August 2017 Men's Activity Calendar

1

• Birthday: Francis Scott Key, American poet and author of American national anthem (1779)
• Colorado became the 38th state (1876)
• Spider-Man debuted in Marvel Comics (1962)
• World Lung Cancer Day

Tactile: What a Tangled Web We Weave

Assist the men with weaving their own yarn spiderwebs using colorful yarn on this day that Spider-Man debuted in Marvel Comics. Provide each of the men with frames for them to tie their webs. (If frames are not available, simply cut out frames from cardboard for the men to use.) To make the web, crisscross the yarn over the frame, and tape the ends of each piece of yarn to the frame. Then take another string of yarn to create the strand that connects the pieces of yarn together to form the web. As the men are getting the hang of weaving their webs, chit chat with them about the comic books that they used to read as kids.

One-on-One: Colorado Solitaire

Teach your resident the solitaire card game Colorado on this day that Colorado became the 38th state. If you have access to a computer, teach your resident to play online.

Discussion: O Say Can You See

In honor of this birthday of Francis Scott Key, the author of the American national anthem, play a fun national anthem game with the men. To play, seat the men in a circle and have one of the men say the first word of the song (O) and go around the room and have each participant say the next word in the song. Whenever someone gives the wrong word, start the game over. See how long it takes the men to correctly say the national anthem as you go around the room. Afterwards, start a discussion about anthem protests by asking the men whether refusing to stand for the national anthem is an appropriate way to protest.

Special Event: Testing Lung Capacity

Invite the men to test their lung capacity as you assist them with exercising their lungs in recognition of this World Lung Cancer Day. Help the men increase their lung capacity by showing them how to keep a ball floating in air by blowing through a straw. First assist the men with making their own instruments by using paper, bendable straws, tape, clay, and small pieces of aluminum foil rolled in a ball or a light-weight ping pong ball. Then have the men practice keeping the ball in the air by blowing through the straw.

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2

• Birthday: Jack L. Warner, Canadian-American Warner Bros. Studios film executive in Hollywood (1892)
• Birthday: Myrna Loy, American leading lady of the 1930s (1905)
• National Coloring Book Day

Tactile: Book Publishers

Invite the men to assemble coloring books to hand out to visiting kids on this National Coloring Book Day. First, go online to print out coloring pages. Afterwards, provide the pages to the men for them to hand-bind the books using a hole puncher and colorful yarn.

One-on-One: Rainbow Sudoku

Assist your Sudoku-loving resident with playing rainbow Sudoku using crayons in honor of this National Coloring Book Day. To play the game, simply provide your resident with six crayons (red, blue, green, yellow, purple, and brown) and help him color in the squares with the proper color so that the color does not repeat in the same row, column, or 2x3 section. (On the website, scroll down to view the answer key.)

Discussion: Can We Blame the Movies?

Start a discussion with the men about Hollywood movies on this birthday of film executive Jack L. Warner. Ask the men whether Hollywood impacts the behavior of today's youth. Afterwards, encourage the men to give examples of how movies influenced their teen behavior.

Special Event: A Little Down Time

In honor of this birthday of Hollywood actress Myrna Loy, who experienced a lot of down time in between shooting scenes, assist the men with occupying their down time by playing a game of finger Twister. To play, save the boards from the website to your computer and print them out on sturdy cardstock. For the spinning board, instead of using a plastic spinner, simply use a push pin to attach a paper clip to the center of the board. Then have the men fling the paper clip to learn what color they must put their finger on. Print out enough boards to have several 2-man finger Twister games going on in your Activity Room.

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3

• Birthday: Maggie Kuhn, age discrimination activist who helped banned mandatory retirements after she was forced to retire at age 65 (1905)
• Birthday: P. D. (Phyllis Dorothy) James, popular English crime novelist (1920)
• Christopher Columbus set sail from Spain to the New World with the Nina, Pinta, and the Santa Maria (1492)
• National Watermelon Day

Tactile: Watermelon-Stamped Napkins

Provide the men with white paper cocktail napkins to create watermelon-stamped napkins using paint and potatoes on this National Watermelon Day. To make the napkins, create pink paint by mixing together red and white paint until you get the right shade of watermelon. Then quarter baking potatoes for the men to dip into the pink paint. Next, have the men use their potato to make one watermelon print on each napkin before using green and black paint to fill out the watermelon. Allow the paint to dry before using the finished napkins for a summertime cocktail party at your facility.

One-on-One: CSI Lab

In honor of this birthday of English crime novelist P. D. James, invite your resident to help you conduct an ink chromatography experiment. First, have a staff member write a note using a black pen. Then invite your resident to help you detect which black pen was used by testing the ink from the pens using coffee filters, a paper cup of water, and two inverted glasses with a straw set on top across the two glasses. Then, use tape to attach a half-inch wide strip of the written note to the straw so that the end just touches the water in the paper cup without the ink getting wet. Next, cut strips from the coffee filters and make a dark spot of ink from each of the other pens on separate strips of the coffee filter. Again tape each of the strips to the straw, allowing the edge of the strips to touch the water, without submerging the spot of ink. After allowing the inks to separate for about 15 minutes, invite your resident to examine the patterns and identify the pen ink that matches the handwritten note.

Discussion: The Columbus Controversy

Chit chat with the men about the story of Christopher Columbus on this day that the explorer set sail for the New World. Ask the men whether Columbus Day should be celebrated.

