Sample Dementia Activity Calendar

February 2021 Dementia Activity Calendar

Find fun senior activity ideas for your Alzheimer's and dementia residents in the calendar below that you can easily add to your nursing facility's activity calendar.

TIP: Click on the links in the calendar box below to see more information about each activity.

Fun Dementia Activity Ideas for February
Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday
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TIP: Use the following monthly themes as inspiration for activity ideas.

February is ...

TIP: Find activities that are classified to help you easily find the types of activity ideas that you need for your calendar.

Each day contains six types of activities:

TIP: Click on the highlighted links below to get more information (instructions, recipes, or pictures) to assist with completing the activity.

1

Crafts: Candy Flowers

Encourage residents to assemble candy flowers on this Decorating With Candy Day. To make the flowers, first decorate white coffee filters by dipping them into tinted water that has been colored with food coloring. Then once the coffee filters have dried, fold them into flowers and attach them to rolls of Smarties candies. Place the finished flowers in short vases to use as decoration during this valentine season.

One-on-One: Book Worm Snacks

For this Take Your Child to the Library Day, recruit your resident to assist you with assembling bookworm snacks to pass out to residents to enjoy as they do some reading. For the craft, simply fill clear bags with gummy worms and secure a bookworm tag to the top of each bag with a stapler.

Exercise: Tabletop Shuffleboard

In recognition of this feast day for the Irish Saint St. Brigid, invite residents to play a variation of the traditional Irish pub game Shove ha'penny. To alter the game, simply have residents slide pennies down a long table to see who can land the penny closest to the end without it falling off the table.

Bedside: Homemade Chocolates

Stop by your resident's room with a few chocolates to decorate as valentine chocolate candy on this Decorating With Candy Day. For the fun activity, help your resident dip the chocolates into melted candy melts before dipping a fork in the melted candy melts and dripping the candy over the chocolates. Once the candy hardens a bit, encourage your resident to sample her creations.

Reminiscing: Cookbook Review

On this Take Your Child to the Library Day, bring the library to your residents by setting out a bunch of cookbooks on the tables in your Activity Room and encouraging residents to stop by to flip through the cookbooks to reminisce about the meals that they used to prepare.

Sensory Stimulation: Homemade Conversation Hearts

Assist residents with molding their own conversation heart candy on this Decorating With Candy Day using a gelatin-based dough, food coloring, and heart cookie cutters. Allow the cut hearts to dry for a day or two before having residents use food writer pens to write their messages.

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2

Crafts: Pipe Cleaner People

In recognition of this day that the toy action figure G.I. Joe was introduced, show residents how to sculpt pipe cleaner people that can be donated as toys to a local children's shelter.

One-on-One: Whack-a-Mole

Recruit your resident to help you create a fun Whack-a-Mole game on this Groundhog Day for your facility's house cat. Use cardboard and a craft knife (to cut out the finger holes) for the fun project.

Exercise: Groundhog Day .5K Walk

Host a fun walk in your facility on this Groundhog Day by challenging residents and staff to walk closer to a ".5K" (about 1600 feet) instead of a 5K (about 3.1 miles). Beforehand, mark several hallways in your facility for residents to walk down to get their exercise for the day. If possible, contact family members to ask them to sponsor their loved one to walk a few laps in the hallway. Donate any proceeds to a charity of your residents' choice.

Bedside: Groundhog Day Dice Game

Play a fun Groundhog Day dice game with your resident on this second day of February by rolling dice to move along a Groundhog Day game sheet to see who can get closest to 120.

Reminiscing: Beautiful Winter Landscapes

On this Groundhog Day where we'll find out if we will have six more weeks of winter, reminisce with residents about their favorite winter memories as you pass around photos of beautiful winter landscapes.

Sensory Stimulation: Guess the Animal Shadow

In honor of this Groundhog Day, print and cut out animal silhouettes from cardstock and attach them to craft sticks for residents to try to identify the animal. For the activity, stand behind residents in a dimly lit room and shine a flashlight on an animal silhouette so that its image appears on the wall in front of your residents. Award a point for each correct answer.

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3

Crafts: Yarn Carrots

Recognize this Carrot Cake Day with residents by assisting them with making yarn carrots that you can use as decoration for your Easter decorations. To make the carrots, simply fold a piece of orange felt into a carrot shape and wrap orange yarn around the felt, securing in place with glue. Then cut pieces of green yarn to glue to the tops of the carrot.

One-on-One: Bean Pictionary

Use dried beans to play a fun Pictionary game with your resident on this day of the Bean-Throwing Festival in Japan. To play, alternate using your phone to access a Pictionary object to try to recreate using beans so that the other person can guess.

Exercise: Exercising With Props

In recognition of this birthday of gymnast George Nissen, pay tribute to the gymnastic floor routine by passing out props for residents to exercise with. Supply each resident with a scarf as you lead them in a fun cardio exercise using a scarf.

Bedside: Cruising the Mediterranean

For this first day of the Vancouver International Boat Show in Canada, borrow a tablet to take your resident on a virtual cruise of the Mediterranean Sea.

Reminiscing: What Sport Would Your Signing Day Be For?

On this National Signing Day in college football, reminisce with residents about their favorite sports. Then ask residents to list the sports that they would love to compete in if they had the talent.

