cats, witches, bats & ghosts
• Hear recordings of scary Halloween sounds
• Feel slimy pumpkin insides
• Smell nutmeg & cinnamon
• Taste candy corn & apple cider

Reminisce About:

• Halloween costumes and costume parties
• Trick or treating
• Apple bobbing
• Making pumpkin pie

Lullaby

I seem to of the age right now, where a lot of my girlfriends are having their first and second babies.  I’ve been working away on a homemade knitted gift for a baby shower that I’m attending next month, but another thought for a lovely homemade gift for new moms came to mind that I thought I’d share.

Most expectant mothers make a point of being as prepared as they can be, but do they include learning lullabies in that preparation period?  For those who aren’t musicians, thinking of something to sing to their new babes can be a daunting task.

My thought was this: create a beautiful lullaby book.  Type out the lyrics to ten lullabies in a nice font, with cute pictures, and a cover page.  Create a CD to go along with the book with the lullabies included – the new mom can sing along with the CD as an easy way to learn the songs.  For those who are musicians, include a copy of the sheet music.  Head on over to your local printing shop and have your book laminated and bound.

An inexpensive and very meaningful way to honor that new mom in your life.

When Summer Is Here

… which it technically is for another couple of weeks!  Here is the latest number from a seniors’ song writing group I do – to the tune of My Favorite Things.  If this doesn’t make you sorry to see summer go, I don’t know what will!

Swimming pools and warm nights and screen doors that slam shut
Children running through sprinklers and lawns waiting to be cut
Bees buzzing, sailing and boats at the peer
These things we think of when summer is here

Soft summer breezes and allergy sneezes (achoo!)
Waterfights and lemonade and tender night squeezes
Fans blowing, sun tans and having a beer
These things we think of when summer is here

Brides in their white gowns with lace veils aflowing
Grooms dressed in tuxes their faces all glowing
Birthdays and parties we all will be there
These things we think of when summer is here

In a hot spell, the mosquitos sting and the sun’s too bright
I simply remember what summer will bring and it makes my heart feel right!

Activity Idea: Sensory Stimulation Grab Bag

This activity is a universal go to for many populations and ‘functioning’ (I hate that word!) levels.  I use this with my geriatric clients who are in the later stages of their dementia, and literally need motivation to open their senses and experience something they haven’t in a long time.  It’s an added bonus when they can access memories with this little gem.

Find a big bag that has some structure to it, one that would be easy for a client to see into and reach in.  Then fill it with a variety of different props and find songs to sing about each object.  Some of the props I use are an old school slate, paired with ‘School Days’; an apple paired with ‘In the Shade of the Old Apple Tree’ or ‘Don’t Sit Under the Apple Tree’; and an old toy car paired with ‘In My Merry Oldsmobile’.

I found it was easier when starting my bag to look at my repetoire of songs and then go shopping for props.  My clients love this activity.

Good luck!

Drumming Activities

A HUGE shout out to American music therapist Kat Fulton and to Long & McQuade drum rentals for the success of a workshop I facilitated for staff at Nanaimo Travellers Lodge last week.  Kat was wonderful in sharing some of her drumming ideas with me for my workshop, which had a theme about change.  We began by going around the circle each sharing verbally what our relationship was with change and feelings around current changes in the workplace and our personal lives.  We took these feelings into a drumming exercise called Build a Groove… the first person began drumming and when ready invited the next person in, and so on and so forth.  We also did an exercise where each person had to think of a word that was shouted out into the music of the improvisation, all followed by a debrief.  Everyone who attended commented on how much fun they had.

The djembe drums rented from Long and McQuade were gorgeous in sound and appearance and were very affordable ($4/drum).  Kat is an experienced drum facilitator and shares some of her valuable tricks on her website: http://www.soundhealthmusic.com/.  Thanks again, Kat!

A Musical Gift

Read music therapist Kimberly Moore’s latest blog for Psychology Today here: http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/your-musical-self/201011/musical-gift

A great gift giving idea as the Christmas season approaches.  Thanks Kimberly!

Activity Resources for Seniors

One of the things I love about having a WordPress website is I can see in my blog statistics the terms that people have searched to find my website.  This is a handy feature because I’m able to see the kinds of things that people are looking for, and if I’m able to, I can share what I know in that area.

I’m noticing that people are searching activity ideas often so I thought I would share some of my favorite resources in this area.  All of these resources are relevant to the geriatric population.

1) Full Circle: Spiritual Therapy for the Elderly by Kevin Kirkland & Howard McIiveen
http://www.amazon.ca/Full-Circle-Spiritual-Therapy-Elderly/dp/0789006073/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1289332874&sr=8-1

2) Roses In December: Music Sessions with Older Adults by Beckie Karras
http://www.eldersong.com/servlet/the-110/ROSES-IN-DECEMBER/Detail

3) Hidden Treasures: Music & Memory Activities for People with Alzheimer’s by Cindy Cordrey
http://www.eldersong.com/servlet/the-85/HIDDEN-TREASURES/Detail

4) Say It with Music: Music Games & Trivia by Beckie Karras
http://www.eldersong.com/servlet/the-111/SAY-IT-WITH-MUSIC/Detail

5) Musical Bridges: Intergenerational Music Programs by Joan Shaw & Carna Manthey
http://www.amazon.ca/Musical-Bridges-Intergenerational-Music-Programs/dp/0918812909/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1289333214&sr=1-2

All of these books include detailed session plans and are well worth the money if you are struggling for activity ideas.  Good luck!

Blessing Blossoms

This is a nice activity idea for reminiscing groups, when having your group celebrate a person, i.e. Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, Grandparent’s Day, etc.  It could also work well as a goodbye activity for a group member or staff person leaving the group permanently.  Have your group create two lists: one with words to describe that person and one with phrases of what you would say to them if you could.  Weave in related songs, poems, photos and discussion for a very meaningful session.  After the session write these words and phrases onto cut out blossoms and make a display for your group to admire next time.

Mother’s Day CD

One of the most meaningful gifts you can give someone is a home made music mix.  For anyone looking for ideas for Mother’s Day coming up, or wanting to find a way to find a gift within your budget, a CD or personalized playlist will do the trick.  Here are some song ideas for mothers to get you started:

Let It Be – Allison Crowe
Hello Mudduh, Hello Fadduh – Allan Sherman
Mama’s Song – Carrie Underwood
I Got It from My Mama – will.i.am
Ave Maria – Charlotte Church
Does Your Mother Know – Abba
I Wanna Thank You – Darius Rucker
Good Mother – Jann Arden
Mamma Mia – Abba

There are many more and you can easily find song ideas online.  I also like adding songs with lyrics that express how I feel about that person or see them to mixes, in addition to the obvious ones.  Making CD’s with this kind of purpose can be therapeutic and meaningful for the person making it, and the person receiving it.

Good luck!