Special Event: Seniors Rock!

Host a special talent show featuring the senior men of your facility on this birthday of age discrimination activist Maggie Kuhn. Assist the men with creating unique talents for them to showcase, like rapping a Frank Sinatra song, doing a line dance to Uptown Funk, or singing in a barbershop quartet.

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4

• Agrifair, a family festival featuring a Demolition Derby in Canada (August 4-6)
• Birthday: Barack Obama, American president (1961)
• Coast Guard Day
• National Czech Festival in Wilber, Nebraska (August 4-6)

Tactile: Demolition Derby

On this first day of the Agrifair, an agricultural family festival in Canada featuring a Demolition Derby, divide the men into teams to compete in a domino demolition derby. Provide dominoes to the teams of men to make fun domino toppling tricks for residents to watch. Remind the men to remove some of the dominoes along the path to prevent their dominoes from falling by accident.

One-on-One: Nautical Artwork

In honor of this Coast Guard Day, assist your resident with making a nautical picture for his room. To assemble the nautical picture, use blue paint, torn blue paper, and paper (one side colored and the other site white) folded as boats.

Discussion: The First Kids

Start a discussion with the men about young families in the White House, on this birthday of President Barack Obama, whose daughters were 7 and 10 when they moved to the White House. Share a list of other First Kids before asking the men to brainstorm a list of pros and cons of growing up in the White House.

Special Event: Beer and Kolacky

For this first day of the National Czech Festival in Wilber, Nebraska, invite the men to your Activity Room to sample a few Czech kolacky (fruit-filled pastries). Since it's also International Beer Day, and because the Czech Republic has the highest beer consumption in the world, be sure to pass out beer for the men to drink with their desserts.

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5

• Birthday: Neil Armstrong, American astronaut and first man to walk on the moon (1930)
• Birthday: Sydney Omarr, American astrologer and numerologist to the rich and famous (1926)
• Dance show American Bandstand premiered on television (1957)
• National Mustard Day

Tactile: Numerology Game

Play a fun numerology game with the men to see if they can create the highest-scoring words on this birthday of astrologer and numerologist to the stars Sydney Omarr. (On the website, scroll down to the third game to view the instructions.) To play, pass out pencils and sheets of paper and call out a category and have the men write an item from that category on their paper. (Examples of categories include: states, types of cookies, trees, cars, girls' names that start with the letter "D", and so forth.) Continue through nine more categories so that the men have 10 different words on their paper that represent the 10 different categories that you mentioned. Next, pass out alphabet-number decoders for the men to figure out how many points they receive for each word. Encourage the men to tally their points to find out who has the highest score (or use your phone to access an online decoder).

One-on-One: Mustard Cookies

Recruit your resident to assist you with making the secret ingredient cookie of the week: spicy chocolate mustard cookies on this National Mustard Day. Invite residents to sample the finished cookies to try to identify the secret hidden ingredient.

Discussion: Become the Student

In honor of this day that the American teen dance show American Bandstand premiered on television, start a discussion with the men about the things that we can learn from youth. Ask the men about the things that their children and grandchildren have showed and taught them about life.

Special Event: Moon Pies and RC Cola

Treat the men to an afternoon of moon pies and RC Cola in honor of this birthday of Neil Armstrong, the first man to walk on the moon.

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6

• Atomic Bomb was dropped on Hiroshima (1945)
• Birthday: Alexander Fleming, Scottish bacteriologist and discoverer of penicillin (1881)
• Birthday: Andy Warhol, American pop artist (1928)
• National Doll Day

Tactile: Painting Pop Art

Guide the men with making Andy Warhol-inspired pop art on this birthday of the famed artist. Provide the men with canvases, masking tape, and paint to make the artwork. First, assist the men with using masking tape to divide their canvases into four equal parts, painting each section in a different paint color. Then allow the paint to dry a bit. Next, provide the men with sponge brushes to create flowers on each of the colored panels on their canvas, using different colors that complement the background colors. Encourage the men to hang their finished pop art.

One-on-One: Dirty Potatoes

On this birthday of Scottish bacteriologist and penicillin discoverer Alexander Fleming, invite your resident to conduct a dirty potato experiment. For the experiment, cut two baking potatoes in half before boiling, to remove the microorganisms on the potato skin. (Consider boiling the potatoes in the microwave for a few minutes if a hot stove is not available.) Next, carefully remove one of the halved potatoes and place it in a clean jar and close the lid. Set this aside as the "clean" potato. Next, take another halved potato and place it in a jar, but keep it uncovered. This is the "exposed" potato. Next, take another halved potato and place it in a jar containing vinegar and cover the jar. This is the "vinegar" potato. Finally, take the last potato and let it cool down enough for your resident to rub his hands all over it, before placing it in a sealed jar. This is the "dirty" potato. Label the jars and allow the potatoes to sit on a windowsill in your Activity Room for a few days. After several days, invite your resident to help you analyze and comment on what happened.

Discussion: Where Were You?

Reminisce with the men about World War I on this day that the Enola Gay dropped an atomic bomb on Hiroshima. Go around the room and ask the men to discuss where they were when this event occurred.

Special Event: Felt Paper Dolls

Invite the grandkids to stop by to make felt paper dolls with Grandpa on this National Doll Day. Use the doll templates, scissors, and colored felt to make the dolls. Encourage the participants to create interesting dolls from the different templates.