Sensory Stimulation: Reading Out Loud

Pass around a large-print book to read out loud with your residents on this World Read Aloud Day. But instead of having residents read as they normally would, create a pile of reading tasks (on page 6 and 7 of the pdf) for residents to change their voices as they read, depending on the reading task they pick.

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4

Crafts: Kool-Aid Stationery

For this National Thank a Mail Carrier Day, recruit residents to make Kool-Aid stationery by splattering drops of Kool-Aid onto cardstock. Encourage residents to use the fun stationery to write letters to their loved ones for the valentine holiday.

One-on-One: Sewn Hearts

On this birthday of seamstress and civil rights activist Rosa Parks, provide your resident with colorful yarn, a plastic needle (or apply tape to the end of the yarn to create a pointy tip), and cardboard cereal panels that have heart shapes created using a hole puncher to create sewn hearts. For the activity, have your resident use the colorful yarn to thread the holes. Use the finished hearts as decoration throughout your facility for this valentine season.

Exercise: Perfecting the Golf Swing

Teach residents how to improve their golf swing on this birthday of golfer Byron Nelson, who was known for developing the modern golf swing. For the activity, set up a tee (by sticking a golf tee into a piece of Styrofoam) in your Activity Room and have each resident use a golf club to practice the proper golf swing form. Use a sponge ball for residents to hit off the tee.

Bedside: Date Night

Prepare a batch of easy-to-make sugared walnut-stuffed dates for your resident to sample on this Medjool Date Day, honoring the fruit.

Reminiscing: Remembering the USO

Reminisce with residents about what they remember about the USO on this day that the organization was founded. Afterwards, share a few fun facts about the USO's history.

Sensory Stimulation: Fruit and Vegetables

Invite residents to play a fun fruit and vegetable tossing game with you on this National Stuffed Mushroom Day. To play, stand in the middle of a circle of seated residents and toss a bean bag to one of the residents as you say a color. That person must then quickly think of a fruit or vegetable of that color as they toss the bean bag back to you. Continue naming different colors for residents to identify fruits and vegetables of that color. Whenever a resident cannot name a fruit or vegetable that is the color that you picked, then they are out of the game.

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5

Crafts: Red Heart Pins

Assist residents on this National Wear Red Day with assembling red heart pins using stiff red felt, pin backs, red sequins, and craft glue (instead of needle and thread). For the craft, simply cut out heart shapes from stiff red felt for residents to apply red sequins to using tacky glue. Then use hot glue to attach pin backs to the back of the hearts so that residents can wear the pins for the day.

One-on-One: Healthy Bake Sale

Recruit your resident to help you whip up a few healthy baked goods on this National Wear Red Day, a day to raise awareness about heart disease in women. Then sell the baked goods to staff members and donate the proceeds to a local heart disease charity.

Exercise: Winter Carnival Toss

For this first day of the Saranac Lake Winter Carnival in Saranac Lake, New York, recruit an artistic volunteer to make an abominable toss game for residents to play by making cuts in a cardboard box top (e.g., copier paper box top), gluing on paper eyes and teeth, and adding batting.

Bedside: The Cloud Lab

Borrow a tablet to see how well your resident does at identifying the types of clouds on this Weatherperson's Day. Before playing, be sure to educate your resident about the different types of clouds.

Reminiscing: Snow Tie Dye

On this Weatherperson's Day, recruit a few staff members to assist you with filling spray bottles with colored water (using food coloring) to create a fun design in the snow that residents can enjoy viewing from indoors. Once the design has been created, gather residents near a large picture window for cookies and milk to observe the snow art while reminiscing about their days of playing in the snow.

Sensory Stimulation: Red Nail Manicures

Invite residents to get their nails painted red on this National Wear Red Day, a day to raise awareness about heart disease in women. Set out several shades of red nail polish for residents to pick from.

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6

Crafts: Rasta Bracelets

Assist residents with making Rasta bracelets on this birthday of Jamaican reggae musician Bob Marley. To make the bracelets, first cut out the bracelet shape from colorful craft foam and punch a hole at either end. Then wrap colorful thread around the craft foam bracelet to create different sections of colors, as shown on the website, while making sure to secure the ends of the threads by gluing them to the craft foam. Next, take the different colored thread and insert into one of the holes of the bracelet along with a pony bead before braiding the threads together. Finally, make a knot at the end of each braid, and encourage residents to wear their Rasta bracelets for the day.

One-on-One: How to Make Your Own Fro Yo!

Show your resident how easy it is to make their own frozen yogurt on this National Frozen Yogurt Day.

Exercise: Tea Bag Toss

Since the English love their tea, invite residents to participate in a fun tea bag toss to see who can toss their tea bag into a tea pot on a table on this day that England's Queen Elizabeth II succeeded to the throne.

Bedside: How Well Do You Remember Ronald Reagan?

Chit chat with your resident about President Ronald Reagan on this day that he was born before asking a few trivia questions about the 40th president.

Reminiscing: Baseball Games

In honor of this birthday of baseball icon Babe Ruth, reminisce with residents about the past Major League baseball games that they have attended. Afterwards, share a few of the best baseball moments of the 1950s.

Sensory Stimulation: Fossil Cookies

Invite residents to whip up a batch of fossil cookies to enjoy on this birthday of English archaeologist Mary Leakey.

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7

Crafts: Colorful Pom-Poms

Invite residents to make colorful pom-poms to cheer on their favorite football team on this day of Super Bowl LV in Tampa, Florida.

