February 2021 Weekly-Themed Activity Calendar

February is ...

• African-American Cultural Heritage Month
• AMD/Low Vision Awareness Month
• American Heart Month
• Bake for Family Fun Month
• Creative Romance Month
• Declutter for a Cause Month
• Fabulous Florida Strawberry Month
• Great American Pie Month
• International Boost Self-Esteem Month
• Library Lovers' Month
• National Bird-Feeding Month
• National Black History Month
• National Cherry Month
• National Goat Yoga Month
• National Grapefruit Month
• National Hot Breakfast Month
• National Mend a Broken Heart Month
• National Parent Leadership Month
• National Pet Dental Health Month
• National Senior Independence Month
• National Time Management Month
• National Wedding Month
• Plant the Seeds of Greatness Month
• Return Shopping Carts to the Supermarket Month
• Spay/Neuter Awareness Month
• Spunky Old Broads Month
• Wise Health Care Consumer Month
• Worldwide Renaissance of the Heart Month
• Youth Leadership Month

Week of January 31 | Week of February 7 | Week of February 14 | Week of February 21 | Week of February 28

Groundhog Week

(Week of January 31)

Crafts: Tracing the Light

Celebrate this Groundhog Day with residents by providing groundhog-themed activities. Start the week by inviting residents to focus on shadows by tracing light to make shadow art. For the craft, seat residents near a sunny window and have them trace the light onto their paper before filling in the paper with watercolors.

Reminiscing: Small Town America

Reminisce with residents about their favorite small towns, like Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania. Afterwards, pass around photos of some of the famous small towns in the U.S. as you read the descriptions explaining their fame.

Physical: Shadow Exercises

Get your residents moving by having them "become your shadow" as you encourage them to mimic you as you lead them in exercises.

One-on-One: Silhouette Quiz

Challenge your resident to a fun online silhouette quiz featuring popular cartoon characters.

Lower-Functioning: Acorn Balls

Recruit your residents to help you make a woodland treat of Oreo acorn balls that your residents can sample afterwards.

Bedside: Groundhog Cocoa

Treat your resident to a nice cup of groundhog cocoa by adding a chocolate covered cookie, candy eyes, chocolate chips, and small candies (for the nose) to the side of the mug.

Outing: Groundhog Spotting

Take residents for a country scenic ride to see if they can spot any groundhogs or other woodland animals.

Sensory Stimulation: Groundhog Day Cookies

Assist residents with assembling Groundhog Day cookies by taking chocolate cookies and adding chocolate sprinkles, two mini cookies (cheeks), candy eyes, a grape (nose), chocolate chips (ears) and sunflower seeds (teeth). (On the website, scroll down to view the assembly pictures.)

Men's: Watching Groundhog Day

Stream the 1993 classic movie Groundhog Day for the men to watch. Set up a concession stand in the back of the room to deliver popcorn and candy to the men during the movie.

Special Event: Groundhog Day Breakfast

Help your residents celebrate Groundhog Day by coordinating with Dining Services to serve a fun breakfast featuring items that your residents don't normally receive for breakfast, like sunny side-up eggs, waffles made-to-order, or Eggs Benedict. (Please note that Groundhog Day is Tuesday, February 2.)

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Countdown to Valentine's Day Week

(Week of February 7)

Crafts: Love Shacks

Get your residents ready for Valentine's Day by providing fun valentine-themed games and activities throughout the week. Begin the week by assisting residents with using graham crackers, candies, and icing to make love shack gingerbread houses for the holiday.

Reminiscing: Favorite Flowers

Reminisce with residents about their favorite flowers as you recruit them to assemble flower bouquets to hand out to residents. To make the bouquets, simply wrap real flowers in kisses wrapping paper, hearts wrapping paper, or XOXO wrapping paper.

Physical: Couples Match Game

Place the names of one member of a famous Old Hollywood couple on the backs of residents and have them walk around to ask "yes or no" questions to find out who they are and to find their couple match.

One-on-One: Glitter Balloons

Recruit your resident to assemble a few glitter balloons for the holiday. Simply draw the image on an inflated balloon, then fill the image with glue before sprinkling with glitter. Hang the finished balloons throughout your facility as decoration.

Lower-Functioning: Cheerio Valentines

Invite residents to make Cheerios bird feeders to hang on the backyard trees for your neighborhood birds this valentine season. To make the bird feeders, simply string Cheerios cereal onto pipe cleaners before shaping them into hearts.

Bedside: Love Rocks

Encourage your resident to use markers to draw hearts onto rocks to create love rocks that can be used as decoration or set outdoors along the walkway.

Outing: Trip to Justice of the Peace

As a unique valentine-themed scenic drive for your residents, take them for a ride past your local courthouse where the Justice of the Peace can be found.

Sensory Stimulation: Aluminum Foil Hearts

Cut out heart shapes from cardboard and cover them with aluminum foil so that residents can decorate the hearts with markers to make aluminum hearts.

Men's: Leaning Tower of Hearts

Challenge the men to stack as many conversation candy hearts without having them fall over. After 10 minutes, award a fun prize to the person whose heart stack is the tallest.

Special Event: Valentine Candy Tasting

Set out an array of valentine candy for residents to sample and to vote on their favorites. (Please note that Valentine's Day falls on a Sunday this year.)

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Mardi Gras Party Week

(Week of February 14)

Crafts: Mardi Gras Masks

Recognize this fun week of Mardi Gras by scheduling activities that keep your residents engaged and having fun. Begin the week by assisting residents with making their own Mardi Gras masks by cutting out the mask template from felt and attaching a variety of embellishments (e.g., feathers, beads, gemstones, etc.) to their masks.

