Thursday 27 January 2011

Play "Give and Take" with your Group!

We have a favourite , fun game which we play at the Day Centre called Give and Take...

You Will Need (for two groups of 4 players)
An old pack of playing cards (does not matter if incomplete) As you will be writing on these cards, with your marker pen, only use cards you won't need to use again!
A black marker pen
2 dice
Plastic cup - dice shaker
Counters or some form of "money" for players

Preparation
Remove 4 x Aces and 1 Black "2" and 1 Red "2"
On these 6 cards take your marker and write in large lettering across them -DO NOTHING
On all the remaining RED cards in the pack, write GIVE in large lettering.
On all the remaining BLACK cards in the pack, write TAKE in large lettering.
Make up two packs by taking half of each of the cards above and put 3 x DO NOTHING cards into each pack.
Shuffle each pack.

Rules of Play
Make up two tables of four players per table.
Place the pack of cards you have prepared in the centre of each table, face down.
Give each player 7 counters.
The game starts with the first player shaking the dice.
That player then takes a card from the top of the pack and looks at it.
She then either GIVE's to the player or TAKE's from the player on her right the number of counters according to her dice throw.
If she draws a DO NOTHING card she does not GIVE or TAKE counters
The dice is passed to the player on her left (clockwise) after she has completed her turn and the next player shakes the dice etc
When a player has no more counters she is out and the game continues with the remaining players.
The player may not have enough counters left, to pay, when asked. If so, she just hands over what she has and is out of the game.
The Winner is the one who gains all the counters.
We reward the winners with a sticker (Super Star etc) and the player with the most stickers at the end of the session is the Champion Taker!!
(I have called the player "she" but this game appeals to the men-folk as well!)



Saturday 22 January 2011

Freddie Finds a Frog! ... Calendar Feb 2011



2011 Calendar
February
with Printable Template

Second month of the year coming up...so do print out your February calendar template!

You Will Need
Printed copies (I used A4 White Cartridge 140gsm)
of the February Calendar - here is the Template


Paints or any other colouring-in medium.


Have a Fabulous February!

Sunday 16 January 2011

Puppy Fun!

Wrigley

We all know how much fun and pleasure, a puppy can bring into our lives.

At our Day Centre we have a lady, who comes in regularly, to visit our elderly folk, bringing with her, the most sociable dog I have ever met!

Megan is a Labrador and just loves to be patted and petted and talked to...so therapeutic for those folks who can't keep a pet themselves.

This is such a wonderful service - this lady and her dog, visit, not only the older people, but also children in hospital and at special schools.

So our activity this week, is a picture to print out and colour in - it is a Labrador puppy with some cuddly toys! Enjoy...!

Thursday 6 January 2011

An Easy Felt Flower to Make

Felt Flowers Craft

These felt flowers are so easy to make. No sewing or gluing involved...!

You Will Need (For each flower)

two pieces of coloured felt (largest template is 9cms wide)

one button with a shank (see photo)

one pipe cleaner

two Pony Beads (optional)

Print out the two flower templates  and cut them out as your patterns.

Pin pattern onto your felt and cut out your felt flowers - one of each size.



Fold each felt flower in four and nip off the point to make a small hole in the centre of the flower.



If you have a suitable punch, you can use that instead, to make the hole.






Lay your felt flowers on top of each other, the small one on top.
Take your button and push it through both holes, from the front.

Shank Button - this is a brass one, but any kind will do, as long as it has a shank.


Turn your flower over and then take your pipe cleaner and push it through the shank of the button, so about 2.5 cm is through.


Bend the short piece of the pipe cleaner over and twist it around the long piece.


Take your Pony Beads and thread them onto the pipe cleaner.

Finished Felt Flower!


Make a bunch of these Felt Flowers and put them in a jam jar. We used coloured cotton wool balls to pack around the stems.


Sunday 2 January 2011

Two Picture Quizzes to Download and Print


Famous Landmarks

Kings and Queens
of England

The Picture Quiz is a firm favourite with the older generation, especially if content is something they know about, from their era, or of general interest to them. 

It not only will stimulate conversation as they relate to the pictures, either through reminiscing or to air their knowledge, but will help with memory function as this area of the brain is exercised.

There are two for you to Download and print today. They do contain some colour images, but if you have only a black and white printer, they can still be used, as colour is not essential to identifying the pictures.


The Answers are included!