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7

• Birthday: Mata Hari, Dutch exotic dancer and spy (1876)
• National Lighthouse Day
• Particularly Preposterous Packaging Day
• Professional Speakers Day

Tactile: Tea Light Houses

In honor of this National Lighthouse Day, assist the men with making milk carton tea-light houses. For the project (scroll down the page to view the instructions), provide the men with sponge brushes and white paint to paint milk cartons. After the cartons dry, supply the men with pencils to trace windows on the cartons before using a craft knife to cut out the windows. Next, open the cartons and use double-sided tape to attach colorful tissue paper to the inside of the cartons to cover the windows. Then seal the milk carton before cutting a small opening in the back of the house to insert a battery-operated tea light. Set the finished illuminated houses on your backyard patio for your sunset activities.

One-on-One: Funny Image Stories

On this Professional Speakers Day, have fun with your resident as the two of you give one-minute speeches to one another featuring a funny image. Set out several images faced down, and when it's your turn, turn over one of the images and begin speaking about the image, giving a fictional backstory about the image.

Discussion: Spying on Citizens

Start a debate among the men about spies on this birthday of well-known spy Mata Hari. Ask the men whether they agree with countries spying on their own citizens. Encourage the men to share a few pros and cons of government surveillance.

Special Event: Packing Relay

In recognition of this Particularly Preposterous Packaging Day, invite the men to participate in a package relay game. Set up three stations, with the first station having items, packing tape, and cardboard boxes, the second station having kraft paper and scissors, and the third station having rolls of tape. Divide the men into teams of three, with each member of a team at one of the three stations. To play, start with the person at the first station and have them place an item in the box and use packing tape to tape the box shut. Then have that person take the box to their teammate at the second station, and have that player measure out the kraft paper and cut the right amount that is needed to wrap the box. Finally, have that person take the box and the kraft paper to the third station to have their teammate wrap and tape the box. Provide each team with five boxes and five items to wrap, and award prizes to the first team who successfully wraps all five gifts.

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8

• Birthday: Dino De Laurentiis, Italian film producer (1919)
• Birthday: Russell Markert, American choreographer who founded the Radio City Music Hall Rockettes (1899)
• Farmers' Day in Tanzania
• National Frozen Custard Day

Tactile: Wildflower Garden

In recognition of this Farmers' Day in Tanzania, instruct the men on how to create a watercolor garden. First, have the men use various watercolors to make colorful spots on the top of their paper before adding green stems and leaves to connect to the colorful spots. Allow the paintings to dry before hanging.

One-on-One: Chair Line Dancing

Teach your resident a fun chair line dance in honor of this birthday of Russell Markert, the American choreographer who founded the Radio City Music Hall Rockettes.

Discussion: Name That Leading Man (or Woman)

Invite the men to reminisce about the popular movies of the 20th century on this birthday of film producer Dino De Laurentiis. Simply ask the men to name the leading actor or actress of a particular movie. (On the website, read the movie title next to each actor's picture for the men to guess the actor's name.)

Special Event: Scoop It Up

In honor of this National Frozen Custard Day, challenge the men to a fun game of Scoop It Up using ice cream bowls, ping pong balls, and a plastic spoon. (On the website, scroll down to the sixth Minute-to-Win-It game.) For the game, set up several rounds of play and have several contestants compete in each round to transfer six ping pong balls from one bowl to another in under a minute using only a spoon in their mouth. Have those who completed the task from each round compete against the winners from the other rounds. Award prizes to the participants.

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9

• Birthday: Izaak Walton, English author of fishing treatise (1593; Old Style date)
• Birthday: Tove Jansson, Finnish cartoonist who created cartoons of troll-like creatures in a comic strip and a children's book (1914)
• National Rice Pudding Day
• Veep Day, the day Vice President Gerald Ford succeeded to the presidency after President Richard Nixon resigned in 1974

Tactile: Peg Trolls

Provide the men with wooden pegs, glue, markers, and wool roving to create peg trolls on this birthday of cartoonist Tove Jansson. Set the finished peg trolls in your facility's common area for visiting kids to take.

One-on-One: American Veeps

Quiz your resident to test his knowledge about American vice presidents on this Veep Day, the day Vice President Gerald Ford succeeded to the presidency after President Richard Nixon resigned in 1974. Afterwards, share a few fun facts about the vice presidents.

Discussion: The One That Got Away

Chit chat with the men about their fishing excursions on this birthday of fishing expert Izaak Walton. Share a few funny fishing stories with the men as you discuss whether fishing is a sport.

Special Event: Pudding & Darts

Set up your dart board and invite the men to play while sampling a fun afternoon treat of crockpot rice pudding on this National Rice Pudding Day. Provide hot caramel sauce for the men to add to their pudding. (If you do not have a dart board, simply use felt, ping pong balls, and Velcro circles to create a Velcro dart game.)

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10

• Birthday: Herbert Hoover, American president (1874)
• Independence Day in Ecuador
• National S'mores Day
• Reality television show Candid Camera premiered (1948)

Tactile: Plate Weaving

In honor of this Independence Day in Ecuador, known for its woven textiles, teach the men how to weave using yarn, plastic needles, and notched plates. Simply create notches around the rim of the plates and loop white wool across the plate in the notches. Once the loops are secured, provide the men with plastic needles and colorful yarn to weave through (over and under) the white yarn. Before weaving, simply tie the end of the yarn to one of the white strands in the middle of the plate to begin. Encourage the men to switch colors as they weave by tying the end of the yarn of the new color to the end of the yarn of the old color.