One-on-One: Football Pool

Recruit your resident to help you get other residents to sign up for a fun football pool on this Super Bowl Sunday. For the activity, simply set up shop in your Activity Room and invite residents to stop by and initial a box in the pool. Then after the game, award prizes to those who won after each quarter.

Exercise: Ballet Toe Stretches

Ask residents to remove their socks and shoes as you lead them in a few toe stretches to strengthen their toes on this day that ballet was introduced to the United States.

Bedside: Super Bowl Bingo

Encourage your resident to play Super Bowl bingo in his room while watching the game on this Super Bowl Sunday. For the activity, simply have your resident mark his football bingo cards whenever he sees or hears the announcer make one of the calls on his bingo card during the game.

Reminiscing: Are You a Good Neighbor?

Reminisce with residents about their past neighbors on this Wave All your Fingers at Your Neighbors Day. Afterwards, ask residents how they know if they have been a good neighbor.

Sensory Stimulation: Halftime Show

Persuade residents to be a part of the halftime show as you play fun music from the 1950s to get your residents up dancing and having fun on this day of Super Bowl LV in Tampa, Florida.

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8

Crafts: Wire Cacti

In recognition of this first day of the Arizona Renaissance Festival in Gold Canyon, Arizona, invite residents to assemble their own wire cactus plant. For the craft, first paint ceramic pots in fun, vibrant colors. Then fill the pots with Styrofoam cones. Next, help residents shape green wire into cactus shapes before sticking into the Styrofoam. Finally, add rocks to the pot to cover the Styrofoam, and glue on a few faux cactus flowers. Set the finished cactus plants throughout your facility.

One-on-One: Clay Hearts

Invite your resident to assist you with making clay hearts to hand out to residents on this first day of Love May Make the World Go 'Round, But Laughter Keeps Us From Getting Dizzy Week. For the activity, simply mix oven-bake clay colors together, flatten it out, and use a small cookie cutter to cut out the hearts. After the hearts have baked, encourage your resident to help you pass out the hearts.

Exercise: College Hacky Sack

For this first day of CAMEX, an annual national conference and trade exhibit for collegiate retailers in Atlanta, Georgia, invite residents to play a variation of the popular college pastime hacky sack. To play, seat residents in a large circle and have them try to kick a homemade balloon hacky sack back and forth.

Bedside: Listening to Opera

In celebration of this day that opera debuted in the colonies in South Carolina, help your resident develop her ear for opera music as you share a few short videos of famous operas.

Reminiscing: Famous Sidekicks

On this birthday of actor Jack Lemmon, who was Tony Curtis' sidekick in the 1959 film Some Like It Hot, pass around photos of famous old western movie sidekicks to see if residents remember them. Afterwards, share a list of Jack Lemmon movies and ask residents to identify their favorites.

Sensory Stimulation: Cactus Rice Krispies

Whip up a batch of green Rice Krispies treats for residents to mold into cactus plants on this first day of the Arizona Renaissance Festival in Gold Canyon, Arizona.

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9

Crafts: Tissue Paper Union Jack Flags

Assist residents with creating Union Jack tissue paper flags on this day that the music group the Beatles performed on The Ed Sullivan Show to start their "British Invasion" with their American tour. For the project, have residents scrunch up pieces of red, white, and blue tissue paper into little balls to glue to a Union Jack template. Save the finished flags to decorate and celebrate the Queen of England's unofficial birthday in June.

One-on-One: British Backgammon

Celebrate this anniversary of the "British Invasion" (when the Beatles performed on The Ed Sullivan Show in the United States to kick off their American tour) by inviting your resident to help you create a popular British pub game, backgammon, by creating a backgammon set using sturdy cardboard, paint, a ruler, masking tape, wooden blocks and pieces, and a pen. Once the set has been made, invite your resident to play a game.

Exercise: Bubble Clap

Invite residents to play a fun game of Bubble Clap in recognition of this Read in the Bathtub Day. To play, divide residents into teams of two, and provide one member of each team with a bottle of homemade bubble solution and a pipe cleaner wand to blow bubbles for their teammate to pop with their hands. After about a minute, have residents switch roles so that their teammates have a chance to get a good arm workout as they pop bubbles.

Bedside: Pico, Fermi, Bagel!

On this National Bagels and Lox Day, teach your resident how to play the numbers game Pico, Fermi, Bagel. To play, have your resident guess a three-digit number that contains three different digits. Then try guessing the number, and have your resident give you feedback by saying "Pico" if the number you stated has a correct digit that is in the wrong place, "Fermi" if the number you stated has a correct digit in the correct place, and "Bagel" if the number you stated does not have any correct numbers. Use the feedback from your resident to try to correctly guess your resident's three-digit number.

Reminiscing: Popular Appetizers

In recognition of this National Bagels and Lox Day, reminisce with residents about their favorite afternoon snacks. Afterwards, pass around photos of popular appetizers to see if residents can identify them by sight.

Sensory Stimulation: Who Makes the Best Pepperoni?

For this National Pizza Pie Day, invite residents to participate in a fun pepperoni tasting to determine which supermarket brand makes the best pepperoni.

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10

Crafts: Seed Pennants

Assist residents with making their own seed pennants on this World Pulses Day, recognizing the edible seeds of plants, by applying glue to metal lids that have smooth edges and arranging seeds and beans onto the lids. (Before providing residents with the metal lids, first use a hammer and a nail to create a hole in each lid so that residents can string their pennants.)

