Activities are a vital part of the services adult residential care facilities offer their residents. Daily activities – events, games, or projects – help stimulate resident’s minds and improve their overall quality of life. The best adult residential care facilities take the time to research ideas and schedule daily activity options for their residents. One of the biggest struggles activity directors face is generating new and engaging ideas from month to month.
What to look for
Don’t limit your activity options to arts and crafts (even though they are usually a big hit!). It is important that you offer a wide range of activity options from month to month. Choose some new options from this popular list:

• Exercise
• Games
• Field trips
• Family events
• Movie night
• Live entertainment
• Discussion groups
• Religious services

What works best in your adult residential care facility depends on the overall makeup of your residents and their abilities.
October Ideas
October is a great month for activities for your residents. Here are 10 October-themed activities and events to put smiles on your resident’s faces.

1. Make Cookies. October 1st is National Homemade Cookies Day. Invite residents to sign up for an afternoon of cookie making. End the day with a festive cookie exchange for all residents to participate in.
2. Visit a farm. October 2nd is World Day for Farmed Animals. Take your residents on a field trip to a local farm to see, play, and interact with the farm animals. The time connecting and care for these animals helps improve their overall spirit and boosts morale.
3. Visit a pumpkin patch. Pumpkin patches are highly popular in the month of October. These are great trips to invite resident’s families to participate in as well. Let each resident pick out a pumpkin for their room or other main areas in the facility. Decorations help residents feel at home and keep traditions going.
4. Decorate cakes. October 15th is National Cake Decorating Day. Host a cake decorating contest for your artsy residents. Invite all residents to participate by voting on the most creative cake and sampling the final creations.
5. Make leaf art. October is the perfect month to collect falling leaves and creating art. The vibrant fall leaf colors give residents a number of options and choices. Their final creations make great decorations for your main living areas or doors to their rooms.
6. Watch Halloween movies. Halloween is the most popular Holiday in October. Schedule a movie night to watch Halloween themed movies like Hocus Pocus or for the scary movie fans – Halloween.
7. Invite local singing or theater group. There are plenty of local school groups that put on plays or concerts in the fall/winter. Invite them to come in and provide live entertainment to your residents.
8. Go to a local football game. High school football games are back in action. Take a group of football fans to the local high school game to cheer on the home team.
9. Host a costume party. Invite resident’s families in for a costume party. Hold contests for best dressed and ask families to bring a covered dish to share with others.
10. Hand out candy. Have residents hand out candy on trick-or-treat night in your neighborhood. They will love seeing all of the kids dressed in costume!

Activity programs are important for your resident’s quality of life. Be creative from month to month to keep their continued interest and participation.