One-on-One: Picture Game

Go online with your resident to play a fun game of Spot the Differences using pictures in honor of this day that the reality television show Candid Camera premiered.

Discussion: End of the Great Depression

On this birthday of President Herbert Hoover, whose presidency coincided with the Great Depression, start a debate with the men about what ended the economic depression. Ask the men whether they agree that the New Deal that was set up by Hoover's successor Franklin Roosevelt ended the Great Depression.

Special Event: Gourmet S'mores Happy Hour

Host a fun gourmet s'mores happy hour for the men on this National S'mores Day. Set up a bar for the men to make their own s'mores using a variety of s'mores ingredients, including marshmallows (plain marshmallows, coconut marshmallows, vanilla marshmallows), chocolate (chocolate bars, peanut butter cups), crackers (graham crackers, vanilla wafers), and spreads (peanut butter, Nutella).

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11

• Abbotsford International Airshow in Canada (August 11-13)
• Birthday: David Rice Atchison, Missouri legislator who became president for a day amid the swearing in of President Zachary Taylor in 1849 (1807)
• Kool-Aid Days (August 11-13)

Tactile: Paper Air Show

Assist the men with constructing their own paper gliders for an airshow on this first day of the Abbotsford International Airshow in Canada. Watch a short video to teach the men how to just use paper, tape, hot glue, wooden dowels, and glue sticks for the project. Afterwards, encourage the men to see whose glider goes the farthest.

One-on-One: Kool-Aid Experiment

On this first of the Kool-Aid Days, invite your resident to assist you with making Kool-Aid rock candy using Kool-Aid packets, water, sugar, glass jars, food coloring, a funnel, clothespins, and wooden dowels. (On the website, scroll down to view the printed instructions. Please note that the jars need to sit for several days on a sunny windowsill for the rock candy to form.)

Discussion: What Would You Do?

In recognition of this birthday of David Rice Atchison, the Missouri legislator who became president for a day, chit chat with the men about how they would govern differently. Share a list of the tasks that a president can do as you ask the men to discuss what they would do if in office.

Special Event: Kool-Aid Party

For this first of the Kool-Aid Days, provide the men with Kool-Aid-dyed yarn to dress up the planters in your facility. Beforehand, use Kool-Aid packets to dye the yarn on a stovetop.

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12

• Birthday: Thomas Bewick, English artist and wood engraver (1753)
• Birthday: Zerna Sharp, American educator and creator of the "Dick and Jane" readers (1889)
• National Bowling Day
• World Elephant Day

Tactile: Beaded Bookmarks

Assist the men with making beaded bookmarks on this birthday of American educator Zerna Sharp. Use jewelry cording and beads for the project.

One-on-One: Painting Lesson

Give your resident a painting lesson so that he can paint like a professional on this birthday of artist Thomas Bewick. Use a pencil to sketch the design on canvas before instructing your resident how to make his paint strokes.

Discussion: Animal Hunting

In honor of this World Elephant Day, begin a discussion with the men about animal hunting. Ask the men whether animal hunting should be banned.

Special Event: Bowling Tournament

Host a fun bowling tournament for the men on this National Bowling Day. Use bowling score sheets and assist the men with keeping score.

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13

• Berlin Wall was erected (1961)
• Birthday: Anders Jonas Angström, Swedish astronomer who founded the science of light, spectroscopy (1814)
• Birthday: Annie Oakley, proficient markswoman (1860)
• International Left-Handers Day

Tactile: Left-Handed Challenge

Assist the men with improving their non-dominant hand on this International Left-Handers Day by having them follow a few writing and drawing exercises. Provide each participant with a pencil and pad of paper.

One-on-One: Light and Shadow

Open up an art school in your Activity Room to teach your resident how to sketch an object using light and shadow on this birthday of Anders Jonas Angström, the Swedish astronomer who founded the science of light. Use pencils and a sketch pad to demonstrate the technique.

Discussion: The Wall

On this anniversary of the Berlin Wall being erected, start a debate among the men about whether a large wall should be built along the Mexico border. Ask the men whether the Berlin Wall experience that isolated East Germans could pose the same threat to Americans.

Special Event: Target Practice

In honor of this birthday of sharpshooter Annie Oakley, set up a fun target range for the men outdoors for them to use a water gun to hit several paper plate targets. Place large holes in each of the plates that are strung up in the backyard to see if the men can shoot through the holes.

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14

• Birthday: Ernest Everett Just, American marine biologist and zoology professor (1883)
• Navajo Code Talkers Day, recognizing the achievements of the Code Talkers who translated military messages in the Navajo language during World War II
• President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed the Social Security Act (1935)

Tactile: Cornhusk Dolls

Assist the men with making cornhusk dolls using dried corn husks, twine, and a bowl of water on this Navajo Code Talkers Day. Save the finished dolls as decoration for next month's autumn decorating.

One-on-One: Navajo Code Talkers

On this Navajo Code Talkers Day, invite your resident to watch a short documentary about the Navajo Code Talkers. Afterwards, encourage him to reminisce about World War II and the things that he remembers about the Native American group.

Discussion: What to Do With Social Security?

Start a debate among the men about social security benefits on this anniversary of President Franklin Roosevelt signing the Social Security Act in 1935. Ask the men whether they believe that social security should be privatized to save money for the government.