One-on-One: Newspaper Puzzle

Cut up the front page from your local newspaper for your resident to try to put back together again on this day that The New York Times slogan "All the News That's Fit to Print" first appeared on its front page.

Exercise: Newspaper Coin Toss

For this day that The New York Times slogan "All the News That's Fit to Print" first appeared on its front page, see how skilled your residents are when making coin tosses as you have them toss coins onto a sheet of newspaper. Award a point for each coin toss where the coin stays on the newspaper.

Bedside: A Day in the Life of a Broadway Star

On this day that the play Death of a Salesman premiered on Broadway, share with your resident what it's like being in a Broadway musical. Afterwards, borrow a tablet to share a few Broadway photos from classic musicals with your resident.

Reminiscing: Guess Who This Is?

In recognition of this birthday of entertainer Jimmy Durante, pass around current photos of former television stars to see if residents can identify them.

Sensory Stimulation: Valentine Hot Cocoa

Invite residents to enjoy a valentine hot cocoa break as you pass out large marshmallows for residents to decorate with fun valentine sayings using edible food writers. Once the residents are done, have them plop their marshmallows into their hot cocoa.

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11

Crafts: Candy Valentines

Get your residents thinking about candy on this National Peppermint Patty Day by making candy valentines for the upcoming valentine observance. (On the website, scroll down to the fourth craft to view the instructions.) To make the candy valentines, simply attach colorful scrapbook paper to a front of a piece of sturdy cardstock that has been folded in half. Then glue on individually wrapped chocolates and green pipe cleaners to complete the candy flowers.

One-on-One: Vintage Valentine Wreath

Recruit your resident to assist you with assembling a vintage valentine wreath for her door by cutting out vintage valentines (click on the valentine to open it in a new window to print out) and attaching them to a wreath form or even a wreath shape cut from cardboard. Hang the finished wreath on your resident's door for this valentine season.

Exercise: Winter State Fair

Set up fun games, like shuffleboard and ring toss, throughout your Activity Room for a fun state fair on this first day of the Florida State Fair in Tampa, Florida.

Bedside: Candy Heart Bark

Make a batch of candy heart bark, and take a piece for your resident to sample.

Reminiscing: Weighing the Pros and Cons

Chit chat with residents about their past relationships on this Satisfied Staying Single Day. Afterwards, encourage residents to brainstorm a list of pros and cons of being single.

Sensory Stimulation: Conversation Heart Bingo

Invite residents to play conversation heart bingo using fun valentine candies. To play, first pass out conversation heart candies and conversation heart bingo cards. Then have residents try to match their candies to the conversation hearts on their bingo card. Award a fun prize to the first to get five in a row.

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12

Crafts: Chinese Paper Lanterns

Assist residents with cutting and assembling Chinese paper lanterns to hang throughout your facility on this Chinese New Year.

One-on-One: Chinese New Year Envelopes

Recruit your resident to help you assemble Chinese New Year envelopes to fill with bingo bucks (paper money used by residents to bid on bingo prizes during an auction) to pass out to residents on this Chinese New Year. To create the envelopes, simply print out the lucky envelopes onto red paper before cutting out and assembling.

Exercise: Bird Counting Walk

Encourage residents to walk the halls to visit each of your facility's large picture windows to do a bird count on this first day of the Great Backyard Bird Count. Pass out bird counting tally sheets for residents to count the number of different birds that they see from your facility's large picture windows.

Bedside: Flip the Penny

Challenge your resident to a fun game of Flip the Penny on this birthday of penny president, Abraham Lincoln. To play, take turns flipping the penny to see who can get the most heads in a row.

Reminiscing: Big Band Name That Tune

Play big band music as you encourage residents to try to recall the song title during a fun game of Name That Tune on this birthday of big band bandleader "Tex" Beneke. (On the YouTube page, click "Show More" to view the song titles.)

Sensory Stimulation: Making Plum Pudding

Invite residents to help you make a delicious plum pudding recipe to sample on this National Plum Pudding Day.

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13

Crafts: Valentine Doodle Art

In recognition of this birthday of artist Grant Wood, invite residents to do their own art doodling by making heart artwork using pencils, paper, a heart template, and colorful thin markers. Encourage residents to frame their finished artwork as decoration for Valentine's Day.

One-on-One: Pipe Cleaner Heart Garland

Use pipe cleaners, paper, twine, and yarn as you and your resident assemble a heart tassel garland to hang in your Activity Room on this Valentine's Eve.

Exercise: Name Ball

For this Get a Different Name Day, invite residents to play a fun game of Name Ball. To play, seat residents in a large circle and have them toss a ball back and forth. When they catch the ball, they must say their name but include an adjective before their name that starts with the same letter that their first name starts with (e.g., Sassy Susan, Exciting Elizabeth). Tell residents that they have to say a different adjective that begins with the same letter as their first name each time they catch the ball. Whenever a person cannot think of an adjective for their name, then they are out of the game.

Bedside: Heart Mug

Make a heart mug to fill with your resident's favorite drink to deliver to your resident on this Valentine's Eve. Ahead of time, bake red polymer clay hearts and attach them to a white mug using glue. Then fill the mug with a drink to hand deliver to your resident.