Reminiscing: Mardi Gras Fun Facts

Reminisce with residents about their past trips to New Orleans and whether they have ever visited the city during Mardi Gras. Afterwards, share a few fun facts about the holiday.

Physical: Bead Toss

Set up the peg in your ring toss game to see who can toss the most Mardi Gras beads around the peg.

One-on-One: Mardi Gras Flowers

Help your resident decorate her room for Mardi Gras by turning white carnations into Mardi Gras flowers by adding green, purple, and yellow food coloring to the cups of water that the carnations are sitting in.

Lower-Functioning: Mardi Gras Bead Calming Jars

Fill Mason jars with half corn syrup and half water for residents to add beads and glitter to make Mardi Gras calming jars.

Bedside: Mardi Gras Headpiece

Assist your resident with crafting a Mardi Gras headpiece that she can wear for the holiday. Use purple craft foam and pipe cleaners in purple, gold, and green for the fun project.

Outing: Mardi Gras Decorating

If weather permits, take residents outdoors to decorate your facility's front porch for Mardi Gras by hanging beads throughout.

Sensory Stimulation: Jambalaya Boxes

Ask staff members to donate their valentine heart-shaped candy boxes so that residents can transform them into Mardi Gras-inspired jambalaya boxes by gluing gems and trinkets to the tops of the boxes.

Men's: Mardi Gras Floats

Supply the men with shoeboxes to decorate as Mardi Gras floats by adding green, purple, and gold beads and accessories to the boxes. First, have the men cover their shoeboxes in gold, purple, or green felt before gluing on their embellishments. Ask your facility's Administrators to judge the best float.

Special Event: Mardi Gras Masquerade Dessert Party

Host a fun masquerade dessert party for residents where they can wear the masks that they made earlier during the Crafts activity. During the dessert party, encourage residents to sample Mardi Gras desserts, like a king cake, Bananas Foster sundaes, and chocolate bourbon pecan monkey bread. (Please note that Mardi Gras is Tuesday, February 16.)

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International Mother Language Week

(Week of February 21

Crafts: Japanese Fans (Pronounced "Phan")

With International Mother Language Day on Sunday, February 21, spend the week providing residents with fun activities that allow residents to appreciate the different languages and parts of the world. Start the week showing residents how to make Japanese paper fans using scrapbook paper, glue, a stapler, beads, and raffia.

Reminiscing: Portuguese Wine (Vinho)

Reminisce with residents about their favorite wines as you share a few types of port wine, the popular dessert wine famous in Portugal, for residents to sample.

Physical: Hindi Toss (Pronounced "Tos")

Teach residents how to play the popular Indian game of Satoliya, in which players use a ball to knock down a pile of stones in three attempts. To alter this game for indoors, set up inverted cups on the floor for residents to try to knock down with a foam ball.

One-on-One: Spanish Game (Juego)

Use your Scrabble game board to play a fun game of Spanish Scrabble with your Spanish-speaking resident. Use an online Spanish-English dictionary to help you spell Spanish words for the game.

Lower-Functioning: Belgian Chocolates (Chocola)

Set out a variety of Belgian chocolate for residents to sample and vote on their favorites.

Bedside: French Movie (Cinéma)

Borrow a tablet to share a short French movie with English subtitles for your resident to watch.

Outing: Russian Snow (Pronounced "Sneg")

Take residents out on a fun winter scenic ride to appreciate the winter landscape, which can last for up to six months in Russia.

Sensory Stimulation: Italian Pasta (Pasta)

Bring samples of pasta from your facility's kitchen to teach residents about the different types of Italian pasta.

Men's: German Cars (Automobil)

Speak one of the languages of the men – cars – by sharing information about the top German car brands.

Special Event: Chinese Fortunes (Pronounced "Taifu")

Host a fun Chinese fortune cookie party where residents eat the cookies while reading their fortunes. Afterwards, share a few Chinese proverbs to ask residents what they think the sayings mean. (Please note that International Mother Language Day is Sunday, February 21.)

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Floral Design Week

(Week of February 28)

Crafts: Oversized Flowers

In recognition of Floral Design Day on February 28, host a full week of fun flower-themed activities. For example, start the week by showing residents how to make oversized flowers using colorful tissue paper, cereal box cardboard, tape, and glue.

Reminiscing: Garden Flowers

Reminisce with residents about the flowers that they used to grow in their gardens, as you pass around photos of popular garden flowers. Afterwards, ask residents if they have ever grown rare flowers in their gardens.

Physical: Indoor Flowers

Divide your mobile residents up to help you water the flowers and plants inside of your facility.

One-on-One: Window Flowers

Use paper, pencil, and watercolors to show your resident how to make a window flower painting.

Lower-Functioning: Stamp Flowers

Supply residents with pieces of celery and paint to make stamp flowers on paper.

Bedside: Paper Flowers

Recruit your resident to assist you with making paper flowers to fill a vase for her room.

Outing: Wild Flowers

Take residents on a flower-spotting scenic ride to look for winter wildflowers in your area.

Sensory Stimulation: Candy Flowers

Encourage residents to assist you with assembling candy flowers by wrapping crepe paper around individually wrapped pieces of candy.

Men's: Chocolate Flowers

Show the men how to make chocolate flowers by rolling and shaping chocolate plastic.

Special Event: Real Flowers

Host a class to teach residents how to arrange real flowers into vases. (Please note that Floral Design Day is Sunday, February 28.)

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