Special Event: Animal Bingo

Invite the men to play a game of animal bingo on this birthday of zoology professor Ernest Everett Just. Beforehand, make baby animal bingo cards online (fill in the "Word List" section with the names of baby animals before generating the free bingo cards). To play the game, say the adult name of an animal and have the men search their cards for the baby name of the animal that you mentioned.

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15

• Birthday: Napoleon Bonaparte, French emperor (1769)
• Birthday: Paul Rand, American designer known as the "Father of Modern American Graphic Design" (1914)
• National Lemon Meringue Pie Day
• Panama Canal opened (1914)

Tactile: Graphic Prints

Teach the men how to paint graphic flower prints on canvas on this birthday of the "Father of Modern American Graphic Design" Paul Rand. Use bright paint colors for the fun project.

One-on-One: The Real Story About Napoleon

Share a few fun facts with your resident about French emperor Napoleon Bonaparte on this day that the ruler was born.

Discussion: Traveling the Canal

Share a few fun facts with the men about the Panama Canal on this day that it opened. Ask the men whether any of them have ever traveled through the canal on a cruise ship.

Special Event: Pie Contest

On this Lemon Meringue Pie Day, play the gummy bear pie game with the men. Simply place three gummy bears on each of the pie plates before filling the pie plates with whipped cream. Have the men compete to see who can find their three gummy bears first without using their hands.

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16

• International Wave at Surveillance Day, a day to show sarcasm as people are encouraged to wave at the surveillance cameras in public
• National Roller Coaster Day
• National Rum Day
• Restoration Day in the Dominican Republic, commemorating the beginning of a war in 1863 that eventually gave the Dominican Republic its independence from Spain

Tactile: Sandy Handprints

In honor of this Restoration Day in the beachy country of the Dominican Republican, invite the men to make sand clay handprints that can be given to family members. For the project, create a dough recipe of sand, salt, flour, and water. Then separate the dough into balls, and give each participant a ball to shape into a circle before imprinting his hand. Once the handprint has been made, provide the men with small shells to add to the exterior of the handprint. Finally, be sure to follow the website's instructions for baking. Once the handprints are done, help the men wrap them as gifts to send to loved ones.

One-on-One: It's Coaster Time

On this National Roller Coaster Day, recruit your resident to assist you with building a marble run using paper towel rolls, toilet paper rolls, and lots of tape. Beforehand, collect paper rolls from staff members and residents. To make the marble run, simply tape the rolls together to form the track. Then use scissors to cut some of the rolls in half lengthwise to provide for an open track so that you can view the marbles flowing along parts of the marble run. Once the track is complete, invite residents to view the marble run in action.

Discussion: Invasion of Privacy

Begin a discussion with the men about public security cameras on this International Wave at Surveillance Day. Ask the men whether they view security cameras as helpful or as an invasion of privacy.

Special Event: Rum Tasting

Host a fun rum tasting for the men featuring rum-infused desserts on this National Rum Day. Set out rum balls, an applesauce rum raisin cake, and a few rum cookies. Ask the men whether they can taste the rum in the desserts.

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17

• Birthday: Marcus Garvey, Jamaican civil rights activist (1887)
• Little League Baseball World Series in South Williamsport, Pennsylvania (August 17-27)
• Milwaukee Irish Fest in Milwaukee, Wisconsin (August 17-20)

Tactile: Leprechaun House Competition

Provide graham crackers, green candies, powdered sugar, and water to the men to see who can build the best leprechaun house on this first day of the Milwaukee Irish Fest in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

One-on-One: Building a Ballpark

Recruit your resident to assist you with building a tabletop ballpark on this first day of the Little League Baseball World Series in South Williamsport, Pennsylvania. To construct the game, use a large piece of cardboard and use a pencil to outline the sections of the field. Then use painter's tape to cover parts of the cardboard before filling in the main sections of the field with paint. Next, paint wooden peg dolls in the colors of your favorite team. Finally, play a game with your resident using two dice.

Discussion: Taking a Stand

Start a discussion with the men about civil rights on this birthday of Jamaican civil rights activist Marcus Garvey. Discuss whether civil rights is still a struggle today for certain groups, including women, minorities, immigrants, members of the LGBTQ community, and those with disabilities. (During the activity, use your phone to access the scrollable material on the website.)

Special Event: The Skill of Bunting

Have fun as you teach the men the skill of bunting on this first day of the Little League Baseball World Series in South Williamsport, Pennsylvania. Use a large plastic bat and Whiffle ball to help the men practice bunting in the backyard. If there are any children in the facility, invite them out to "run the bases" as the men practice their bunts. In addition, throughout the practice, encourage the men to try to hit a few home runs to show-off their batting skills.

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18

• Bad Poetry Day
• First general merchandise mail-order catalog was published by Montgomery Ward (1872)
• National Badge Ribbon Day
• Nineteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, giving women the right to vote, was ratified (1920)

Tactile: Magazine Colors

On this day that the first general merchandise mail-order catalog was published by Montgomery Ward, recruit the men to help you gather supplies for an upcoming collage activity by passing out old magazines and having them cut out everything of a certain color. For instance, have one participant flip through his magazine and cut out just red pictures, and have another cut out the green pictures. Use the cut-out pictures for an upcoming collage activity with residents, in which you need certain colors.