Reminiscing: Where Did Your Name Come From?

Share a list of popular baby names from the 1940s with residents on this Get a Different Name Day. Afterwards, ask residents to share why their parents picked their given name.

Sensory Stimulation: Heart Suncatchers

On this Valentine's Eve, invite residents to help you assemble heart suncatchers by cutting out heart shapes from coffee filters and coloring the filters with liquid watercolors using eyedroppers. Hang the dried suncatchers as decoration.

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14

Crafts: Heart Rings

Assist residents with using pipe cleaners to make and distribute heart rings to wear on this Valentine's Day.

One-on-One: Pucker Up Balloons

Supply your resident with a tube of ruby red lipstick as you have her help you make pucker up balloons by placing kisses all over inflated balloons on this Valentine's Day.

Exercise: Put a Ring on It

Recruit volunteers to help you make beaded hearts for a fun Valentine's Day ring toss game. For the game, set up several bottles and have residents toss the beaded hearts over the necks of the bottles. (Beforehand, recruit a volunteer to paint the empty bottles in valentine-themed colors by pouring paint inside the bottles to coat the interior.)

Bedside: A Year of Questions

On this World Marriage Day, recruit your resident to assist you with cutting out questions that she and her spouse can answer throughout the year. Place the questions in a large jar so that the couple can pick one out and answer every day.

Reminiscing: What Happens If Someone Objects?

Reminisce with residents about their weddings on this World Marriage Day. Afterwards, ask residents what would have happened at their weddings had someone objected.

Sensory Stimulation: Color-by-Number Valentines

Invite residents to create color-by-number valentines to pass out on this Valentine's Day. For the activity, supply residents with crayons to color in the valentines.

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15

Crafts: Galaxy Canvas Art

Pass out paint and canvases to residents to make their own galaxy canvas art on this birthday of astronomer Galileo Galilei.

One-on-One: Nanaimo Bars

Recruit your resident to assist you with baking a batch of Canadian Nanaimo bars on this Family Day in Canada.

Exercise: Playing Charades

On this birthday of actor John Barrymore, invite residents to get up and get a workout as they act out movie titles during a fun Charades game. To help residents guess the movie, give the year the movie was released.

Bedside: Name Their Home State

Read off a list of American presidents to see if your resident can identify their home state on this Presidents' Day.

Reminiscing: Love Stories

Reminisce with residents about their love stories on this Love Reset Day. Afterwards, get a few laughs by sharing a few corny love jokes.

Sensory Stimulation: Gumdrop Tasting

Blindfold residents as they sample gumdrops to identify the candy's flavors on this National Gumdrop Day.

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16

Crafts: Mardi Gras Coasters

In recognition of this Mardi Gras, provide residents with green, purple, and gold plastic beads to make Mardi Gras coasters by applying those beads to circles of felt using glue. Set out the finished coasters for your Mardi Gras celebration.

One-on-One: Mardi Gras King Cupcakes

Invite your resident to assist you with baking Mardi Gras King cupcakes on this Mardi Gras.

Exercise: A Jazzy Exercise

On this Mardi Gras, play fun Mardi Gras music as you lead residents in exercise.

Bedside: Mardi Gras Documentary

For this birthday of the "Father of the Documentary Film" Robert J. Flaherty, borrow a tablet to show your resident a documentary about Mardi Gras.

Reminiscing: Remember These Puppets?

Reminisce with residents about the puppets they remember from their childhood on this birthday of puppeteer and ventriloquist Edgar Bergen.

Sensory Stimulation: Mardi Gras Decor

Supply residents with Mardi Gras coloring pages to fill in with colored pencils that can then be hung as decoration on this Mardi Gras.

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17

Crafts: Neon Kindness Rocks

Recruit your residents to help spread kindness on this Random Acts of Kindness Day by decorating rocks with neon paint to display kindness messages. For the activity, provide residents with rocks that have been painted white, and have them use neon colored paints or paint pens to write short kindness messages (e.g., be kind, love more, help others, smile, etc.) on the rocks.

One-on-One: Butterfly Balloons

In recognition of this day that the opera Madama Butterfly was performed for the first time in Milan, Italy, recruit your resident to assist you with making butterfly balloons to pass out to your bedridden residents to hang in their rooms.

Exercise: Latin American Boxing

On this day that the League of Latin American Citizens (LULAC) was founded, invite residents to partake in one of Latin America's most popular sports – boxing – by making their own punching balloons. To make the punching balloon, simply inflate balloons with helium and add a weight to the bottom of the string so that the balloon rests at arm height for your seated residents. Then play fun boxing music as you encourage residents to punch their balloons with either hand to get a good arm workout. (More boxing music)

Bedside: Paper Butterflies

Invite your resident to assist you with making paper butterflies using colorful scrapbook paper and string on this day that the opera Madama Butterfly was performed for the first time in Milan, Italy. Instead of gluing the finished butterflies to cardstock to make cards, as shown on the website, set the butterflies throughout your resident's room to brighten it up for the winter.

Reminiscing: Did Your Children's Teachers Like You?

For this National PTA Founders' Day, reminisce with residents about the PTA groups that they joined when their children were in school. Afterwards, share a list of the types of parents that teachers dislike, and then ask residents whether they think that they made the list.

Sensory Stimulation: Bead and Clay Crosses

Assist residents with making bead and clay crosses on this Ash Wednesday. For the activity, first use cross cookie cutters to cut out crosses from clay before adding colorful beads to the crosses.