One-on-One: Even the Good Ones Make Mistakes

In recognition of this Bad Poetry Day, share a few bad poems and a few grammatical mistakes that were written by acclaimed writers. Afterwards, encourage your resident to try writing his own poem.

Discussion: Equal Rights

For this anniversary of the ratification of the Nineteenth Amendment, giving woman the right to vote, host a gender-based discussion with the men. Ask the men whether men and women have equal rights in America today before sharing a few statistics citing the inequalities.

Special Event: Badge Ribbon Winner

Invite the men to play one of their favorite games, like shuffleboard or backyard croquet, to compete to win a homemade badge ribbon on this National Badge Ribbon Day. Use labels to make the badge ribbon for your resident that includes his name on one label and then several descriptions underneath, like "Awesome Shuffleboard Player," "Leader of the Pack," or "Big Man on Campus."

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19

• Birthday: Bill Clinton, American president (1946)
• National Potato Day
• World Photography Day

Tactile: Summer Fruit Bags

For this National Potato Day, recruit the men to help you make potato stamps that can decorate plain tote bags for the summer. Assist the men with cutting the design in the potatoes before having them stamp the plain bags. Use the finished bags as party favors for an upcoming family event.

One-on-One: Picture Puzzles

On this World Photography Day that focuses on images, encourage your resident to help you solve a few picture puzzles online. If he enjoys the activity, consider giving him a sheet of picture puzzles for him to complete each weekend.

Discussion: Presidential Terms

Start a fun discussion with the men about presidential terms on this birthday of President Bill Clinton. Ask the men whether they believe that American presidents should serve more than two terms.

Special Event: Potato Swing

Invite the men to play a fun game of potato swing on this National Potato Day. (On the website, scroll down to view the game's instructions.) For the fun game, tie potatoes to a long string and attach the string to the belts of the players. Award a prize to the first participant who can swing his hips so that his potato knocks down his cup.

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20

• Birthday: Eero Saarinen, Finnish-American architect and furniture designer (1910)
• Birthday: H. P. Lovecraft, American writer and renowned master of American Gothic literature (1890)
• National Chocolate Pecan Pie Day

Tactile: Pecan Tasting

In recognition of this National Chocolate Pecan Pie Day, provide the men with whole pecans and nut crackers for them to crack and eat pecans.

One-on-One: Backyard Doll Furniture

Assist your resident with making backyard doll furniture for a grandchild in honor of this birthday of furniture designer Eero Saarinen. For the project, use craft sticks, paint, glue, and wire cutters to cut the sticks.

Discussion: Lit Class

Begin a debate with the men about classic literature on this birthday of American writer H. P. Lovecraft. Ask the men whether literature courses are truly necessary for students, and whether they have ever used their knowledge from their high school literature classes.

Special Event: Name That House Style

Divide the men into teams and invite them to compete to see which team can properly identify the architectural style of the most common homes on this birthday of American architect Eero Saarinen. To play, first print out photos of each of the types of houses for each team. Then during the game, name a type of home and award a point to the first team who raises the correct picture of the type of home. Award prizes to the winning team.

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21

• Birthday: Aubrey Beardsley, English artist and illustrator whose use of black ink influenced Japanese woodcuts (1872)
• Hawaii became the 50th state (1959)
• Yukon Discovery Day in Canada

Tactile: Hawaiian Song Pictionary

Recruit the men to play a game of Hawaiian Pictionary using the song titles of popular Hawaiian songs on this day that Hawaii became the 50th state. Divide the men into teams and award a prize of a can of macadamia nuts to the winning team.

One-on-One: So You Think You're a Good Artist?

Go online and test your resident's drawing skills by playing a fun drawing game to see if the computer can guess his drawings on this birthday of English author and illustrator Aubrey Beardsley.

Discussion: Alaskan Bush People

In honor of this Yukon Discovery Day in Canada, chit chat with the men about living in remote places like Alaska and the Yukon. Share a list of fun facts about living in Alaska.

Special Event: Aloha Bingo

Invite the men to play Aloha bingo on this day that Hawaii became the 50th state. To play, pass out seashells as the bingo markers and encourage the men to yell "Aloha" when they have bingo.

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22

• Be an Angel Day
• Birthday: Henri Cartier-Bresson, French photojournalist (1908)
• Birthday: Samuel Pierpont Langley, American astronomer (1834)
• Mormon Tabernacle Choir performed for the first time as the Mormon Choir (1847)

Tactile: Peg Fairies

For this Be an Angel Day, invite the grandkids over to make peg fairies with the men. Use peg dolls, tape, glitter, Mod Podge, pipe cleaners, and glue for the project. To assemble the dolls, apply tape to the top of the dolls and Mod Podge to the bottom. After shaking glitter onto the bottom of the dolls, remove the tape and make fairy wings using the pipe cleaners. Finally, attach the wings and halos to the dolls using glue.

One-on-One: Summer Concert

In recognition of this day that the Mormon Tabernacle Choir performed for the first time as the Mormon Choir, treat your resident to an online choir performance of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir.

Discussion: Ever Wanted to be an Astrophysicist?

In honor of this birthday of astronomer Samuel Pierpont Langley, chit chat with the men about the cool jobs that they wanted to have as kids. Share a list of other cool jobs to see whether the men would have been interested.

Special Event: Group Photo

On this birthday of photojournalist Henri Cartier-Bresson, invite the men to dress up in their fancy duds for a group photo. Use a few group photo tips for getting the perfect photo.

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23

• Birthday: Gene Kelly, American dancer and choreographer (1912)
• National Sponge Cake Day
• Virgo zodiac sign (August 23 - September 22)

Tactile: Summer Spinners

Provide the men with cardboard circles, markers, glue, and twine to create paper spinners that can be passed out to visiting kids during the summer.

One-on-One: Y.M.C.A.

Play a fun Wii video featuring the Y.M.C.A. song for your resident to follow along in honor of this birthday of American dancer and choreographer Gene Kelly.

Discussion: Getting to Know One Another

On this first day of the Virgo zodiac sign, invite the men to get to know one another before trying to guess each other's zodiac sign. For the activity, host a fun social for the men to chat with one another, encouraging them to walk the room to speak to everyone in the room. Afterwards, pass out zodiac characteristic charts and pencils for them to write down everyone's name beside the zodiac sign that corresponds to the person's characteristics. After everyone has filled out their chart, go around the room to see who has correctly identified the most zodiacs for the other men.

Special Event: Cake Carving Competition

Invite the men to participate in a cake carving competition featuring easy-to-carve sponge cake on this National Sponge Cake Day. Coordinate with Dining Services to make a large sponge sheet cake for the competition. Cut the pieces into blocks and give each participant a block of cake and a plastic knife to create a unique masterpiece. Encourage residents to vote on their favorite cake sculpture.

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24

• National Peach Pie Day
• National Waffle Day

Tactile: Waffle Cone Makers

Borrow a waffle iron to assist the men with making waffle cones for their ice cream on this National Waffle Day.

One-on-One: Fruit Tasting

Host a fruit tasting for your resident in recognition of this National Peach Pie Day. Provide your resident with a fruit tasting sheet for him to identify his favorite fruits after sampling them.

Discussion: Catching Up With Current Events

Use your local newspaper to help the men catch up with summertime events in the news as you start a discussion about current events.

Special Event: Syrup Tasting

On this National Waffle Day, coordinate with Dining Services to provide small pieces of waffle for the men to use for a syrup tasting.

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25

• Birthday: Allan Pinkerton, Scottish-American detective (1819)
• Birthday: Althea Gibson, American tennis champion (1927)
• Kiss-and-Make-Up Day
• National Whiskey Sour Day

Tactile: Tennis Championship

Set up your facility's tennis net and pass out the plastic rackets for the men to play a fun contest of indoor tennis on this birthday of tennis champion Althea Gibson.

One-on-One: Summer Kisses

On this Kiss-and-Make-Up Day, invite your resident to assist you with passing out kisses to the ladies by creating Hershey's Kisses flowers. Use pretty fabric, floral tape, green felt, wooden dowels, and Hershey's Kisses for the project. Place the summer flowers at each place setting of the ladies in your Dining Room.

Discussion: Crime Drama

Start a discussion with the men about their favorite crime dramas on this birthday of detective Allan Pinkerton. If you have a large group, consider making it into a game by writing the names of popular crime drama television shows from the 1960s onto a board and then giving the names of the starring actors for the men to guess which show you are describing.

Special Event: Bartender's Specials

Provide the men with ingredients to make a variety of different nonalcoholic drinks for them to sample on this National Whiskey Sour Day. Ahead of time, pick a few nonalcoholic drinks for the men to make, like a Rail Splitter (using simple syrup, lemon juice, and ginger ale), a Rose and Thistle (using bananas, strawberries, and milk), or a Yellowjacket (using pineapple juice, orange juice, and lemon juice).

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• Birthday: Ben Bradlee, revered American newspaper editor for The Washington Post (1921)
• National Cherry Popsicle Day

Tactile: Dixie Cup Pops

In honor of this National Cherry Popsicle Day, invite the men to make Dixie cup popsicles to enjoy in the afternoon on this warm, summer day. Provide the men with juice, small pieces of fruit, Dixie cups, lemon slices, and popsicle sticks for the project. Allow the popsicles to freeze for at least four hours.

One-on-One: Painting on Newspaper

Invite your resident to make a cityscape featuring newspapers on this birthday of newspaper editor Ben Bradlee. To make the painting, simply use a sponge brush and Mod Podge to apply pieces of newspaper to a canvas. Then add one more coat of Mod Podge over the whole canvas. Next, once the canvas has dried, use a thick, black marker to draw large rectangles to create buildings on the newspaper. Finally, paint the background in blue.

Discussion: Still Read Newspapers?

Start a discussion with the men about reading newspapers on this birthday of newspaper editor Ben Bradlee. Ask the men whether they still read the newspaper every day and whether they see newspapers as still important. Question the men to see how many of them would rather receive their news online or from the television.

Special Event: Found It!

Play a fun newspaper game with the men called Found It on this birthday of newspaper editor Ben Bradlee. To play, divide the men into teams and provide each team with the same newspaper. (Your small community newspapers would work well for this game.) Describe a particular fact, article, headline, or photo from the newspaper, and award a point to the first team who shouts out "Found It!" Award a point to each team who successfully finds the news that you are describing. Encourage the teams to divvy up their newspaper so that each team member is responsible for searching a different section of the paper.