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18

Crafts: Stained Glass Jars

Invite residents to make stained glass jars on this birthday of Louis Comfort Tiffany, the American artist who was known for the stained glass Tiffany lamp. To make the stained glass jars, first cut out squares from colorful tissue paper. Then use Mod Podge to apply the squares to Mason jars. Once the Mod Podge has dried, use the jars as colorful vases for faux flowers.

One-on-One: Earth Weave

Show your resident how to weave the planet Earth using a paper plate and yarn on this day that the dwarf planet Pluto was discovered.

Exercise: Cork Toss

Create a fun cork toss game for your residents to play on this National Drink Wine Day. To make the game, simply attach Velcro strips to wine corks, and then use colored felt to create a felt target board that residents can toss the corks onto.

Bedside: Wine Country Tour

Take your resident on a virtual tour of Sonoma County wine country on this National Drink Wine Day.

Reminiscing: Which Cliqué Were You In?

Reminisce with residents about the high school cliqués they belonged to on this birthday of John Hughes, the American film director of the 1980s "Brat Pack" films featuring preppy high schoolers.

Sensory Stimulation: Stained Glass Cookies

Assist residents with making stained glass cookies on this birthday of stained glass artist Louis Comfort Tiffany.

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19

Crafts: Twig Dolls

Supply residents with twigs and colorful embroidery thread to make homemade dolls in recognition of this day that the children's television show Mister Rogers' Neighborhood premiered.

One-on-One: Beaded Snakes

In celebration of this day that the children's television show Mister Rogers' Neighborhood premiered, assist your resident with assembling beaded snakes as children's toys for your facility's children's play area. Use pipe cleaners, pony beads, googly eyes, and glue for the project.

Exercise: Playing Keep Away

On this day that the children's television show Mister Rogers' Neighborhood premiered, invite residents to play the fun children's game Keep Away. To play, seat residents in a large circle and recruit a volunteer or staff member to stand in the middle of the circle to try to intercept tosses of a large beach ball back and forth between residents. Encourage residents to toss the ball to one another to try to keep the ball away from your volunteer who is standing in the middle of the circle.

Bedside: Identifying the Constellations

Assemble a star wheel for your resident to use to identify the constellations in the night sky on this birthday of astronomer Nicolas Copernicus. Simply print out the constellation disk and the star wheel sleeve to assemble so that your resident can know which constellations to look out for.

Reminiscing: Vintage Ride-On Toys

In recognition of this Skate Shop Day, reminisce with residents about the ride-on toys that their children used. Afterwards, pass around a few photos of today's popular ride-on toys.

Sensory Stimulation: Guess the Flavor Filling

For this National Chocolate Mint Day, provide residents with a variety of Hershey's Kisses chocolates to see if they can identify the different flavors.

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20

Crafts: Lacing Baseballs

Provide residents with cardstock that has been decorated as a baseball so that they can lace the holes on this birthday of Little League Baseball founder Carl Stotz. Save the finished laced baseballs as decoration for your upcoming Opening Day baseball festivities on April 1.

One-on-One: Eating Oranges to Feed the Birds

Invite your resident to eat an orange and to save the peel to create a orange cup birdfeeder to feed the birds in the backyard on this National Love Your Pet Day.

Exercise: Lasso the Animal

On this first day of the La Fiesta de Los Vaqueros and Tucson Rodeo in Tucson, Arizona, invite residents to play a fun game of Lasso the Animal. To play, place a stuffed animal on the floor and give residents three chances to throw a ring (or larger Hula Hoop) around the animal. Award points for getting the rings around the stuffed animal.

Bedside: Touring Yosemite National Park

Take your resident on a virtual tour of Yosemite National Park on this birthday of the park's famous photographer Ansel Adams.

Reminiscing: Cherry Cobbler in a Mug Party

Host a fun cherry cobbler in a mug party for residents as you reminisce with them about their favorite cherry desserts on this National Cherry Pie Day. Serve the easy-to-make microwavable dessert for residents to sample.

Sensory Stimulation: Endangered Animals Coloring Party

Pass out coloring pages of endangered animals for residents to color with colored pencils and markers in recognition of this World Pangolin Day, honoring the endangered scaly anteater.

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Crafts: Twirling Twig Mobiles

Teach residents how to make twirling twig mobiles on this first day of National Engineers Week by using twine, pine cones, and yarn sticks.

One-on-One: 3-D Hexagon

Supply your resident with toothpicks and mini marshmallows to build a 3-dimensional hexagon on this first day of National Engineers Week.

Exercise: Stretching to the Blues

Play fun blues music in the background as you lead residents in a stretching exercise on this birthday of American blues and jazz singer Nina Simone.

Bedside: Hunt and Seek

On this day that the magazine The New Yorker was first published, gather two identical magazines and cut out pictures of objects from one magazine for a fun hunt and seek game with your resident. For the activity, supply your resident with one of the pictures of objects that you cut out to try to find the same object in the uncut magazine. Use a timer to see if she can find each item in under a minute.

Reminiscing: Visiting the Monuments and Museums

Reminisce with residents about the monuments and museums they have visited in Washington, D.C. on this day that the Washington Monument was dedicated. Pass around a few photos of popular museums and monuments in the nation's capital to see if residents can recall them.

Sensory Stimulation: Easy Sticky Buns

Recruit residents to assist you with making a batch of sticky buns to sample on this National Sticky Bun Day.

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Crafts: Animal Print Glass

Assist residents with making animal print glass on this National Wildlife Day using glass vases, glass writers, and paint markers. (Beforehand, recruit a volunteer to color plain vases using a water-based glass stain.)

One-on-One: Banana Pound Cake

For this Independence Day in Saint Lucia, recruit your resident to use Saint Lucia's biggest export – bananas – to make a banana pound cake.

Exercise: Beach Volleyball

In recognition of this day that the United States acquired Florida from Spain, invite residents to play a round of beach ball volleyball. For the activity, set up your volleyball net in your Activity Room and seat residents on either side of the net to hit a beach ball back and forth over the net.

Bedside: Beautiful Art Deco

On this day that the United States acquired Florida from Spain, borrow a tablet to share a list of the most beautiful Art Deco buildings in the world, including a few buildings in South Florida, with your resident. Afterwards, share a few tips on how anyone can add a bit of Art Deco to their home.

Reminiscing: Best Rom-Coms

Reminisce with residents about their favorite romantic comedies of the 1950s on this day that the romantic comedy film It Happened One Night was released. For the activity, read the description to see if residents can recall the movie. (More 1950s romantic comedy films)

Sensory Stimulation: Sweet Potato Prints

Celebrate this National Cook a Sweet Potato Day with residents by carving fun designs into halved sweet potatoes that residents can use to create colorful prints on paper by dipping the potato stamps into paint.

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Crafts: Tile Art

Assist residents with creating beautiful tile art on this National Tile Day. To create the tiles, provide residents with ceramic white tiles to design with permanent markers. Then supply residents with eyedroppers to add drops of rubbing alcohol onto their designed tiles to create unique art. Display the tiles after they have dried.

One-on-One: Making Flashcards

Recruit your resident to make vegetable flashcards for a grandchild on this birthday of educator W. E. B. DuBois. For the activity, simply print out the flashcards (click on the thumbnail images on the website) and laminate them with a machine or contact paper.

Exercise: Curling With Bars of Soap

Teach residents how to curl on this Curling Is Cool Day on a hardwood floor in your facility using unwrapped bars of soap, brooms, and masking tape.

Bedside: D.I.Y. Diaries

For this birthday of diarist Samuel Pepys, invite your resident to assist you with making her own accordion diaries that she can use to journal her thoughts or recollections. For the craft, use white cardstock, glue, cardboard, and scrapbook paper.

Reminiscing: Multitasking Really Doesn't Work

On this Single-Tasking Day, chit chat with residents about whether they enjoy multitasking during the day. Afterwards, share a few reasons why multitasking does not work.

Sensory Stimulation: Can You Multitask?

In recognition of this Single-Tasking Day, play a fun Slap, Clap, and Snap game with residents to see how well they do at multiple tasks. To play, have residents begin to slap, clap, and snap in unison (slap their lap, clap their hands, and then snap their fingers). When they snap their fingers, they need to give an item that is in a particular category. For instance, seat residents in a large circle and have them slap, clap, and snap in unison. Then name a category (e.g., types of cookies), and go around the room and have each person say a type of cookie when it's their turn (as they are snapping their fingers).

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Crafts: Piñata Napkin Rings

Assist residents with assembling piñata napkin rings on this Flag Day in Mexico. Use colorful tissue paper, toilet paper rolls, glue, and scissors for the fun craft.

One-on-One: Silly Sketch

On this birthday of illustrator Winslow Homer, invite your resident to create a silly sketch by following the drawing instructions.

Exercise: Mexican Flag Scavenger Hunt

Hide Mexican flags throughout the common areas of your facility for residents to find on this Flag Day in Mexico. Beforehand, make the flags by printing out small Mexican flags and gluing them back to back onto a craft stick.

Bedside: Greek Mythology

Read several stories to your resident from Greek mythology on this birthday of mythologist Wilhelm Grimm.

Reminiscing: Remember These Nonalcoholic Drinks?

Reminisce with residents about their favorite nonalcoholic drinks on this World Bartender Day. Prepare a few of their favorites to sample, like a Shirley Temple or a Roy Rogers.

Sensory Stimulation: Sweet Tortilla Chips

Use cinnamon and sugar to make cinnamon sugar leaf tortilla chips with your residents on this National Tortilla Chip Day. Supply residents with leaf cookie cutters to make the sweet treat.

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Crafts: Glitter Ocean Jars

Celebrate this National Clam Chowder Day with residents by inviting them to focus on the ocean as they make glitter ocean jars for their rooms. To assemble the jars, first mix glitter glue, baking soda, and contact lens solution together to form a slime. Next, begin kneading the slime, making sure to add a few plastic ocean creatures in between the layers. Then pour the slime into a clear jar, so that the ocean creatures can be seen. Finally, add a piece of glitter tape around the rim of each jar lid.

One-on-One: Teaching Tints and Shades

Teach your resident how to create tints and shades using paint on this birthday of French Impressionist painter Pierre-Auguste Renoir. For the activity, use watercolor paper, a black crayon, and paint to show your resident how to use tint and shade with a drawn umbrella.

Exercise: Zoom Exercise

For this Digital Learning Day, coordinate with a neighboring nursing facility to host a fun Zoom exercise where the two communities exercise together while online.