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27

• Birthday: Lyndon Baines Johnson, American president (1908)
• Birthday: Mother Teresa, Roman Catholic nun (1910)
• Burning Man 2017, a temporary art community in Black Rock Desert, Nevada (August 27 - September 4)
• Notting Hill Carnival, the largest street carnival in Europe, in London, England (August 27-28)

Tactile: Tissue Paper Mountains

For this first day of Burning Man 2017, a temporary art community in Black Rock Desert, Nevada, invite the men to create a mountain landscape using tissue paper. Show the men how to create the project by taking different colors of tissue paper and using water to brush over the tissue paper to allow it to dye the white construction paper underneath. Provide different colors of tissue paper for the men to create the mountain landscape.

One-on-One: Bible Jeopardy

In recognition of this birthday of Roman Catholic nun Mother Teresa, take your resident online to play a fun game of Bible Jeopardy.

Discussion: A Picture's Worth...

Pass around photos of President Lyndon Johnson during his presidency for the men to discuss and comment upon on this birthday of the former president. Ask the men to discuss the softer side of Johnson as well as his tougher side.

Special Event: Street Carnival

On this first day of London's Notting Hill Carnival, the largest street carnival in Europe, host a street carnival for the men featuring fun games, like a ping pong ball toss, using cups and ping pong balls, and a bean bag toss. In addition, coordinate with Dining Services to serve mini hot dogs for the men to enjoy.

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28

• Birthday: Roger Tory Peterson, American naturalist (1908)
• Double Seven Festival (Chinese Valentine's Day) in China
• March on Washington, a civil rights rally, took place in Washington, D.C. (1963)
• National Old-Time Country Music Contest, Festival & Expo in Le Mars, Iowa (August 28 - September 3)

Tactile: Breakfast for the Birds

Supply the men with blueberries, Cheerios, pipe cleaners, and twine to create homemade feeders for your backyard birds on this birthday of American naturalist Roger Tory Peterson.

One-on-One: Valentine Kisses

Invite your resident to assist you with creating valentine favors for a fun valentine dessert party on this day of the Double Seven Festival in China (Chinese Valentine's Day). For the project, print out heart shapes onto colorful Valentine-themed paper to cut out before attaching them to toothpicks using glue dots. Then insert the toothpicks into the top of the Hershey's Kisses. Use the finished favors as pretty decoration for your dessert party, encouraging residents to take one as a party favor.

Discussion: Protests and Rallies

Chit chat with the men about the protests or rallies that they have been a part of on this this anniversary of the civil rights rally, the March on Washington. Pass around photos of some of the country's largest marches in history, as you ask the men to list the benefits for marching for a cause.

Special Event: Cowboy Movie Charades

Provide a list of cowboy movies for the men to act out during a fun charades game on this first day of the National Old-Time Country Music Contest, Festival & Expo in Le Mars, Iowa. Divide the men into teams and have one member of each team act out the title of a popular western movie for his teammates to guess. Award points for each correct answer.

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• "According to Hoyle" Day, a day promoting games to be played according to the rules
• International Day Against Nuclear Tests

Tactile: House of Cards

Recruit the men to make their own house of cards on a table in your Activity Room on this "According to Hoyle" Day, a day promoting games to be played according to the rules. Award a prize to the participant who builds the tallest house of cards.

One-on-One: I Declare War

Challenge your resident to a card game of War on this "According to Hoyle" Day, a day promoting games to be played according to the rules.

Discussion: Nuclear Testing

On this International Day Against Nuclear Tests, start a debate about nuclear testing. Ask the men whether nuclear testing should be banned due to health concerns or whether it is needed for protection.

Special Event: Card Party

Host a card party for the men in your Activity Room on this "According to Hoyle" Day. Set up different card games at each of the tables in your Activity Room, including Anaconda poker, Gin Rummy, and Sequence.

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30

• National Grief Awareness Day
• National Holistic Pet Day

Tactile: Crinkle Toys

Assist the men with making water bottle crinkle toys for dogs on this National Holistic Dog Day. Use old socks or sweaters and empty plastic water bottles for the project. Donate the finished toys to your local animal shelter.

One-on-One: Dog Massage

Show your resident how he can give his dog a massage on this National Holistic Pet Day.

Discussion: Holistic Therapy: Real or Fake?

In recognition of this National Holistic Pet Day, start a debate among the men about holistic therapy for humans. Ask the men whether they have ever had alternative therapies, as you share a list of the pros and cons of alternative medicine.

Special Event: Sending Cards

On this National Grief Awareness Day, recruit the men to assist you with making ombre watercolor cards that can be sent to loved ones. Show the men how to use different watercolors of similar shades to paint the front of the cardstock cards.

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• Independence Day in Trinidad and Tobago
• Love Litigating Lawyers Day
• National Sweetcorn Festival in Hoopeston, Illinois (August 31 - September 4)

Tactile: Popcorn Sculptures

On this first day of the National Sweetcorn Festival in Hoopeston, Illinois, invite the men to make popcorn sculptures. Use margarine, mini marshmallows, popcorn, gelatin, and celery sticks for the men to create unique food art.

One-on-One: Trinidad Pastime

In recognition of this Independence Day in Trinidad and Tobago, teach your resident how to play the unofficial national card game of Trinidad, All Fours.

Discussion: Lawyer's Tricks

For this Love Litigating Lawyers Day, chit chat with the men about the best legal television shows. After discussing their favorite shows, ask the men whether they believe that lawyers should represent clients that they know are guilty.

Special Event: Popcorn Bar

Set up a popcorn bar in your Activity Room for the men to sample a variety of different popcorn flavors on this first day of the National Sweetcorn Festival in Hoopeston, Illinois.

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