Bedside: Impressionism Art

Show your resident how to create simple Impressionism art on this birthday of French Impressionist painter Pierre-Auguste Renoir. For the activity, supply your resident with markers to create bold strokes onto watercolor paper. Then use a spray bottle of water to lightly spray the paper so that the colors blend together. Frame the finished artwork for your resident's room.

Reminiscing: Girl Power

In recognition of this Introduce a Girl to Engineering Day, reminisce with residents about the fields of study that they were pushed toward and whether any of them were encouraged to study science. Afterwards, ask how to encourage more girls to pursue careers in science.

Sensory Stimulation: Clam Shell Cookies

Recruit residents to help you assemble colorful clam shell cookies on this National Clam Chowder Day. For the fun activity, use Nilla wafers, vanilla marshmallow frosting, food coloring, and white Sixlets candy (for the pearls).

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Crafts: Flower Crowns

In celebration of this day of Purim, where children make crowns to wear, show your residents how to make flower crowns using real flowers, floral wire, and floral tape.

One-on-One: Nature's Rattle

Show your resident how he can make a rattle with items from nature on this day that two national parks were established. For the activity, use colorful yarn to wrap a Y-shaped stick before attaching shells to the stick using a rubber band. Save the finished rattle as a fun instrument for your upcoming musical activities.

Exercise: Acorn Pitch

In recognition of this birthday of frontiersman Buffalo Bill, invite residents to play with nature by participating in an acorn toss. To play, set out the mat from your Twister game and have residents pitch acorns to land on the color that they spin. (Before playing, change the colors for the online spinner to "green, red, yellow, blue" and click "Update.")

Bedside: How Many Tonys Can You Name?

For this birthday of actor Tony Randall, invite your resident to try to name all the famous Tonys he can think of.

Reminiscing: What Was Your Saying?

On this For Pete's Sake Day, have fun with residents as you get them to reminisce about what they usually said under their breath when things weren't going so well (e.g., Oh, no!, What in the world?, Are you kidding me?).

Sensory Stimulation: Designed Rocks

Invite residents to decorate rocks using puffy paint on this day that both the Grand Canyon and Grand Teton National Parks were established. For the project, simply have residents squeeze puffy paint onto the rocks before using a toothpick to create paint designs on the rocks.

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Crafts: Snowflake Stitching

Assist residents with making snowflake stitching cards on this day of the Full Snow Moon. For the activity, use plastic needles that will fit through the holes. (Beforehand, use a sharp needle to create the snowflake template holes on the cardstock before giving the cardstock to residents to stitch.)

One-on-One: Yarn Wrapped Bottle

Supply your resident with an empty wine bottle on this Open That Bottle Night, a night to encourage people to drink the bottle of wine that they have been saving, to wrap with colorful yarn. Save the finished bottle to decorate for spring next month.

Exercise: Chipping Practice

On this birthday of Gene Sarazen, the American golfer who invented the sand wedge, help your residents learn how to get their golf balls out of the bunker as you show them how to chip foam balls so that they land in a target (e.g., Hula Hoop).

Bedside: Snowy Pine Cone Tree

Invite your resident to assist you with assembling a snowy pine cone tree on this day of the Full Snow Moon. Simply apply faux snow to the edges of the pine cone before gluing the pine cone onto batting that has been glued into a small jar. Set the finished pine cone tree in your resident's room for the season.

Reminiscing: Name That Liz Taylor Movie

See how well your residents remember Elizabeth Taylor movies on this birthday of the actress. For the activity, read a description of an Elizabeth Taylor movie for residents to try to recall the title.

Sensory Stimulation: Making Strawberry Jam

Provide residents with fresh strawberries to make a batch of strawberry jam to enjoy on toast on this National Strawberry Day.

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Crafts: Clothespin Fairies

Recruit residents to make clothespin dolls to send to their grandchildren on this National Tooth Fairy Day. To make the dolls, first use a marker to color the feet on wooden clothespins. Then make colorful pom-poms using a fork and place the pom-poms onto the clothespins. Next, wrap yarn around the clothespins before attaching felt wings. Then paint faces and hair onto wooden doll heads before attaching small wooden beads to the doll heads to create the hair buns. Finally, slide the doll heads onto the end of the wooden clothespins to complete the fairies.

One-on-One: Tooth Fairy Fun Facts

In recognition of this National Tooth Fairy Day, chit chat with your resident about his experiences of being the Tooth Fairy for his kids. Afterwards, share a few fun facts about the Tooth Fairy.

Exercise: Flower Delivery

For this Floral Design Day, provide each resident with the tissue paper flowers that were made during the Sensory Stimulation activity to pass out to staff members that they encounter in the hallways.

Bedside: Chocolate Mug Souffle

Celebrate this National Chocolate Souffle Day with your resident by making her a chocolate mug souffle in just a minute and a half.

Reminiscing: Vintage Photos

On this birthday of musical director Vincente Minnelli, who was the father of singer Liza Minelli, reminisce with residents about Old Hollywood actors as you pass around vintage photos of famous Old Hollywood fathers and their children. See if residents can recognize the celebrity in the photos.

Sensory Stimulation: Tissue Paper Flowers

Assist residents with making tissue paper flowers using tissue paper and pipe cleaners on this Floral Design Day. Use the finished flowers for your upcoming Flower Delivery activity.

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